- Murtaza Wahab says cases of dog bites are increasing in Karachi.
- Majority supports immediate cull campaign: mayor.
- The mayor opposes castration as a slow solution to the problem.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab’s lawyer on Wednesday called for the elimination of stray dogs, opposing sterilization as a slow solution, as authorities and hospitals reported a sharp rise in cases of dog bites.
His comments come as data shows over 800 cases of dog bites in Karachi in the first five days of 2026.
Speaking to reporters, the Karachi mayor said immediate action to curb rising cases required killing stray dogs.
“Castration would take time. Cases of dog bites are increasing in the city,” he said, adding that a small group opposed to the cull has repeatedly approached the courts seeking stay orders.
The Karachi mayor noted that the majority supported immediate action and called for a final and decisive resolution.
Officials said around 850 cases were reported in Karachi in the first five days of the year alone, with Indus Hospital and Civil Hospital reporting 300 cases each, while Jinnah Hospital recorded over 250 cases.
Dr Aftab Gohar, head of the dog bite clinic at Indus Hospital, said a 41-year-old man had to have a finger amputated due to severe tissue damage and disruption of blood circulation due to a dog bite.
He added that most of the cases were reported from Korangi, Hub Chowki, Baldia Town, Landhi and Gadap Town.
Dr Gohar said all patients received anti-rabies vaccinations at Indus Hospital.
However, he added that rabies is almost always fatal once its symptoms appear in the affected person.
The issue also attracted political criticism when Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Emir Munim Zafar attacked the Karachi mayor over dog bites and deaths due to open manholes and sewage in the city.
He said the Muttahida Qaumi movement had also contributed to Karachi’s decline over the decades, alleging that the party was playing on “both sides of the wicket”.
Last month, a boy from Jacobabad died of rabies at Indus Hospital after being bitten by a stray dog two months earlier.
This death, reported on December 24, 2025, brings the number of rabies-related deaths in Sindh to over 21 last year.
