CM Murad suspends high-ranking officers after child dies in open manhole

Karachi: Chief Minister (CM) of Sindh Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday night suspended high-ranking officers over the tragic death of a child who fell into an open manhole near NIPA, ARY News reported

The suspended officers belong to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the Town Municipal Corporation (TMC) Gulshan-e-Iqbal, the Water and Sewerage Corporation, the office of the Assistant Commissioner Gulshan-e-Iqbal, and other departments.

The Local Government Department has issued suspension notifications for these officers.

According to details, CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah has suspended:

Imran Rajput, Senior Director Municipal Services

Rashid Fayyaz, Assistant Engineer of TMC Gulshan-e-Iqbal

Waqar Ahmed, Executive Engineer, Water and Sewerage Corporation

Amir Ali Shah, Assistant Commissioner, Gulshan-e-Iqbal

Salman Farsi, Mukhtiar Kar Gulshan-e-Iqbal

The CM Sindh had earlier directed the Chief Secretary Sindh to fix responsibility for the uncovered manhole incident that claimed the life of an innocent child.

Murad Ali Shah has also ordered Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab to hold a press conference on the matter tonight at 10 p.m.

Earlier in the day, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has dispatched its inquiry report to the Secretary Local Government on falling of three-year-old Ibrahim into an open manhole in front of a shopping mall near NIPA Chowrangi in city.

Senior Director Municipal Services Imran Rajput said that the municipal services had initiated search for the boy and dead body of the child was recovered from a link nullah of Gulshan Town, according to the report.

“It was found in the examination that the BRT project’s construction was the cause of the mishap,” report read. “The BRT project excavations have thoroughly damaged the drainage system of the nullah”.

According to the report’s findings, temporary two-feet covers were used to try to close manholes. “Tragic incident happened because a side of the manhole was open,” report said.

“The KMC doesn’t use sub-standard covers and the modus-operandi by which the gutter was covered,” KMC report said.

“The BRT didn’t inform the KMC prior to the beginning of its work”. It initiated excavations and afterwards ignored the situation.

The report holds store’s management and the BRT jointly responsible for the tragedy in which the toddler falls in the manhole and died.

The report also informed that all excavated spots have been filled under the supervision of the officials.