Karachi witnessed a sharp decline in street crime and vehicle theft during the first six months of 2026, but the gains were offset by a significant increase in attacks on police personnel and reported sexual violence, according to comparative crime statistics released by the Central Police Office (CPO) Sindh.
Follow Times of Karachi on Google News and add as a preferred Source on Google
The data, covering January 1 to June 30, 2026, shows that the city recorded 16,463 cognizable offences, a marginal increase of 80 cases (0.49 percent) compared to 16,383 cases during the same period last year.
Despite the overall stability in crime numbers, the statistics reveal a notable shift in Karachi’s crime landscape, with property crimes declining while violent crimes against law enforcement and women increased.
Street crime sees major decline
The biggest improvement was recorded in street crime, long considered one of Karachi’s most pressing public safety concerns.
Motorcycle snatching cases fell by 33.76 percent, dropping from 2,127 incidents in the first half of 2025 to 1,409 this year. Motorcycle theft also declined significantly by 23.45 percent, falling from 5,752 to 4,403 cases.
Car snatching decreased by 28.45 percent, with reported incidents dropping from 116 to 83, while car theft declined by 7.28 percent, from 618 to 573 cases.
Street robberies, classified as “other robbery,” fell by 19.12 percent, from 1,961 to 1,586 incidents, while non-bank dacoities dropped sharply by 35.71 percent, decreasing from 140 to 90 cases.
Burglary cases also registered a slight decline of 4.81 percent, falling from 915 to 871.
Police also reported a 65.57 percent increase in cases registered under Section 411 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) related to the recovery of stolen property, indicating improved tracking of stolen goods.
Murders decline but attacks on police surge
Murders declined by 7.29 percent, from 288 to 267 cases, while attempted murder cases fell by 4.86 percent, decreasing from 473 to 450.
Kidnapping for ransom also dropped significantly by 35.71 percent, with 18 cases reported compared to 28 during the same period last year. General kidnapping and abduction cases decreased slightly by 4.2 percent, from 1,879 to 1,800.
Also Read: Balochistan police assists in
recovering 24 cars stolen from Karachi
However, attacks on law enforcement increased sharply.
Cases involving assaults on police personnel rose by 65.26 percent, increasing from 498 to 823, reflecting growing resistance by criminal suspects during police operations.
Sexual violence rises sharply
One of the most alarming findings in the report was the rise in reported sexual offences.
Reported rape and zina cases increased by 49.43 percent, climbing from 87 cases in the first half of 2025 to 130 this year.
Gang rape cases also rose by 30 percent, increasing from 30 to 39 incidents, while child lifting cases increased by 6.02 percent, from 216 to 229.
Police intensify operations
The reduction in property crimes coincided with an increase in police enforcement operations across Sindh.
Province-wide police encounters rose by 35.8 percent, increasing from 1,630 to 2,214.
During these operations, 200 suspected criminals were killed, a 47.1 percent increase over last year’s figure of 136, while 1,276 suspects were injured, representing a 70.6 percent rise.
Police also arrested 1,861 armed suspects during encounters.
Thirteen police personnel were martyred in the line of duty during the six-month period, compared with 12 during the same period last year, while 43 officers sustained injuries.
Meanwhile, Arms Act cases in Karachi increased by 14.74 percent, rising from 2,903 to 3,331, reflecting intensified action against illegal weapons.
Property recovery remains weak
Despite the reduction in theft and robbery, recovering stolen assets remained a major challenge.
According to the report, citizens reported losses worth approximately Rs2.16 billion in stolen vehicles, cash and valuables during the first half of 2026.
Police recovered property worth only Rs63.88 million, resulting in a recovery rate of around 3 percent, highlighting persistent challenges in tracing stolen vehicles and dismantling criminal networks dealing in stolen property.
Karachi remains Sindh’s crime hub
Karachi continued to account for the largest share of reported crime in Sindh.
During the first half of 2026, the city registered 16,463 cases, representing 25.58 percent of the province’s 64,365 reported cognizable offences.
Follow the Times of Karachi channel on WhatsApp
The city also accounted for more than 87 percent of all vehicle theft and snatching incidents reported across Sindh.
Road safety improves
The report also highlighted improvements in road safety.
Fatal road accidents declined by 24.44 percent, falling from 266 to 201 cases, while non-fatal accidents dropped by 44.84 percent, decreasing from 223 to 123 incidents.
