Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited the grieving family of a three-year-old boy who fell into an open manhole and drowned in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Wednesday night, assuring them of an impartial inquiry and action against those found negligent.
The body of the boy, who drowned in an open manhole near Nipa in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Sunday night, was found on Monday, around 15 hours after the incident occurred.
The child’s tragic death, particularly the lack of cooperation from relevant civic agencies to launch an immediate search, had angered relatives and area residents, who staged a protest on University Road on Sunday night and again during the day on Monday.
On Tuesday, many political parties held protests against the provincial administration and demanded that the Karachi mayor resign, while pleas were also filed in courts demanding action against city officials.
A post by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation on X on Wednesday night said the mayor visited the boy’s family and extended his condolences.
“An impartial inquiry will be conducted, and anyone found negligent will face action. We will take structured measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” the post quoted the mayor as saying.
Addressing a press conference after meeting the family, the mayor termed the incident a “painful, shameful loss” and said he had no words to describe it adequately.
“I say I seek forgiveness, it was my fault … I believe as mayor I was not successful, for which I am expressing my remorse.”
He said the response by the government, administration and authorities should be “prompt and appropriate” to prevent anyone else falling victim to the same circumstances in the future.
Wahab added he did not want to get bogged down in a “blame game” and said he accepted responsibility, since bickering over the matter would not solve the issue.
The mayor further stated that he was relaying the sentiment from the top level of the provincial government and the PPP leadership that the reasons and issues that led to the death of the toddler would no longer be tolerated, and that action was now being taken.
KMC report attributes death to ‘carelessness’ of BRT, department store officials
A report by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) on the incident attributed the incident to the “carelessness” of officials from the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service and a department store adjacent to where the incident took place, it emerged earlier today.
