Mishi Khan’s fiery rebuke after tragic child death
Television star-turned-commentator Mishi Khan delivered a blistering video response after the heart-wrenching news that a 3-year-old fell into an uncovered manhole in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Karachi, as the incident reignited public anger over the city’s crumbling infrastructure.
In a clip that has already begun to ripple across social feeds, the Aroosa actress trained her sights on the city’s top brass with a straight-talking outrage: “My question to the Governor, Chief Minister, and Mayor of Karachi is this: every year, crores and even billions of rupees are allocated for Karachi and Sindh—so where does that money go?
"You have allowed Karachi to fall into ruin. The city looks like a polluted slum; the roads are broken, manholes lie uncovered, and a child has even lost his life because of one.
"How is the budget being spent? Look at your own lifestyles! You travel in cars worth crores, you’ve secured prime plots and the best residential roads for yourselves, while the rest of us are left to suffer. What exactly are you doing? You have pushed Karachi into a state of utter misery.
"The people of Karachi are sick of you, yet you still do not allow them to live in peace.”
She contrasts the lavish lifestyles of elected officials with the everyday hazards faced by ordinary Karachiites, painting a picture of a metropolis being neglected at great human cost.
This clip has rekindled conversations that civic watchdogs and activists have been pushing for years: clearer budget transparency, faster maintenance, and a zero-tolerance approach to preventable tragedies.
Earlier on Sunday, the body of a three-year-old boy who fell into a lidless manhole in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal near Nipa was recovered over 12 hours later on Monday, confirmed by Rescue 1122 and Edhi, who shifted it to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.
The incident occurred after the child, out shopping with his parents at a private departmental store, fell into the uncovered manhole around 10 pm; distressing videos circulated online showing crowds gathering and the boy’s mother pleading for help.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan said that although the service typically avoids night search operations due to poor visibility, the grief-stricken parents and “highly charged” crowd prompted an immediate but unsuccessful overnight search.
Workers excavated five points using heavy machinery and sought the drainage system’s blueprint to determine water flow and access points for targeted rescue efforts.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, while promising an inquiry into how a manhole near a busy store was left open, urged against politicising the tragedy, saying any government negligence would be acted upon and questioning whether union councils had flagged the hazard.
In contrast, JI emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman sharply criticised the Sindh government, blaming the mismanaged Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Karachi Water & Sewerage System Improvement Project works for hazardous road conditions, alleging that digging and flawed development projects were endangering citizens and asking, “How many more will die?”
He held the Karachi Water and Sewage Corporation responsible, claimed Karachi generates 90% of the country’s tax revenue, and accused the government of collecting Rs3,306 billion through taxes and development charges but failing to utilise them for the city while engaging in corruption, urging citizens to join JI in demanding accountability.