Opinion | When tragedy meets silence: Punjab vs Sindh and the media’s disturbing double standards

From open manholes to deadly fires, similar tragedies in Lahore and Karachi expose a troubling pattern of selective outrage, raising questions about media bias and unequal accountability across Punjab and Sindh.

Imran Malik – MediaBites – January 29, 2026

A mother dies after falling into an open manhole in Lahore’s historic Bhati Gate. A life is lost, a family shattered. Yet the national outrage many expect never fully materializes. The tone remains cautious. Headlines are restrained. Some television channels initially dismiss the incident as “fake news.” When the woman’s body is finally recovered, the story quietly slips out of the prime-time cycle.

Now rewind.

A similar tragedy unfolds in Karachi. A child falls into an open manhole on a major road. The response is immediate and intense. Prime-time shows erupt with anger. The Sindh government is blamed relentlessly. Karachi’s mayor is named, shamed, and grilled night after night. Social media quickly turns into a digital courtroom demanding resignations and accountability.

• Same tragedy
• Same negligence
• Very different media reaction.

And this contrast does not stop at open manholes.

Gul Plaza vs Indigo Hotel: Two Fires, Two Narratives
When Gul Plaza caught fire in Karachi, media coverage was relentless. Live tickers ran for hours. Panel discussions blamed Sindh authorities, the building control department, and the city administration. The incident was framed as a reflection of broader governance failures and long-standing issues of corruption and weak enforcement.

Now compare that with the fire at Indigo Hotel in Lahore.

The tone changed noticeably. Headlines became softer. Language turned technical. Terms like “unfortunate incident,” “short circuit,” and “investigation underway” replaced the anger seen in Karachi’s case. There were no prolonged nightly trials, no sustained political pressure, and no loud demands for resignations.

• Two deadly fires.
• Two major cities.
• Two very different journalistic moods.

This does not appear accidental. It reflects a broader pattern.

Context Matters — But So Should Consistency
It is also important to acknowledge that Punjab, particularly Lahore, has seen comparatively stronger development and infrastructure progress over the years. In contrast, Sindh — and Karachi especially — has remained under constant public scrutiny for allegations of corruption, poor governance, and administrative failures. That scrutiny, in many cases, is justified and rooted in long-standing public frustration.

However, development cannot become a shield against accountability.

Progress in roads, transport, and urban planning does not make tragedies less tragic, nor does it justify softer questioning when negligence costs human lives. Accountability must apply evenly, regardless of province, political alignment, or development indices.

Follow the Money – Budgets
A senior media professional put it plainly: Punjab’s government spends heavily on media budgets, and that spending inevitably influences coverage. Advertising contracts, government campaigns and information budgets create invisible red lines many newsrooms hesitate to cross.

Criticize Sindh freely — because it is already under fire.
Tread carefully around Punjab — because financial consequences may follow.

This imbalance now extends beyond television.

Digital Silence, Sponsored Noise
Today, perception management has expanded aggressively into digital spaces. Large sums are spent on paid trends, influencers, YouTubers, and TikTokers to shape narratives, soften criticism, and bury uncomfortable questions under sponsored outrage.

Silence, too, has become strategic.

The outcome is troubling.

• A dead child in Karachi becomes a symbol of governance failure.
• A dead mother in Lahore becomes an unfortunate incident.
• A burning plaza in Karachi becomes proof of incompetence.
• A burning hotel in Lahore becomes a brief headline.

A Question of Principle
Where is the consistency?
Where is the moral compass?

Journalism begins to lose its credibility when geography determines outrage. When accountability varies by province, media risks drifting from watchdog to stakeholder.

کیا یہ میڈیا کا کھلا تضاد نہیں؟

If open manholes can kill in both Lahore and Karachi, if fires can claim lives in both cities, then selective outrage is not journalism. It is selective conscience.

And selective conscience is more dangerous than any broken road or unsafe building — because it normalizes injustice, quietly, one ignored tragedy at a time.