A family in Torghar reels from aftershock

28-year-old Hifzoon Bibi lost her husband in Monday’s earthquake

TORGHAR: Hifzoon Bibi, a resident of Gheton Basi Khel in Torghar, was completing her household chores when she felt the tremors.

“My daughters were praying at the time,” the 28-year-old mother of seven tells The Express Tribune. “The rest of my children were chatting with their father in the courtyard.”



As the earth shook, the family saw their house tumble to the ground. “This was not the end of our misery,” she says. “I lost my 32-year-old husband, Bashir.”

According to Hifzoon Bibi, her husband ensured they were safe and then rushed to save one of their neighbours who was in need of help.

A hero

“Bashir ran barefooted to the house of our neighbour, Maulvi Sanaullah, whose two daughters were buried alive under the debris,” she says. However, as he reached the neighbour’s house, the remaining portion of the roof caved in on him.



“I saw this with my own eyes,” she explains, sobbing uncontrollably. “However, I could not stop or rescue him.”

Hifzoon Bibi called out for help but there was no one who could assist her family during this ordeal. Many houses in the village were completely damaged and villagers were busy rescuing their loved ones.

According to the 28-year-old, a rescue operation was launched half-an-hour later.



“By then, my husband and Maulvi Sanaullah’s daughters had died,” she explains.

After the earthquake, villagers bore the expenses for Bashir’s final rites.

A father’s fear

Hifzoon Bibi said Bashir worked as a taxi driver in Karachi and was visiting his family in Torghar.



“We were planning to arrange money to get our 12-year-old daughter Majida married,” she says. “My husband was concerned about his children and their wellbeing.”

No home to turn to

According to Hifzoon Bibi, the family has now been left homeless. They have temporarily moved in with a relative but are awaiting the government’s support to rebuild their home.

“My children are too young and there is no one to earn a living anymore,” she says. According to Hifzoon Bibi, there is no one in her extended family who can financially support them.



“We sold the agricultural land we inherited to pay for my mother-in-law’s treatment.”

“Women are not allowed to work in our family,” she says. “It would be very difficult for me to pay for my mother-in-law’s treatment and look after household expenses as well.”

Time of need

Zahid Khan, a rights activist and a relative of the family, tells The Express Tribune he has opened the doors of his home for them. “The earthquake resulted in widespread casualties in Torghar,” he says. “This is primarily due to the absence of road links.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2015.