KARACHI: Days of heavy rain and flooding have left Karachi struggling, and a public holiday announced by the Sindh government has done little to bring relief.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah urged people to stay home, but many residents said they had no choice but to step out for work.

On II Chundrigar Road, the city’s financial hub, several government offices stayed open, forcing employees to wade through flooded streets to reach work. Confusion deepened as federal and provincial authorities failed to coordinate — while Sindh announced a holiday, many federal offices did not.

For daily wagers, labourers, and mechanics, staying home simply wasn’t an option. “I am a bike mechanic. I came out because I have to earn bread for my family,” said one man running a makeshift roadside workshop. “People’s bikes stop in water, I fix them, they pay me — that’s how I survive.”

Another young man trudging through knee-deep water put it plainly: “People are out to earn money and food — what else can they do?”

Labourers voiced the most frustration. “I can only earn if I work. I’m not rich. I can’t get things done by sitting at home,” said one worker. Another man complained that his company, which falls under federal jurisdiction, refused to shut down: “We only get off when the federal government announces it.”

For many, survival outweighed safety. Citizens said they did not want to leave home but were forced to feed their families, even as more rain was forecast.

Meanwhile, the death toll from rain-related incidents in Karachi rose to 17, as intermittent downpours continued through the night, further crippling the city.

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