KARACHI: A heated dispute erupted on Wednesday between the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line management after both sides traded blame over the death of a three-year-old boy who fell into an open manhole near Nipa in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.
Read More: Heads roll over Karachi child’s manhole death
The rare public confrontation has amplified concerns over Karachi’s deteriorating civic systems and the lack of coordination between agencies responsible for the city’s infrastructure.
The controversy began when a KMC inquiry report held officials of the Red Line project — as well as a nearby departmental store — responsible for “carelessness” that allegedly led to the tragedy. The child’s body, recovered nearly 15 hours after the incident, was found deep inside the drainage system, prompting immediate orders from Mayor Murtaza Wahab for a thorough inspection.
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (@KmcPakistan), which is headed by Mayor @murtazawahab1 , has held the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project responsible for the death of a 3-year-old child Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole at NIPA, Karachi this week. This project is… pic.twitter.com/U8A4xeK2iu
— Naimat Khan (@NKMalazai) December 3, 2025
According to the KMC report, ongoing BRT construction had “severely damaged” drainage lines between Nipa and Aziz Bhatti Park. Inspectors claimed temporary two-by-two-foot covers were used on cleaning pits, calling the practice “non-standard” and asserting that one such cover had been left open in front of the store. The report further stated that BRT officials did not seek formal clearance before excavation work and allegedly paved over pits during road construction.
Within hours, the BRT Red Line management issued a strong rebuttal, rejecting the claims as “a serious oversight” and insisting the incident site was far from any of its construction activity. In a letter to KMC, the project team said no excavation, barricades or pavement work had been carried out near the location and emphasised that the BRT had no administrative responsibility over the sewerage infrastructure. The management added that the store’s parking area — where the tragedy occurred — lies at a “considerable distance” from the project’s active zone.
Read More: Rescue underway for boy who fell into open manhole in Karachi
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah suspended five officials from KMC, TMC Gulshan-i-Iqbal, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, and the district administration over alleged negligence as the investigation continues.