Robbery in Clifton Block 4: Poor vegetable vendors targeted in the dead of night, fear grips the area
An incident has emerged from Block 4 of Clifton, a posh area of Karachi, that has shaken both residents and the working class. The road passing through the front side of Chaseup, which usually remains empty and deserted till late night, became witness to a horrific incident a few days ago in which two unidentified bike riders targeted the poor vegetable vendors at around 2:30 in the night who were preparing to return to their homes or shops after completing their daily work. According to local residents, the incident begins on the Chessup seafront, where the two motorcyclists passed, and then headed straight toward the street where a mosque stands, and directly opposite it is a vegetable vendor’s stall. This is the place where hard-working people stand from morning till night, summer or winter, to earn their bread, just to keep their stoves burning. But fate had something else in store for them that night.
How the incident happened
The victims say they were preparing to head to the vegetable market at that time of night to buy goods for their shops for the next day. This is their daily routine—late at night, when the city is asleep, these hard-working people head to Karachi’s vegetable market to get fresh goods at cheap prices. He had Rs 15,000 in cash at that time, which he had saved to buy goods for his shop, and also had 2 to 3 mobile phones which were probably necessary for his daily work and communication.
Suddenly, taking advantage of the darkness, two bike riders arrived there. No warning, no opportunity – a series of robberies started straight away. We had Rs. 1500 in cash and were going to buy supplies for our shop. Suddenly, robbers came and looted us and left.” The helplessness and despair evident in their view underscores the fact that this is not just a financial loss, but also an insult to the faith and hard work of those who toil day and night to accumulate a few thousand rupees.
No Action Taken Despite Bilawal Chowrangi and Police Stations
Most shocking and infuriating is that this area is not far from a prominent and famous place like Bilawal Chowrangi, where numerous police stations are located nearby, the very names of which are enough to make the common man wince. But despite all this, even after several days have passed since the incident, the victims have not received their stolen mobile phones back, nor have they received their stolen cash back. This question is now on the lips of everyone familiar with this incident: If ordinary workers cannot get justice despite such a vast security infrastructure, such large police stations, and such a renowned name, then to whom should ordinary citizens rely on for their protection?
Local residents say this isn’t the first time this has happened—Clifton and surrounding areas have seen a rise in bike snatching and minor robberies over the past few days. People are hesitant to venture out alone at night, and especially those who work late into the night—such as watchmen, delivery riders, and vegetable vendors who frequent the market at night—are finding themselves in danger, both for their lives and property.
Not Just a Single Incident, a Serious Matter
This incident might seem small in itself—the robbery of a few thousand rupees and two or three mobile phones—but when viewed in relation to Karachi’s overall crime pattern, the picture becomes much more horrific. According to a report by the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), more than 24,000 street crime incidents were reported across Karachi in just the first five months of 2026, including incidents such as mobile snatching, cash looting, and bike theft. These numbers are just those reported—thousands of incidents never reach a police station, either because victims feel there’s no point in reporting them, or because they’re deterred by the process of filing an FIR.
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