In Karachi alone, the year 2023 witnessed distressing figures of violence and tragedy, as disclosed by authorities and humanitarian organizations.
According to the police surgeon, more than 500 women and underage girls faced sexual assault during the year, with an additional 4,042 cases of physical assault reported against them.
In a separate revelation, the Edhi Foundation stated that Karachi experienced 714 fatalities from shootings, marking a 15% surge in violent deaths compared to the preceding year.
Additionally, 3,022 individuals suffered gunshot wounds during this period, highlighting the severity of the city’s violence.
The data provided by the Edhi Foundation was based on reports from Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Dr. Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) throughout the year.
The figures accounted for 1,565 bodies brought in for post-mortem examinations, encompassing murder victims, traffic accidents, suicides, and other incidents.
Within these statistics, the Foundation’s records showed disturbing details: 248 individuals succumbed to torture, 23 lost their lives in cylinder or gas explosions, and there were cases of suicides, accidents, electrocutions, and drownings.
Road traffic accidents claimed 750 lives and left 11,728 injured, with motorcyclists accounting for 63% of those affected.
The data also outlined societal woes, including cases of infanticide, with 224 reported incidents, and a disappointing yet reduced number of newborn bodies found. Additionally, 180 individuals resorted to suicide, while accidents, train incidents, and other mishaps claimed several lives.
The police surgeon specifically highlighted that 522 women and young girls were sexually assaulted in 2023, adding to the distressing trend of violence against women. She also mentioned the exhumation of 22 bodies based on court orders during the year.
Amidst these troubling statistics, law enforcement agencies reported numerous encounters, with 21 policemen martyred and criminal gangs eliminated during 3,158 encounters across Sindh. Furthermore, 188 encounters in riverine areas resulted in 40 bandits killed and 136 arrested.
Sindh Rangers collaborated with the police in 163 operations against various criminal elements, leading to the arrest of 197 high-profile suspects affiliated with banned religious/sectarian groups, sub-nationalists, and gangs involved in terrorism, targeted killings, kidnapping, and extortion.
