Child who died after falling into manhole: Sindh PA witnesses anger, grief, debate

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly session on Monday was filled with anger, grief and intense debate after the tragic death of a young boy, Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole near NIPA Chowrangi, while the government assured accountability of the concerned officials.

Opposition members protested strongly, and when the Leader of the Opposition was not allowed to speak on the matter. MQM lawmakers staged a walkout from the House. The session began under the chairmanship of Speaker Owais Qadir Shah, and special prayer was offered for the deceased child.

MQM MPA Iftikhar Alam opened the debate by condemning the incident and questioning why children in Karachi continue to fall into open manholes. He said that open manholes in KMC and cantonment areas were “an invitation to death” and noted that the child’s body was found 11 hours after the mishap.

JI MPA Muhammad Farooq said that the mother had lost her only son. He said that local councillors and town chairmen were present at the site but could not receive satisfactory responses from either the Karachi Mayor or the district administration. He added that this was the third such incident on the BRT Red Line route and asked how long the citizens of Karachi would keep collecting dead bodies.

MPA Rehan Bandukda, holding the child’s photograph, questioned the lack of accountability and asked who was responsible for the megacity. He said that the smiling face in the picture was no longer alive, which left many members emotional. Several lawmakers, including Hina Dastagir and Heer Soho, were seen wiping their tears.

Rehan Bandukda asked the House to think about how they would feel if it were their own child and said that male members sat in the Assembly “like men wearing bangles,” highlighting the inaction on such tragedies.

Sindh Senior Minister for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon expressed deep sorrow over the incident and said that the entire House and the government shared the family’s grief. He said that the death of a child falling into a manhole was extremely tragic and could have happened to anyone.

He informed the House that rescue teams had reached the site immediately and that all footage of the rescue operation was available. He added that he had spoken to the Karachi Mayor, who told him that 88,000 open manholes had been covered so far.

Memon assured that whoever was responsible for negligence, in any department, would face strict punishment. He said that if the responsibility fell on him, he was willing to leave his position, because nothing was more valuable than a human life. He praised the opposition for raising the matter strongly and emphasised that ensuring public safety was a collective responsibility.

During the session, Leader of the Opposition Ali Khurshidi attempted to speak about the issue but Deputy Speaker Naveed Anthony said he would be allowed to speak after the Call Attention Notices were completed. MQM members reacted angrily, stood up in protest, and eventually walked out of the Assembly. Because of their walkout, several of their Call Attention Notices could not be discussed.

Other Call Attention Notices were taken up during the proceedings. MQM’s Aamir Siddiqui complained that opposition members were not allowed to inspect development projects in their constituencies. He pointed to Rs 570 million project on Jahangir Road which he said had already deteriorated.

Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Siraj Qasim Soomro replied that the project was not yet complete, as drainage lines were still being installed. MPA Mohammad Owais raised concerns about garbage being dumped and burned near the Baloch Colony Expressway. The government responded that a new GT Slab site was being constructed and that one person had been arrested for burning garbage.

PTI MPA Sajjad Ali highlighted the poor condition of parks in Lyari Bihar Colony and said that a religious group had occupied a park on Shah Bhittai Road. He also said that donkeys were being tied inside another park, where a local PPP leader had claimed ownership. Siraj Soomro said that water pumps were being installed at the parks, and that two parks and the football ground at Kalri Ground, which was being built at a cost of Rs 300 million, would be completed soon.

The House also witnessed the presentation of the Benazir Bhutto Medical University Larkana (Amendment) Bill, which was sent to the relevant standing committee.

During the Question Hour on the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development, Parliamentary Secretary Syed Hasan Shah answered members’ written and supplementary questions.

He said that 38,000 plants had been planted for environmental improvement and that mangrove plantation was ongoing. He said that Sindh’s treatment plants were functioning and that although the government had banned plastic bags, people had taken the matter to the High Court, and the government would follow the court’s decision.

Speaker Owais Qadir Shah expressed anger over the absence of senior department officials during question hour. He instructed that the Chief Secretary be formally asked why the relevant department secretary was not present, and he issued a ruling requiring an explanation from him. The session was later adjourned until Tuesday at 12 noon.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025