Karachi bleeds as 42 lives lost, over 230 injured in firing incidents this month: Report

At least 42 people including five women, lost their lives in firing incidents across Karachi between January 1 and 28, 2025, ARY News reported citing police officials.

Additionally, 233 people, including five women, were injured in these incidents.

Five people were killed while thwarting robbery attempts in the firing events, which were reported in different regions of the city. In other instances, individuals lost their lives as a result of stray gunshots or aerial fire. However, none of the seven people who died in firing incidents–including a woman–have been named.

Police officers ascribed the episodes to several things, such as disagreements, personal animosities, and opposition to robbery attempts ARY News highlighted.

Notably, a total of 12 children have gone missing in Karachi since December 2024, with some being recovered and others still missing.

According to a report obtained by ARY News citing Karachi police, three children went missing from the West Zone, a minor from Bilal Colony who was allegedly kidnapped and murdered. However, a child who went missing from Gulbahar was recovered.

Six children, including Gulistan-e-Jouhar’s two-year-old Kaneez, who has yet to recover, went missing in the East Zone. Three kids from Shah Latif and Zaman Town were also recovered, along with two kids who were missing from Super Highway. Three kids disappeared in the South Zone, including a four-year-old Saeedabad child whose whereabouts are still unknown, ARY News reported.

Road accidents, robbery resistance, and aerial firing also contributed to a spike in deaths in Karachi earlier in January. According to the Chipa Foundation, 528 people, including children and the elderly, were injured in road accidents, and 36 persons died as a result. In addition, robbery resistance incidents resulted in three fatalities and fifteen injuries.

The situation highlights the failure of the administration to address the issues of violence being carried out in Karachi.