Olympian’s murder: Boxing community upset over government inaction

Pakistan Boxing Federation says they will launch countrywide protest.

KARACHI:

Frustrated over the government inaction over the brutal murder of Olympian boxer Syed Abrar Hussain Shah, the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) is gearing up for a countrywide protest to seek justice for the deceased and his family.

Shah, who represented Pakistan in Olympics on three occasions, was killed in Quetta last Thursday.

The country’s most successful boxer after Seoul Olympics, medalist Hussain Shah had won various accolades, including gold medals at the Asian Games and the South Asian Games.

The murder of a national sportsman, however, appears to cause little concern to top authorities, say PBF officials.

“The government is paying no attention to the murder of our national hero,” PBF secretary Akram Khan told The Express Tribune.

“Three days have passed and the government has not even formed a commission to probe the murder,” Khan said, adding that the federation will soon start a protest to seek justice for Shah.

He said other federations may also join their protest.

“We will soon hold a meeting with other federations which are also unhappy with the government’s response,” Khan added.

Sharing details of their plan, Khan said they would start the protest from Karachi Press Club and might also move to the capital.

Urging the Supreme Court to take suo motu action on the murder, he said that they also called for the formation of a commission to probe the murder.

No sympathy for the bereaved

Akram Khan lamented that not a single government dignitary visited the late boxer’s house to sympathise with the deceased’s family.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2011.