A wave of public outrage and political pressure has intensified following the tragic death of three-year-old Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole in Gulshan-e-Iqbal late Sunday night. Opposition parties have demanded the resignation of Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, accusing the city administration of gross negligence. Legal experts, including Advocate Saifuddin, have also called for a formal case to be registered against the Managing Director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and the mayor.
According to Karachi governance analyst Karamullah Waqasi, the incident has cast a renewed spotlight on the city’s failing civic infrastructure. He revealed that over 80,000 sewer covers were distributed to UC chairpersons in the past year alone, raising serious concerns about accountability and monitoring.
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Ibrahim, the only child of Nabeel and a resident of Shah Faisal Colony, slipped into a two-by-two-foot uncovered manhole outside the Chase Up Center near Nipa Chowrangi at around 11pm on Sunday. The child had momentarily let go of his father’s hand and walked ahead between parked motorcycles when he suddenly vanished into the open gutter.
The uncovered manhole, located near a busy commercial area, had no protective cover or barrier to warn pedestrians.
For the next 15 hours, desperate search efforts continued. Ibrahim’s father and grandfather scoured the area throughout the night, even paying Rs15,000 for private excavation after authorities failed to provide immediate assistance. Locals and volunteers also joined the operation, expressing frustration over delays caused by the absence of sewerage maps and proper machinery.
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Although rescue teams initially began searching for the child, the operation was halted due to a lack of equipment. Residents later arranged machinery themselves to continue the excavation. It was eventually determined that the manhole served as the entry point to Gulshan-e-Iqbal’s main 36-inch drainage line. Ibrahim’s body travelled nearly half a kilometre through three internal sewage channels before being recovered on Monday near the Dental Medical Center adjacent to Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology.
BRT heavy machinery was finally brought in nearly 16 hours after the incident to open the main drainage line, a delay that further fueled public anger.
Ibrahim’s grandfather, Mehmoodul Hasan, received the child’s body, while the grief-stricken mother reportedly fell unconscious upon hearing the news.
The tragedy has reignited debate over Karachi’s deteriorating civic management, prompting calls for accountability and immediate reforms to prevent such incidents in the future.
Here’s how social media reacted
A picture from today’s Karachi, not the 1800s. A child fell into an open manhole, his body was retrieved after 14 hours.
Across the world, even animals enjoy cleaner, safer, more dignified living conditions than our citizens. But somehow, Pakistanis are fine with this lifestyle pic.twitter.com/WojJFogZ86
— Faizan (@faizannriaz) December 1, 2025
Administration left multiple sites open after digging during the rescue operation for the child who fell into a manhole near NIPA in Karachi.#Karachi #Nipa #TOKReports pic.twitter.com/t59LbvcUEW
— Times of Karachi (@TOKCityOfLights) December 1, 2025
What has become of this city?
Yesterday, a 3-year-old child slipped into an open manhole near NIPA, a tragedy that should shake the conscience of anyone who calls Karachi home. No authorities arrived. No rescue teams. It was the people themselves who climbed down, who searched,… pic.twitter.com/yRvFS0IASu
— Ahmed (@ThisahmedR) December 1, 2025
Justice for Ibrahim, A 3-year-old just disappeared into an open manhole in NIPA. Read that again. A toddler. Gone. Because someone didn’t do their job. This is not an accident. This is murder by negligence. This is what happens when Karachi’s governance fails again and again. pic.twitter.com/zf2XfdslHv
— dr.Akshay (@microlittman) December 1, 2025
Rest in peace my baby… 💔
This 3 year old boy fell into a manhole and died, and his body was found by a garbage collector after 14 hours. I saw this terrible news today, and I don’t know why but my heart is filled with pain and sadness.
I keep thinking about how much he… pic.twitter.com/HF4y8n84YL
— Hafsah Malik (@OGMuseDoree1) December 1, 2025