Islamabad, January 12:
Activists and trade union leaders staged a protest in Karachi after a young trade unionist went missing from the Korangi Industrial Area, with allegations that he was forcibly taken by police at the behest of an influential industrialist. The incident has once again drawn attention to concerns over enforced disappearances, workers’ rights, and the broader law-and-order situation in Pakistan’s largest city.
The protest was held outside the Karachi Press Club on Sunday following a call by the National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF-P) after trade union activist Iqbal Abro went missing. Demonstrators carried Abro’s portraits and raised slogans demanding his immediate release from what they described as “illegal custody,” according to reports published in Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn.
Addressing the media, NTUF-P leaders including Nasir Mehmood and Comrade Gul Rehman alleged that personnel from the Awami Colony police station abducted Abro, subjected him to torture, and later moved him to an undisclosed location. They termed the incident an enforced disappearance and accused an influential industrialist of orchestrating the act, claiming Abro had been vocal against the forced retrenchment of workers at an industrial unit without due process.
The union leaders announced that a petition has been filed in the Sindh High Court seeking Abro’s recovery. They warned that if he is not released, the federation would announce further action during an upcoming labour conference.
The incident comes amid mixed signals regarding crime trends in Karachi. Official police statistics show a decline in reported street crimes, from 71,105 cases in 2024 to over 64,000 in 2025. However, analysts and editorials have cautioned against viewing this as a success. Data cited by the Business Recorder indicate that thousands of vehicles were hijacked or stolen and tens of thousands of mobile phones were snatched in 2025, reflecting persistent insecurity.
An editorial noted that despite a statistical reduction, tens of thousands of citizens continue to be dispossessed at gunpoint or through theft, underscoring how normalized crime has become. Experts have also warned that official figures reflect only reported cases and do not capture the full scale of lawlessness in the city.
