Islamabad, Jan 12 (NationPress) Activists staged a demonstration following the disappearance of a young labor leader in the Korangi Industrial Area of Karachi, Pakistan. Trade union representatives claim he was abducted by the police at the behest of a powerful industrialist due to his vocal opposition to forced layoffs at a local factory, local media sources reported.

The protest took place outside the Karachi Press Club on Sunday, organized by the National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF-P) after Iqbal Abro's disappearance. Protesters displayed images of Abro and called for his release from what they termed “illegal detention,” as reported by Pakistan's leading daily, Dawn.

During the event, union leaders including Nasir Mehmood and Comrade Gul Rehman accused the Awami Colony police of kidnapping Iqbal Abro, inflicting torture, and subsequently relocating him to an undisclosed location. They labeled this incident a forced disappearance and implicated an influential industrialist in the affair, as Abro had been advocating for the rights of workers unjustly laid off.

They announced that a petition has been submitted to the Sindh High Court. The leaders of NTUF-P warned that they would determine further actions at an upcoming labor conference if Abro is not released.

Recently, police reports indicated a decline in the number of street crimes in Karachi, with incidents dropping from 71,105 in 2024 to around 64,000 in 2025. However, these statistics reveal the extent to which abnormality has become commonplace in the city, as highlighted in a report.

According to police data, in 2025, there were 6,683 vehicle hijackings, which included 302 cars and 6,381 motorbikes, a drop from 8,370 incidents in 2024. In total, 39,934 vehicles were reported stolen in 2025, down from 43,382 the previous year, according to a report from Business Recorder.

Incidents of phone snatching remained common, with 19,353 mobile phones reported stolen in 2024, underscoring the ongoing issue of street crime in the city.

An editorial in the Business Recorder remarked that Karachi's police statistics aimed to portray improvement. While they do indicate a reduction in street crimes, the numbers also reflect a grim reality of life in Pakistan's largest city.

The editorial emphasized that over 46,000 citizens lost their vehicles and over 17,000 individuals were deprived of their mobile phones in 2025.

“A ‘reduction’ that leaves tens of thousands vulnerable to theft is not a success. It highlights just how low the baseline has declined,” the editorial stated.

Experts warned against making broad conclusions based solely on two years of data, noting that official reports only capture incidents recorded in police logs and do not represent the full scope of crime. They pointed out the lack of comprehensive research and a holistic data framework involving other stakeholders like healthcare providers.