Pakistan: 53 militants arrested in Karachi September 10

Event

Security officials announced that 53 suspected militants were arrested on Sunday, September 10, in a series of raids in Karachi. Only one raid resulted in a shootout, in which one suspect was killed. The raids were reportedly targeting a number of different criminal and militant groups.

Context

In general, the security situation in Karachi has improved substantially after a large operation was launched in 2014 against militant and criminal groups. According to official statistics, there has been a 70 percent reduction in targeted killings, an 85 percent reduction in extortion cases, and a 90 percent decrease in cases of kidnappings for ransom. However, both targeted and indiscriminate crime continues to occur with relative frequency.

The southern city of Karachi (the largest in Pakistan) remains one of the most crime-prone cities of the whole Asian region. Karachi is described by several Western governments as a city vulnerable to various issues including violent ethnic conflicts, criminal and political violence, and frequent incidents of armed carjacking, robbery, kidnapping, and murder, as well as strikes called for by religious and political parties.

More broadly, extremist Islamist groups continue to pose a threat throughout the country despite continued army offensives to push them from their northwestern strongholds near the Afghan border. Pakistan suffered a number of deadly attacks earlier in the year, notably in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Tribal Areas, Peshawar, and Lahore.

Advice

Due to the high threat of terrorism and other forms of violent crime, individuals are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities. As a reminder, all Western embassies in Pakistan advise their citizens against nonessential travel to the country. Travel to Karachi (or elsewhere in Pakistan) should only be considered with proper security protocols in place.