Janitor dies with dream of seeing son in police uniform

KARACHI:

Ajmal Masih was probably thinking about his family as he tried to escape a terrorists' rampage at the Karachi Police Office (KPO) last month.

He was among the first ones to fall.

The 36-year-old had many dreams.

He wanted to see his son in police uniform and be the first one to salute him.

He wanted his daughter to write his story, which his distraught wife said was something out of a movie.

Ajmal was an orphan and also had no siblings.

When he was eight, he was taken in by his maternal relatives and lived in a small village of around 300 houses off Faisalabad-Satiana Road at Khandwala.

At the age of 10, he came to Karachi with Ghafoor Masih, the man he would call 'mamoo' (maternal uncle).

Soon Ghafoor found a job and Ajmal stayed with him.

Over the years, he did a host of menial jobs - from sanitary work to wall painting.

Once he had found a regular income, Ghafoor helped him settle down and arranged his marriage to his niece.

The couple had four children, with 15-year old Akash being the eldest, and the youngest being only six years' old.

Six years ago, he was hired as a janitor in the Sindh Police Department.

"He was happy working there and wanted to see his son become an officer," recalls Ghafoor.

He was also able to build a house in his native village, where his family lives and his children study.

Akash's favourite subject is Physics, while Ajmal's 13-year-old daughter is also a good student.

The family had discussed that and more when Ajmal visited the village for Christmas.

He would not miss a day at work, so that he could go visit his family for at least a month, says Ghafoor.

Ajmal went to see his family on Christmas and returned on January 19.

"Exactly a month later, I was back in the village with his dead body," says Ghafoor while trying to keep a lid on his emotions.

Ajmal had a cheerful demeanour and he was very tolerant, says his uncle.

"Even if someone was rude, he would not let it affect him," Ghafoor adds.

"When I visited the apartment building where he worked as a painter, the people there became emotional." Ghafoor was grateful to the Police Department for treating Ajmal's family the same way as others 'martyred' in the KPO terrorist attack.

"He might have been a sanitary worker, but he was still an employee of the Police Department." The department has also promised his heirs a living quarter but the family wants it in in its village.

They have also offered two jobs in the future for Ajmal's son.

Ghafoor said the city police chief has assured him that the department would take care of the family.

However, Ghafoor, who lives in a one-room house with his wife and three children, is still worried about the family's future.

"My niece is struggling. She lost her companion in the prime of her life. She is a housewife who has to raise four kids."

Akash is likely to take up the police job when he comes of age, most likely at the expense of his education.