A charged session of the Sindh Assembly on Monday witnessed fierce protests by opposition members over the tragic death of a toddler, Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole near Nipa Chowrangi in Karachi.
The Leader of the Opposition, Ali Khurshidi, expressed desire to speak on the matter, but upon being denied the floor, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmakers staged a walkout in protest.
Sindh Senior Minister for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon termed the incident deeply tragic and assured the House that those responsible would face stern punishment. The session commenced under the chairmanship of Speaker Owais Qadir Shah. At the outset, the house offered special prayers for the child who lost his life after falling into an uncovered manhole. MQM-P lawmaker Iftikhar Alam expressed anger, questioning whether children in Karachi would continue to die in this horrific manner. He demanded that he be told when the government would finally prevent such incidents, stating that open manholes were “an invitation to death”. He noted that gutters remained uncovered across the jurisdictions of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and cantonment boards.
Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq said a mother had lost her beloved son. He claimed that the councillor and town chairman of the area had been present at the site but the Karachi mayor and the district administration did not respond. He added that this was the third such incident on the Red Line BRT route and called for a thorough investigation. “Will the citizens of Karachi continue to carry dead bodies?” he asked.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Rehan Bandukda displayed a photograph of the deceased child, pointing to the smiling face that was now gone forever. His remarks moved several members to tears, including female PPP MPAs Hina Dastagir and Heer Soho, who were seen wiping their eyes. Bandukda urged fellow lawmakers to reflect on how they would feel if he were their own child.
Responding to the opposition’s criticism, Memon, expressed profound sorrow, calling the child’s death “heartbreaking”. He said every person was grieved and the government shared the family’s pain. He stressed that such issues must be discussed so that others could be kept safe. “This child could have been anyone’s,” he said, adding that the rescue teams rushed to the site immediately and images of rescue efforts were available.
The information minister informed the House that he had spoken to the mayor who reported that 88,000 manholes in the city had been covered. Every official found negligent would be punished, Memon said, adding that it was his responsibility as the minister, he should also resign.
He said nothing was more precious than human life and ensuring the public safety was a collective responsibility. The senior minister also praised the opposition for raising the matter effectively.
When Khurshidi attempted to speak on the matter, Deputy Speaker Naveed Anthony said he would be allowed to speak after the pending ‘call-attention notices’ were addressed. When the permission was not granted, MQM-P lawmakers erupted in anger and subsequently staged a walkout, resulting in several MQM-P’s attention notices going unheard.
Meanwhile, the speaker expressed displeasure at the absence of secretaries of certain provincial departments during the session’s question hour and directed that the chief secretary be issued a letter the same day to seek explanation on why the relevant secretaries were absent.
