This past Sunday, two brothers, aged 12 and 15, were tragically crushed under a speeding water tanker near Kala Pul on Korangi Road, Karachi, while they were riding a motorcycle. Their deaths – disconcertingly bringing the total heavy traffic accident tally to at least 140 – sparked outrage and prompted locals to intercept the tanker and set it ablaze. This painful accident is part of a larger problem of reckless drivers operating heavy vehicles and becoming an omen of death for unsuspecting citizens.
In just the first three months of 2025, more than 214 people lost their lives in road accidents, with at least 68 deaths directly linked to heavy vehicles such as tankers and dumpers. And just a few days back, another man, aged 59, lost his life when a dumper ran over his motorcycle in a similar manner. These tankers are often speeding, poorly maintained and driven by untrained and unlicensed drivers. Coupled with dangerously lax traffic law enforcement and substandard roads, the entire scenario is a recipe for duly witnessed disaster.
The authorities in Sindh have played no role whatsoever in curbing this fatal problem except for effecting hollow threats from time to time. Approximately four months ago, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori pronounced a “last warning” against the tanker and dumper mafia but clearly, the persistent carnage shows that his words no longer carry any weight.
Time and again, various state actors, including the police force, traffic officials and politicians, have been provoked to take strict, punitive action against those involved in instigating such accidents. But enforcement is either barely practiced or inconsistent at best. Karachi continues to witness the rise and fall of the implementation of law when the only thing that can protect its citizens is sustained effort in full force.
Editorial published in the Express Tribune on 22nd July 2025
