Renowned actress Sajal Aly expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of three-year-old Ibrahim, who lost his life after falling into an uncovered manhole on Sunday night near NIPA Chorangi, Karachi. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Sajal questioned the accountability of those responsible for the city’s deteriorating infrastructure. She wrote: “Extremely sad and heartbroken. Shame on whoever was responsible for this! Who is responsible for Karachi? Who is responsible for this collapsing, failed system? A child lost his life today, and I cannot even begin to imagine what his parents are going through. They must have been waiting for a miracle… but because we have no functioning system, there was no one to save him.” The actress also lamented Karachi’s poor infrastructure, highlighting the lack of proper roads and functioning municipal systems in a city that houses millions but continues to suffer from administrative negligence and ineffective governance. Sajal reposted a clip showing Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab being confronted on live television by a journalist over the manhole tragedy. The mayor assured that an inquiry would be conducted to determine how the manhole near a busy store was left uncovered, urging citizens not to politicize the incident. He added that any government negligence would be addressed and questioned whether the relevant union councils had flagged the hazard. In contrast, JI emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman sharply criticized the Sindh government, blaming mismanaged Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Karachi Water & Sewerage System Improvement Project works for hazardous road conditions. He accused flawed development projects of endangering citizens and demanded accountability, asking, “How many more will die?” Rehman also highlighted that Karachi generates 90% of the country’s tax revenue, claiming the government collects Rs3,306 billion in taxes and development charges but fails to utilize the funds for city infrastructure while engaging in corruption. He urged citizens to join JI in demanding accountability. The tragic incident occurred on Sunday around 10 pm, when the child fell into the lidless manhole while shopping with his parents at a private departmental store. Distressing videos circulated online showing crowds gathering and the boy’s mother pleading for help. The child’s body was recovered over 12 hours later on Monday by Rescue 1122 and Edhi, and shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan said that although the service typically avoids night search operations due to poor visibility, the grief-stricken parents and “highly charged” crowd prompted an immediate but unsuccessful overnight search. Workers excavated five points using heavy machinery and sought the drainage system’s blueprint to determine water flow and access points for targeted rescue efforts.
