Following the tragic death of three-year-old Ibrahim, who fell into an uncovered manhole, residents of Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal have launched a highly visible campaign of public shaming against the local authorities for their failure to ensure basic municipal safety.
The tragedy occurred near Nipa Chowrangi when the young boy, accompanied by his parents, stepped onto a main hole that had been carelessly covered only by a piece of cardboard. The makeshift cover gave way, and the child fell into the sewer, leading to a long search that ended 15 hours later when his body was recovered nearly a kilometer away.
In response to the preventable death and the widespread hazardous state of the infrastructure, residents initiated a unique form of protest. They have been affixing photographs of the Town Chairman onto every exposed manhole and pile of garbage across the area. The images are accompanied by bold slogans from “the people of the area,” including “Missing Person Alert” and “Spend public money on the public,” underscoring the demand for accountability.
The public’s fury intensified after the Town Chairman controversially disclaimed responsibility for securing the manhole covers. This refusal to accept liability has fueled the community’s criticism, turning the satirical campaign into a powerful symbol of citizen outrage over chronic municipal negligence in Karachi.
