Karachi Mayor Apologizes, Admits Failure Over Nepa Chowrangi Tragedy

KARACHI: Mayor of Karachi, Murtaza Wahab, apologized and admitted his failure following the tragic death of three-year-old Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole at Nepa Chowrangi.

Speaking to the media at Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim, the mayor expressed deep sorrow, saying, “I am a parent myself, and hearing Ibrahim’s mother scream caused me immense pain. I will not indulge in a blame game over this incident.”

He acknowledged that as mayor, he and his administration **failed to prevent the tragedy**, but vowed to use it as a lesson to implement measures to avoid similar incidents in the future. Murtaza Wahab stated that he personally apologized to Ibrahim’s family and extended an apology on behalf of the administration.

Following the incident, the Chief Minister convened a meeting, and some officials have already been suspended in the first phase of accountability, with investigations still ongoing.

The mayor emphasized that improving the city’s conditions depends on sound decisions rather than assigning blame. He said, “I am the mayor of Karachi, not a representative of any political party. We all need to reflect internally. At this moment of grief, politics and finger-pointing are morally wrong.”

Murtaza Wahab also addressed city infrastructure concerns, noting that Karachi has **245,000 manhole covers**. He urged citizens to report any open manholes by calling **1334**, and if no action is taken, to escalate the matter to his office.

He further admitted that traffic congestion along the Red Line has caused public difficulties and promised to provide details on remedial measures soon.