KARACHI: The opposition in Sindh on Monday demanded the resignation of Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab following the death of three-year-old Ibrahim, who fell into an uncovered manhole near the Nipa flyover. Lawmakers accused the city administration of recurring negligence and criticised what they called an unacceptably delayed rescue response.
The child slipped into the open manhole outside a departmental store while out shopping with his family. Rescue teams later found his body in a drain nearly one kilometre away — around 14 hours after the incident. Residents said they made dozens of calls and sent emails to authorities through the night, but only a single BRT engineer initially responded as departments passed responsibility from one to another.
Outraged locals staged protests and burned tyres at Nipa Chowrangi, warning that the 1.5km stretch dug up during the search now poses an additional safety risk.
During the Sindh Assembly session, Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq called for Wahab’s resignation, blaming both the city administration and MQM-P for the deteriorating state of civic management. Independent MPA Rehan Bandukda said the child’s parents endured unimaginable sorrow and lamented the lack of machinery needed for a timely rescue. He urged lawmakers to introduce legislation enabling the termination of officials found negligent.
MQM-P MPA Taha Ahmed questioned why parents were forced to arrange machinery themselves while public representatives stood by, saying such tragedies continue because responsibility is never clearly assigned.
Responding to the criticism, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon expressed condolences and said rescue efforts began within 15 to 30 minutes of the incident. Calling the case one of criminal negligence, he promised strict action against any officer who failed in their duties. He stressed that human life must take precedence above political point-scoring and confirmed that the chief minister had taken notice of the tragedy.
Protests also erupted in the Karachi City Council session, where opposition members raised slogans against the mayor.
Separately, Mayor Wahab ordered an inquiry into the incident and expressed sympathy with the child’s family. He said CCTV footage from the store was being collected and that rescue efforts were ongoing at the time. He noted that the father had complained about the lack of machinery during the night, prompting the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation to investigate. He added that the manhole was uncovered but said no prior complaints had been received from the area. Any official found negligent, he said, would face action.
Sindh government spokesperson Sadia Javed confirmed a formal inquiry, saying strict steps would follow against those responsible for leaving the manhole open.
