Karachi: A devastated father, grieving the loss of his three-year-old son Ibrahim, has made an emotional vow to take matters into his own hands after the young child died due to an open gutter in their neighborhood.
Standing at the site of the incident, Ibrahim’s father said with trembling voice,
“Jahan jahan gutter ke dhakkan nahi, main lagwaoonga — taake kisi qurban bachay ki jaan na jaaye.”
(Herwherever a manhole cover is missing, I will get it covered — so no other child loses their life.)
Residents report that the gutter had been open for weeks despite repeated complaints to local authorities. Neighbors say the tragedy could have been avoided if officials had responded on time.
The father’s emotional statement is resonating across social media, with many Pakistanis demanding accountability from municipal departments known for ignoring such life-threatening hazards.
Local activists called the incident “a brutal reminder” of how negligence and broken infrastructure can turn into a death sentence for innocent children. Social welfare groups have now joined the family in urging an urgent city-wide audit of all open manholes, many of which remain uncovered in residential areas.
Authorities claim an inquiry has been initiated, but the grieving family says nothing will bring their child back — and that preventing future deaths is now their mission.
The tragedy has sparked a nationwide conversation on Pakistan’s deteriorating infrastructure, with citizens saying they are forced to protect their own neighborhoods “because the system has failed them.”
