KARACHI: The East Sessions Court has summoned arguments from the lawyers representing the Karachi mayor, the relevant town chairman, the Water Board, and the BRT contractor on a plea seeking the registration of a criminal case over the death of three-year-old Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole near NIPA on December 31.
The hearing was held on a petition seeking directions to register a case against senior municipal officials, including Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab. Advocate Sheikh Saqib Ahmed, appearing for the petitioner, presented arguments before the court.
In his petition, filed on December 3, Advocate Ahmed held the city’s top civic leadership responsible for the child’s death, terming it a result of “culpable negligence”. He urged the court to order the registration of a criminal case for negligence leading to the loss of an innocent life.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that although the police reported that the child’s parents did not wish to pursue legal action, the Supreme Court has held that any person can initiate proceedings if a cognisable offence has occurred. He maintained that a crime had been committed and that the police were duty-bound to register an FIR under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
He further contended that the issue of compensation could only arise after the registration of a case, under Section 345, and argued that the offence attracted charges of murder due to negligence, including Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code. While there may have been no intent to kill, he said, the responsible authorities were fully aware that leaving a manhole uncovered could result in loss of life.
The lawyer also argued that even if a temporary cover had been placed and later removed, the authorities remained legally responsible for ensuring public safety.
After the petitioner concluded his arguments, the court directed lawyers for the mayor and other respondents to present their submissions at the next hearing. The matter was adjourned until January 19.
Separately, another petition was filed on December 3 before the District and Sessions Judge (East) by Advocate Abdul Ahad, seeking the registration of a criminal case against senior municipal officials. The petition stated that Ibrahim died after slipping into a lidless manhole and alleged that repeated public complaints about the uncovered drain were ignored by the authorities.
According to the petition, the three-year-old boy, son of Nabeel, fell into the manhole at around 11pm outside a departmental store near the NIPA flyover after slipping away from his father. After a 15-hour search operation, his body was recovered the following day by Karachi Municipal Corporation rescue teams near Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, nearly half a kilometre downstream.
Rescue efforts were initially halted due to a lack of equipment, forcing residents to arrange machinery on their own. It was later revealed that the manhole served as an entry point to Gulshan-e-Iqbal’s main 36-inch drainage line. BRT machinery was deployed only the next morning, nearly 16 hours after the incident.
Rescue workers said the operation was hampered by the absence of any documented layout of Karachi’s sewerage and stormwater system, forcing teams to search blindly through multiple drainage channels.
A Karachi Metropolitan Corporation report submitted to the local government department stated that excavation work for the Red Line BRT project had damaged the drainage system and that temporary covers placed over the drains were inadequate.
The incident has once again highlighted a recurring problem in Karachi. In January 2025, an eight-year-old boy died after falling into an uncovered manhole in Shah Faisal Colony, while at least 19 people reportedly lost their lives last year due to open sewers across the city. In September 2021, a two-and-a-half-year-old child also died in Garden West after a manhole cover had remained missing for over two weeks following nearby construction work.
