Over the past three years, 55 people have been lynched in Karachi. Experts say growing public frustration and lack of faith in the justice system are fueling this disturbing trend.
It was in the chaotic 2000s that Karachi witnessed its first public lynching. On May 14, 2008, an apartment robbery in Nishtar Road spiraled into a horrifying spectacle: a mob chased down three of the suspects, beat them brutally, and set them on fire — all while police and rescue workers stood by, unable to intervene.
The scene was shocking even for a seasoned crime reporter: ordinary citizens acting as judge, jury, and executioner. But what seemed unthinkable at the time has since become alarmingly routine.
A Growing Pattern of Violence
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Karachi has seen 55 lynching cases since 2022 — 15 in that year, and 20 each in 2023 and 2024. With street crime also on the rise, the number of gangs reportedly jumped from around 30 to over 60, and nearly 100 people lost their lives while resisting robberies just in 2024.
The situation reflects a deep-rooted problem: public confidence in law enforcement and the legal system is crumbling.
“There’s a real erosion of trust in the police, courts, and the overall justice system,” explained Dr. Zoha Waseem, criminologist and assistant professor at the University of Warwick. “That’s one of the major drivers behind this mob justice trend.”
A Haunting Precedent
The 2010 lynching of two teenage brothers in Sialkot remains etched in national memory. Accused of robbery, Mughees and Muneeb were murdered in full view of bystanders and police. Their bodies were dragged through the streets and hanged before being nearly set on fire — a scene only halted by the arrival of their family.
In a rare instance of accountability, several individuals were later sentenced to death or long prison terms, and the police involved were jailed. The brutality of the event even inspired academic research into the social psychology of mob behavior.
The study, The Psychology Behind the Sialkot Tragedy, published in 2018, concluded that moral disengagement, empathy loss, deindividuation, and dehumanization are key ingredients in the making of such violence. The researchers urged deeper societal reforms to prevent similar tragedies.
When the Legal System Fails
“To the common man, lynching seems like quick and fair justice,” said senior Sindh High Court advocate Muhammad Ali Qasim. “But to a lawyer, it’s a stark failure of the system — a breakdown that signals danger for society as a whole.”
The core function of the legal system, he stressed, is to control violence, ensure due process, and deliver justice — not to allow chaos on the streets.
Police officials say most lynchings occur in underprivileged, poorly educated neighborhoods, where public tolerance is already thin. “All it takes is one trigger,” said Zeeshan Siddiqui, SSP of Karachi’s Central District. He claimed his district saw no lynchings in the past year due to proactive policing.
Still, across Karachi, mob violence continues.
Recent Incidents Spark Concern
- April 10, 2024: Nine dumpers and tankers were set ablaze in North Karachi after a heavy vehicle injured a motorcyclist. Rioters even hurled stones at fire brigades attempting to control the blaze.
- April 12: Another tanker was attacked and burned in North Nazimabad after hitting a biker. A dozen men chased the driver, assaulted him, and smashed the vehicle’s windows before torching it.
- March 2024: A robber was beaten to death in Quaidabad after fatally shooting a trader.
- November 2023: A suspected thief was lynched in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.
- May 2023: Police rescued another suspect in Orangi Town just before he was set on fire by an angry mob.
Behind the Violence: Deep Discontent
Dr. Waseem argues that socio-economic inequality, inflation, and systemic failures are driving public anger. “You can’t look at mob justice in isolation — it’s linked to economic hardship, political dysfunction, and a lack of access to services,” she said.
Karachi’s first major lynching in 2008 triggered more violence just days later. On May 18 that year, two more suspected robbers were caught, beaten, and burned alive in North Nazimabad. Then-Sindh police chief Dr. Shoaib Suddle acknowledged that public faith in the justice system was eroding fast.
Calls for Reform
“Every incident of mob justice is a glaring indictment of our legal system,” said Abdul Khaliq Shaikh, former IG of Balochistan who served for years in Karachi. “It’s a call to action for political leaders, law professionals, and civil society.”
He emphasized that urgent reforms are needed to restore trust in the justice system, reinforce the rule of law, and build a culture of legal accountability over vigilante violence.
Until that happens, the rise of mob justice in Karachi may continue unchecked — a tragic symptom of a city where justice, for many, feels out of reach.
