KARACHI: A missing boy was found dead in an uncovered drain in Sultanabad, after which residents blocked a major road to protest local government officials’ failure to cover open manholes despite several complaints.

Docks SHO Nand Lal said the body of 15-year-old Abu Bakar was recovered from a drain near Habib Public School on Sunday night. His body was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where doctors confirmed that he had died from drowning.

The officer added that the boy had gone missing while playing near his home in Sultanabad on the evening of Aug 28. Despite the family’s continued efforts to locate him, they were unsuccessful.

On Sunday evening, his father filed a missing person report at the Docks police station. A few hours later, the boy’s body was discovered inside the drain when sanitary workers attempted to clean it.

The incident sparked outrage among local residents who staged a protest and blocked the main M.T. Khan Road. They condemned local government officials for ignoring repeated complaints about uncovered manholes.

Police eventually engaged with the demonstrators and managed to disperse the protest peacefully.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2025