As Karachi reels from yet another round of “unprecedented” monsoon flooding that claimed lives, paralysed the city, and left thousands stranded, actress Zara Tareen has taken to Instagram to point out an often-overlooked factor in the crisis: the role of citizens themselves.

In a detailed note on her Instagram stories, Tareen acknowledged the government’s neglect, and crumbling infrastructure but stressed that the city’s residents are not blameless. “As much as there is a genuine neglect issue when it comes to Karachi and its infrastructure, there’s another thing that I notice without fail every year,” she wrote.

“Anyone who gets on camera from various neighbourhoods complaining about the city management while showing their streets never ever talks about the visible mounds of trash they throw in those streets all year long. Your filth contributes to blocked drainage systems as well. Keep your damn streets clean all year long instead of just pointing fingers once a year when you’re also the cause of a lot of this issue yourself.”