KARACHI: Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala and President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Muhammad Rehan Hanif have expressed profound grief, shock, and deepest sympathies with the bereaved family of three-year-old Ibrahim, who tragically lost his life after falling into an open manhole near NIPA Chowrangi in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
In a joint statement, Zubair Motiwala and Rehan Hanif said that the horrifying manner in which the innocent child disappeared in front of his parents has shaken the conscience of the entire city, adding that this tragedy is not merely an unfortunate incident but a glaring example of the criminal negligence and administrative collapse that Karachi continues to suffer.
They lamented that despite the incident occurring around 11 p.m., the rescue operation remained painfully slow and disorganized, with authorities failing to provide adequate machinery or timely assistance. The family and locals, they noted with distress, were forced to arrange machinery on their own, while the official rescue teams stood helplessly without equipment. The operation was even suspended during the night due to lack of resources, and only after public protest and outrage did heavy machinery finally arrive at the scene. They termed it heartbreaking and unforgivable that the child remained unlocated for fourteen long hours, only to be recovered nearly one kilometer away after being swept through the drainage system.
They further noted that this is not an isolated case as Karachi has witnessed numerous similar deaths over the past few years due to open manholes, broken covers, and unsafe drainage points, resulting in an estimated fifteen to twenty casualties annually, many of them young children. They said that these recurring incidents expose the deep-rooted structural negligence in Karachi’s civic management, where public safety is consistently ignored and accountability is nonexistent. Every year, families are destroyed, children are buried, and yet nothing changes. Karachi has become a city where even a walk on the road has become a life-threatening risk, they added with deep frustration.
They further said that this tragedy must serve as a wake-up call for the authorities. They stressed that those responsible for the negligence that led to Ibrahim’s death must be immediately identified and held accountable, without excuses or political maneuvering. They urged the government to initiate a comprehensive citywide inspection of all manholes, drains, and open pits across Karachi, irrespective of which agency controls which jurisdiction. Strong, tamper-proof covers must be installed immediately and the government must streamline responsibilities among civic bodies to eliminate confusion during emergencies.
Zubair Motiwala and Rehan Hanif said that the tragic death of young Ibrahim is a painful reminder of how unsafe and poorly managed Karachi has become. They stated that the business community of Karachi stands firmly with the bereaved family and demands urgent reforms to prevent such incidents in the future.
They further voiced grave concerns over the horrendous condition of major arterial roads, particularly University Road, Bara Board, Yasinabad and Karimabad Underpass etc. which he said have virtually ceased to exist due to prolonged and unplanned excavation, broken surfaces, standing water and abandoned construction work. They emphasized that these unsafe and chaotic road conditions are directly contributing to fatal accidents, injuries, and loss of precious lives as citizens navigate dangerously damaged stretches amidst speeding dumpers, water tankers, and unregulated traffic.
Chairman BMG and President KCCI appealed Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab to immediately expedite all incomplete development work and publicly announce a clear and specific timeline for the completion of these critical road projects.