Two young siblings killed in accident

KARACHI:

Two young siblings were killed and their father was critically injured in a road accident on Rashid Minhas Road near Lucky One Mall around 4am on Sunday.

The incident occurred when a speeding dumper rammed into a motorcycle, killing 22-year-old Mah Noor and her 14-year-old brother Ahmed Raza on the spot. Their father, Shakir, a clothes vendor and father of seven, sustained severe head injuries.

According to the CCTV footage of the incident, the dumper driver struck the bike from the rear and drove his mammoth vehicle over the victims.

Police said the dumper was heading from Gulshan Chowrangi towards Sohrab Goth and the victims were returning home from a family gathering in Malir Rifaa Aam Society. 

The incident sparked widespread outrage, with residents catching the dumper driver, Firdous Khan, and subjecting him to a severe beating before police intervention. The mob then began pelting passing dumpers with stones, forcing several drivers to flee. Protesters later set fire to seven dumpers, causing traffic chaos in the city.

Law enforcement agencies, including police and Rangers, reached the site and brought the situation under control. Ten suspects involved in the arson were taken into custody, with further arrests to be made based on CCTV footage.

The victims' uncle, Zakir, appealed to the government to take action against dumpers, warning that more families would suffer similar losses if measures were not taken. The incident has highlighted growing concerns over the unregulated movement of heavy vehicles in Karachi and the need for effective measures to prevent further loss of life.

Dumper owners stage protest
Dumper Association leader Liaquat Mehsud said he was earnestly aggrieved over the loss of lives, but torching dumpers without any investigation was totally uncalled far. Speaking to the Express News at the protest sit he said the accident was caused by a water tanker but dumpers were deliberately targeted. Mehsud said that Sindh government has banned the movement of dumpers in the city from morning till 10pm, "in current situation, the government should completely ban dumpers in the city." 

Protesters led by Mehsud blocked the Super Highway at Sohrab Goth and the National Highway near Thatta, erecting barricades and halting traffic. The blockade caused long queues of vehicles and severely disrupted intercity travel, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

Simmering tempers 
The funeral prayers for the brother and sister who lost their lives after being hit by a dumper truck in  Federal B Area were offered at a mosque near their residence after Asr prayers. 
The prayers were attended by their injured father, relatives, neighbours, a large number of local residents, Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Ameer Munim Zafar, Sindh Assembly member Abdul Wasim, and other political and social leaders.

The scene at the funeral was deeply emotional. The injured father, with visible wounds on his head and body, attended despite his critical condition. Speaking to the media, Munim Zafar said PPP had failed in every sector, noting that in the past seven months, 5,252 road accidents had occurred, with dumpers and trailers claiming numerous lives. 

Referring to arrests made after torching of seven dumpers, Zafar said 10 young men sitting at a roadside café were arrested without cause. He further said that Rashid Minhas Road remained blocked for hours without any police presence. 

While the grief of the bereaved family cannot be undone, he stressed, those responsible must be held accountable. Zafar further stated that the government's claim of installing cameras on dump trucks and trailers had also failed in practice.

Sharjeel defuses tensions
The talks between the Sindh government and the transporters were successful, after which the transporters decided to end their protest, said an official handout issued on Sunday.

A delegation of transporters, led by Haji Yousaf and Jan Alam, leaders of the Dumper Association, called on Minister for Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon at the Commissioner House in Karachi.

Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Transport Asad Zamin, Karachi Police Chief Javed Alam Odho, and other officials were also present at the meeting.
Memon expressed grief over the loss of lives in the recent accident but also condemned the violent incidents that followed.

The minister directed dumper owners to ensure that cameras, trackers, insurance, and driver's licenses are mandatory in all dumpers. Additionally, a committee is being formed to assess the losses suffered by the transporters.