By Hafiz Rahat Usama 
A tragic incident has once again brought Karachi’s critical civic infrastructure failures into sharp focus, sparking widespread outrage and political turmoil. The crisis began with the devastating death of a three-year-old boy named Ibrahim, who fell into an uncovered manhole located near the Nipa flyover. The accident occurred outside a departmental store when the child, momentarily slipping away from his father’s hand while shopping, fell into the exposed drain. The subsequent search effort by rescue teams was agonizingly prolonged, lasting approximately fourteen hours before the toddler’s body was finally located in a drain one kilometre away from the site of the incident.
The immediate reaction from the local community underscored the severe lack of responsiveness from city authorities. Residents reported making over 40 phone calls and sending numerous emails to various departments overnight, claiming that only a single BRT engineer responded. This failure was compounded by municipal officials reportedly shifting blame between different departments, leaving the distressed family and community to manage the crisis largely on their own. In response to the tragedy and the perceived apathy, locals staged protests at Nipa Chowrangi, burning tyres and warning that the 1.5-kilometre stretch of road dug up during the search effort now constitutes another immediate safety hazard for pedestrians and motorists.
Political Fallout and Calls for Accountability
The tragedy quickly spilled over into the political arena, dominating the day’s Sindh Assembly session. Opposition parties were swift and direct in their criticism of the metropolitan administration. Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq publicly demanded the immediate resignation of Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, holding both the city administration and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) responsible for the state of civic collapse across the city.
Independent MPA Rehan Bandukda voiced the unimaginable agony endured by the child’s parents, describing it as shameful that essential machinery was reportedly unavailable to retrieve the child. He highlighted the pervasive civic dangers in Karachi, noting, “Sometimes it’s a robbery, sometimes a traffic incident, sometimes a gutter that takes a life.” He passionately urged lawmakers to move swiftly to pass legislation that would mandate the termination of any officials found negligent in their respective jurisdictions, emphasizing the need for legal accountability. MQM-P MPA Taha Ahmed echoed the concerns, questioning the repeated governmental promises of action and asking why parents had to arrange machinery themselves if public representatives were present.
Government Response and Assurance of Action
Responding to the heated criticism, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon offered condolences to the bereaved family. He defended the immediate government response, asserting that both rescue teams and the Mayor arrived at the site, and efforts began within a reasonable window of 15 to 30 minutes.
Memon characterized the incident as a case of criminal negligence and firmly assured the Assembly that any officer who failed in their duty would face strict legal consequences, including himself if responsibility lay there. He stressed that human life must take precedence over all other considerations and lamented that political blame-games frequently overshadow the real issue of civic failure. Separately, the Karachi City Council session was also marked by protests and slogans raised by opposition members against Mayor Wahab.
Meanwhile, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab ordered an inquiry into the incident and expressed deep sympathy for the child’s family, while also lamenting the politicization of the unfortunate event. Wahab confirmed that CCTV footage from the departmental store was being obtained and that the search for the child was still ongoing. He acknowledged the father’s complaint regarding machinery availability late at night, stating that the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) was directed to investigate and take action against any negligent officer. He added that the manhole had no cover and no prior complaints had been registered, dismissing political use of the incident as unhelpful. Sindh government spokesperson Sadia Javed confirmed the inquiry had been launched to identify why the manhole cover was missing.