The terrifying stories are sprawled across local newspapers and recounted in hushed tones at tea stalls and bus stands: another day, another brutal death during an armed robbery in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. Last Wednesday, a car mechanic was shot dead by muggers trying to steal his phone. A few days earlier, robbers killed a 27-year-old mechanical engineer, stealing his phone, cash and motorcycle. Across Karachi, Pakistan’s economic powerhouse, the rate of violent crime has soared. The country’s president, Asif Ali Zardari, has called for a “large-scale operation” against the street criminals.

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Persons: muggers, Asif Ali Zardari, mugging, ”, Shamim Ali Locations: Karachi, Pakistan’s