Karachi : In a brazen act of daylight crime in the heart of the city, a staff member of the National Forum of Environment & Health (NFEH) was robbed at gunpoint of more than Rs 550,000 by two unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle near the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Complex (JPMC).
The victim, Zahid Ali, an NFEH staffer, was intercepted moments after he exited the JPMC branch of a private bank, where he had withdrawn cash from the organisation’s account. He was proceeding on foot to a nearby branch of another private bank to deposit the amount for official purposes when the armed robbers struck. The incident occurred in the afternoon on a busy thoroughfare, underscoring the audacity of criminal gangs operating openly in Karachi’s downtown.
Following the incident, the Saddar Police Station registered a First Information Report (FIR) and initiated an investigation, including the collection of CCTV footage from cameras installed in the surrounding area.
Reacting strongly, NFEH President Muhammad Naeem Qureshi called upon the Inspector General of Sindh Police, Javed Alam Odho, and the Additional Inspector General of Police, Karachi, Azad Khan, to take decisive action against armed criminal gangs that continue to prey on citizens in broad daylight.
He said that residents and workers in and around Karachi’s Red Zone must not be subjected to such lawlessness, stressing the need for heightened police patrolling, adequate deployment of law-enforcement personnel, and the effective functioning of the Safe City project. He specifically urged the police to intensify surveillance and checks on armed criminals who target individuals immediately after they leave bank branches with withdrawn cash.
“This incident is yet another reminder that organised street crime remains unchecked in some of the most sensitive and busy areas of the city,” Qureshi said, adding that public confidence can only be restored through visible policing and swift, exemplary action against perpetrators.
