KARACHI (Web Desk) – Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday took sweeping administrative action after the tragic death of a three-year-old child, Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole near Nipa in Karachi.
Eight senior officers of the Karachi administration came under scrutiny, with DC East Abrar Ahmed Jaffar transferred and SSP East, as well as DSP New Town, suspended for negligence.
Assistant Commissioner Gulshan Iqbal, Senior Director Municipal Services, Executive Engineer and Assistant Engineer of Water Corporation have also been suspended.
The provincial government also issued formal transfer and suspension notifications and directed that further disciplinary proceedings be initiated against all those found responsible.
Following his transfer, Abrar Ahmed Jaffar was ordered to report to the Services Department, while Malir Deputy Commissioner Samiullah Nisar Ali Sheikh assumed additional charge as DC East.
The chief minister vowed that all aspects of the incident would be investigated thoroughly, insisting that any official whose negligence contributed to the tragedy would face consequences.
To ascertain responsibility, CM Murad Ali Shah constituted a three-member investigation committee led by the Karachi police chief. The inquiry team visited the victim’s home and recorded statements from the bereaved family as part of the ongoing probe into the fatal incident.
Four days after the incident, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab publicly acknowledged administrative negligence and apologised before the media, saying he felt ashamed over the tragedy.
He admitted that City Wardens failed to perform and that the response of Rescue 1122 was also inadequate, adding that the crowd at the scene had further hindered rescue operations.
According to channel reports, the mayor visited the home of the deceased child, prayed for him, and offered condolences to the family. He apologised to the child’s father, asking him to convey his regret to the mother as well.
The grandfather of the child told the mayor that his apology had elevated his stature but urged him to improve the situation to prevent future tragedies.
Footage of the Nepa tragedy incident left the public shaken. The video showed Ibrahim walking ahead of his mother and behind his father before falling into the open manhole in front of his mother’s eyes. She screamed for help as crowds gathered, but Ibrahim’s body was recovered only after 14 hours.
The footage revealed that a dumper truck had passed over the manhole days earlier, causing the lid to fall inside. Despite several days passing, no authority replaced the missing cover.
On the other hand, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) blamed the tragedy on BRT construction, alleging that excavation for the project had left the manhole exposed and that KMC had not been informed before work began.
However, the BRT Red Line project issued a clarification stating that the incident occurred far from the construction site and that no construction activity was ongoing at the spot, arguing that responsibility for the sewer line could not be attributed to the project.
