KARACHI: A sessions court has sentenced a street criminal to 14 years in prison for snatching a motorbike from a citizen at gunpoint near Aladdin Park on Rashid Minhas Road and for possessing an illegal weapon.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (East) Shahid Ali Memon found Muhammad Bilal guilty and sentenced him to seven years in prison on each of two counts: for possessing an illicit pistol and for snatching a motorbike from a citizen at gunpoint while he was on his way home.

“The street crimes have promptly been increasing day by day and none from the society feel secure at the hands of merciless muggers. It has also been noticed that the merciless muggers looted the innocent public at large, including men, women, students etc and also caused their murder and injuries on resistance.

“Thus the muggers on the one hand had not only deprived the innocent people from their valuable belongings, dignity and honour and on the other hand they also caused them injury or murder without their fault.

“Thus under such circumstances, the persons so involved in such like cases do not deserve any leniency and if any leniency is shown then it would amount to bring the lives, liberties, honors, valuable properties of the innocent public at the mercy of unbridled looters,” the court remarked.

Meanwhile, the court acquitted the co-accused Hammad Ali, as the prosecution failed to establish the case against him.

According to the prosecution, on Oct 16, 2024, a man was returning home from work when two muggers on a bike intercepted him near Aladdin Park. At gunpoint, they snatched his motorbike and fled.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2025