Keamari residents stage protest with the dead body, demanding justice
KARACHI:
Three-year-old Abdul Rehman was playing when he fell into an uncovered sewer on the evening of 2nd April in Keamari district. The child had gone missing while playing near his house, thereafter family and neighbours searched for him, coming to discover that he had fallen into an open manhole.
His body was recovered from the manhole and shifted to a nearby hospital, where doctors confirmed his death. The entire neighbourhood was in mourning over the loss of the innocent child.
Abdul Rehman fell into a manhole that had remained without a cover for a long time, depicting the negligence of the authorities.
Locals and community members staged a protest on the Hub River Road with the body of the deceased child, demanding that all open manholes in the area be covered immediately.
The protest lasted for two hours and caused traffic to come to a standstill. Police officials arrived at the scene and negotiated with the protesters, after which the demonstration was called off and the road was reopened for traffic.
However, the real question remains-will Abdul Rehman’s death wake up the authorities, or will this protest, like countless others, fade into history?
News published in the Express Tribune on 3rd April 2025
