May the children rest in peace

Letter April 27, 2012
May Allah bless the deceased Chughtais and give their families patience and fortitude in this time of crisis.

KARACHI: The Bhoja Airlines crash has wreaked havoc on the lives of so many families. As the news spread of the fatal tragedy, we at the Generation’s School also discovered that we were directly affected. One such family of the Generation’s School was on its way to Islamabad to attend a family event. Mr and Mrs Adeel Jameel Chughtai, accompanied by their four children, Suleman, Sarah, Hafsah and Sumaiya, were on board flight B213. The children had been in school earlier that day, the older ones having just completed their exams. Imagine the state of their joy! And then think about the fall they endured so abruptly.

Verily, to Allah we belong, and to Him is our return. The Chughtais were one of the most lively, contributing and respectable Generian families and will be remembered for their positivity and spark for a long time to come. Their deaths are a great loss to their family, Generation’s School, and the community at large. May Allah bless the deceased Chughtais and give their families patience and fortitude in this time of crisis.


The Chughtai children were models of courage and discipline. Always smiling! They treated their teachers with respect and fellow students with care. They worked hard and maintained excellent relationships. As such, they reflected the upbringing of their parents. Truly, they were an exceptional family who knew how to be happy and thankful no matter what. Knowing this, I can’t help but think that they must have performed deeds to assist their fellow passengers in their final hours. May Allah accept those actions, and reward them.


No one could have stopped this tragedy from happening, no matter what, because Allah had willed it so. Now, for us, this is the time to reflect and ponder and to learn. How does it affect us individually and collectively? How do we respond to this disastrous happening? Definitely, we feel extremely grieved. We have cried and wept for the Chughtais as well as for everyone else on board that plane. At the same time, this process of mourning should enable us to rebound to a higher level of action.


With our limited vision, we see the fall of the plane and the horrible tragedy. However, through guidance, the Almighty enables us to understand the heights to which He took them. May He enable us to reflect upon this event and learn to orient our lives according to His pleasure. Ameen.


Dr Ghazala Siddiqui


Principal, Generation’s School


Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2012.