The poor people in the interior of Sindh are faced with different challenges that include floods, dacoits, droughts, and so many others, which now also include unexploded ordnances that discovered by children lead to tragic events resulting in loss of precious lives as happened recently in the Kandhkot area where children tending to their sheep ran across a rusted rocket shell and in their innocence believed it to be some harmless play object and started playing with it before it exploded claiming the lives of four children and injuring another.
This as we all know is not a war zone, so the presence of such ordnance reflects upon the armed capability of dacoits in the area who seem well armed and keep some dangerous stuff lying around.
Globally, unexploded ammunition is still a big problem, especially in countries that have been through war and conflicts. You will be surprised to know that in this day and age, nearly 70 countries and territories are affected by 110 million landmines. Yes, this is a staggering figure, but it is a reality. The children who lost their lives in Kandhkot are among the 24,000 individuals who every year fall victim to unexploded ordnance around the world.
There are victims who are from areas not affected by war or conflict, like Karachi, for example. If you thought Karachi is completely safe from the menace of unexploded ordnance, you are wrong. There are various sources from which unexploded ordnance can be found in and around Karachi.
There have been past instances of recovered explosives in Karachi related to militancy. Now with the increase in militancy throughout the country there are greater chances of such explosives finding their way to Karachi and as the militants change their hideouts frequently some of it will be left around with the risk of specially children coming across it with disastrous results.
There are also official channels that are responsible. It is known that certain areas around Churna Island are used as a bombing range, resulting in unexploded ordnance lying around. Another danger, which is lurking all around the city is the business of fire crackers trade which has claimed several lives due to improper storage and handling such materials without proper care or following the guidelines for handling such material.
Most of us will remember the devastating fire in August 2025 in which three people were killed and more than 32 injured as a result of a fire and explosion that ripped through a fireworks warehouse on M.A. Jinnah road near Saddar parking plaza. Here, firecrackers and other explosive material was carelessly stored without taking steps to follow due procedure for such materials. Such storage of fire crackers across the city cannot also be ruled out, with the accompanying dangers.
How ignorant are the local population about the hazards of unexploded ordnance and the damages they can cause including life and property is evident from an example from the India and Pakistan war in 1971. I was travelling on M.T. Khan Road when I saw a crowd of people from the nearby Sultanabad standing around a gaping hole in the ground. Curiosity got the better of me and I also parked my car and walked over to the crowd. I asked one of the young men standing there what is happening and why is everyone peering down that gaping hole.
Very calmly a young man said that last night there was bombing in the area by the enemy and a bomb had buried itself in that hole and has not yet exploded. I was aghast that these people were waiting for that bomb to burst and immediately left the scene. Thank God that I heard no more about that bomb, which means it was either defused by the authorities or did not just explode.
The incident in the interior of Sindh should be an eye-opener for the authorities. Not only should they become more vigilant, but also conduct awareness and information sessions for the local population to inform them of the impending dangers of unexploded munitions and steps to be taken if they are found lying around. School-going children should be specially targeted and shown specially produced documentaries, warning them of playing with scrap lying around. Authorities should ensure that the population in their areas is fully aware of the impending dangers and how to deal with it.
With a well-coordinated campaign, we could save precious lives in incidents such as the one in Kandhkot. It could be better to be safe than sorry is a lesson we should learn from this incident.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
The writer is a well-known columnist
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