Turbat massacre: Edhi faints after seeing militants’ handiwork

Humanitarian was ‘extremely shocked and disturbed’ after seeing victims.

KARACHI: Witnessing the consequences of brutal inhumanity can even make men of steel falter. The country’s leading humanitarian, Abdul Sattar Edhi, was so shaken up after seeing 18  bodies from the Turbat massacre that he fainted for several minutes at his centre on Sunday.

He became unconscious at Edhi Home in Sohrab Goth after seeing the bodies of the would-be migrants who were travelling to Iran, and were killed by militants on Friday.

Edhi’s spokesperson Anwar Kazmi told The Express Tribune that the charity founder became emotional when he saw the pile of bodies. “He was extremely sad at the brutal murder of these poor men. He was shocked and was disturbed about their deaths, and how their families had lost their livelihoods.”

Edhi recovered after being taken outside the centre for some fresh air.

His son, Faisal Edhi, told The Express Tribune that the immense workload along with the shock of the sight before him contributed to his low blood pressure. “The doctor at our centre immediately came to his service and he recovered.” Faisal said that his father was currently resting at home.

“He was upset that the poor labourers had died in this carnage. He said that it should be the criminals and plunderers who should die, not these poor labourers.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2012.