KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) leader and Deputy Parliamentary Leader in the Sindh Assembly, Taha Ahmed Khan, has written to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), urging him to take suo motu notice of the alarming rise in fatal traffic accidents in Karachi.
In his letter, Taha expressed grief over the tragic Malir Halt incident, in which a pregnant woman, her husband, and their prematurely born child lost their lives due to reckless driving.
Taha highlighted that 207 people have died and 2,623 have been injured in road accidents across Karachi since January 2025. He called for immediate action against those responsible for the Malir Halt tragedy and questioned why the Sindh government compensates victims of toxic liquor incidents but neglects those killed in traffic accidents.
He urged the CJP to impose strict restrictions on illegal heavy vehicles and dumpers, which he identified as a major cause of deadly crashes.
The MQM-P leader demanded:
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Compensation for families of accident victims.
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Strict enforcement of traffic laws, including the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965 and Sindh Motor Vehicle Rules 1969.
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Action under Sections 279 and 304-A of the Pakistan Penal Code for reckless driving.
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Designation of specific times and routes for heavy vehicles.
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Installation of speed cameras and an effective challan system.
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Road safety improvements, including streetlights and better road conditions.
“Innocent lives are being lost,” he stressed, urging the Supreme Court to intervene immediately.
An eyewitness provided chilling details of the Malir Halt accident, in which a recklessly driven water tanker mowed down Abdul Qayum and his pregnant wife Zainab, killing them instantly and causing the premature birth of their baby, who also did not survive.
Mashkoor Khan, an eyewitness, described how the tanker, coming from the wrong side of the road, crashed into multiple vehicles before running over the couple near Malir Halt Flyover.
The tragedy has reignited demands for stricter road safety measures, with citizens urging authorities to end reckless driving and unregulated heavy traffic that continue to claim lives.
