Quetta bombing: Wrong place to be on your birthday

Ziauddin had just turned 30 when he was killed in blast

ISLAMABAD: Young advocate Syed Ziauddin was celebrating his 30th birthday on Monday when he was killed, along with at least 70 others, in a suicide bomb attack at the Civil Hospital in Quetta.

Ziauddin, who hails from Pishin, had rushed to the hospital along with dozens of other colleagues and friends to mourn the attack on Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Anwar Kasi. Instead he too became a target.



The blast seriously wounded him, leaving his arm and leg broken with further injuries to his face. He ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

Ziauddin hailed from the Hajizai Syedan Killi village in Pishin district. Born on August 8, 1986, he was the only son of his parents and a brother to nine sisters. His father, Syed Abdul Rab Agha was a retired Wapda engineer.

Having married last year, he leaves behind a young daughter.

The young lawyer had earned his law degree from the International Islamic University along with his buddy Aimal Khan. The two were together when the bomb went off at the Civil Hospital and died together in the blast.

While his family was affiliated with the Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam (JUI), Ziauddin was an activist of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Despite his age, he was well respected among his friends and peers.

‘A junior of prominent lawyer Manzar Siddiqi, Advocate Ziuddin was respected among his colleagues,” recalled his friend Syedur Rehman.



A religious person, he had embraced a modern outlook, especially with respect to political issues. Rehman said before becoming a lawyer, ZIauddin wanted to appear for the civil service exams. But his friends and uncles convinced him to take up law.

“Life is too short, Ziauddin wrote on his Facebook page,” Rehman said, recalling that the young advocate was quite regular on social media, discussing national and international political affairs.

“I will never forget his smiling face,” Rehman said with tears welling up in his eyes.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2016.