KARACHI: A district court on Wednesday issued notices to the Karachi mayor, managing director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, Gulshan Town chairman and Red Line contractor on an application seeking registration of a case against them over their alleged negligence in the tragic death of a three-year-old boy.

The district and sessions judge (East) directed the proposed accused persons to file their comments/report till Dec 11.

Citing the SHO of Aziz Bhatti and superintendent of police complaint cell as respondents and impleading mayor, town chairman Gulshan-i-Iqbal and MD of KWSC and contractor of Red Line as accused, Advocate Sheikh Saqib Ahmed filed an application under Section 22-A of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

The court fixed the matter on Dec 11 and said: “You are required to submit your report/comments without fail, failing which the same application shall be decided in your absence.”

The applicant submitted that three-year-old Ibrahim had drowned in an open manhole near Nipa in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Nov 30 and his body was recovered after 15 hours which demonstrated blatant failure of local authorities and emergency services.

He also argued that the tragic death of the child was not an isolated incident, as at least 23 people had lost their lives in Karachi in 2025 due to falling into open manholes.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2025