Karachi was brought to a standstill on Tuesday after back-to-back heavy showers turned major roads into rivers, trapping thousands of commuters and forcing many to abandon their vehicles mid-route.
Roads Turn Into Parking Lots
From the National Stadium stretch to the Civic Center, dozens of cars and motorbikes were left stranded, either due to fuel exhaustion or breakdowns caused by floodwater. Mechanics quickly became the most sought-after — and expensive — lifeline, with desperate motorists paying inflated charges just to restart stalled engines.
The gridlock stretched late into the night, leaving office workers and patients alike with no way home. At Jinnah Hospital, staff reported that several heart patients discharged from the NICVD remained stuck on the premises since early evening, as waterlogged roads cut off access to ambulances and private transport.
Key Arteries Underwater
Some of Karachi’s busiest thoroughfares, including M.A. Jinnah Road, Shahrah-e-Faisal, I.I. Chundrigar Road, and areas near the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry, remained submerged well into Wednesday morning. Pools of stagnant water at Guru Mandir, Tower, and Shaheen Complex added to the city’s paralysis, raising concerns of health hazards if the drainage problem lingers.
Political Fallout and Public Anger
The chaos has sparked political blame games. Senior politician Farooq Sattar demanded the resignation of Karachi’s mayor, accusing city authorities of failing to manage drainage despite repeated warnings from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
The Sindh government, meanwhile, announced a public holiday today in Karachi, hoping to reduce further disruption as more rainfall is expected. The PMD cautioned that even lighter showers could trigger another round of urban flooding, given the city’s clogged drainage system.
A Familiar Crisis
This isn’t the first time Karachi has drowned under heavy monsoon rain, but Tuesday’s chaos once again highlighted the fragility of its civic infrastructure. Despite forecasts, the city seemed unprepared to handle an “extraordinary” downpour, according to the DG Met. For residents, the sight of stranded cars and waist-deep water on major roads is an all-too-familiar reminder that rain in Karachi often brings paralysis, not relief.