Sajal Ali has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of toddler Ibrahim, who lost his life after falling into an open manhole on Sunday night near NIPA Choragi, Karachi.
Sajal questioned the accountability of those responsible for the city’s deteriorating infrastructure. In her Instagram story, she wrote: “Extremely sad and heartbroken. Shame on whoever was responsible for this!
“Who is responsible for Karachi? Who is responsible for this collapsing, failed system? A child lost his life today, and I cannot even begin to imagine what his parents are going through.
“They must have been waiting for a miracle… but because we have no functioning system, there was no one to save him.”
The actress lamented the poor infrastructure, saying, “There are no proper roads, no functioning system.
“A city that carries the weight of millions, yet receives no care in return,” continues to suffer due to administrative negligence and ineffective governance.
Sajal also reposted a clip showing the Mayor of Karachi being confronted on live television by a journalist who questioned negligence on the part of the authorities concerned.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, while promising an inquiry into how a manhole near a busy store was left open, urged people not to politicise the tragedy. He said that any government negligence would be acted upon and questioned whether the relevant 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.
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.