By Ahsan Mughal
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) condemned the death of a child who fell into an open manhole in Korangi’s Mehran Town, accusing the Karachi mayor and city administration of what it described as grave negligence and holding local authorities responsible for yet another preventable tragedy.
In a statement, MQM-P said open manholes across the city had turned into “death traps” for residents, particularly children, and blamed the incident on the failure of civic institutions to carry out even the most basic duties. The party said the loss of a young life reflected a systemic collapse in municipal oversight and a culture of indifference towards public safety.
MQM-P directly criticized representatives of Jamaat-e-Islami and the Pakistan Peoples Party, saying the repetition of such incidents, despite earlier tragedies including one at Nipa Chowrangi, exposed the incompetence of those running Karachi’s local bodies. It demanded the immediate accountability of Jamaat-e-Islami’s town administrators and the relevant municipal departments, calling for strict action against those found responsible.
The party warned that unless open manholes were sealed without delay, similar incidents would continue to claim lives. It described the deteriorating state of civic services as a failure of the Sindh government, arguing that poor governance and lack of coordination between provincial and local authorities had left citizens vulnerable.
MQM-P also called for immediate financial assistance for the affected family, saying compensation could not replace the loss but was necessary to acknowledge official responsibility. The incident has once again highlighted the dangers posed by crumbling urban infrastructure in Karachi, where repeated assurances by authorities have failed to translate into lasting safety measures on the ground.
