‘End the bloodshed today so our sons live to see tomorrow’

Protest held against murder of Shahzeb Khan and attack on Lyari twins.

KARACHI: It doesn’t matter if a murder took place in Lyari or in Defence as the loss of a child overshadows every other detail. The death of their sons brought DSP Aurangzeb Khan and Dr Ghafoor Qadri together on Sunday as they demanded for the murderers to be brought to justice.

DSP Aurangzeb’s son, Shahzeb Khan, was murdered on December 25, 2012 over a petty dispute in Karachi’s Defence. The prime suspects Siraj Talpur and Shahrukh Jatoi are under trial in Shahzeb’s murder case which has been widely covered by the media.

Dr Qadri’s 23-year-old twins were attacked in Lyari on January 2 - Jamal was killed while Haider survived.

Both men, however, were protesting against killings in general and not of their sons.

Family and friends of Shahzeb, who have been holding demonstrations every Sunday since his death, shouted slogans for everyone who had become victims of violence, including the twins in Lyari and the massacre of the Hazaras in Quetta.

Dr Ghafoor Qadri (above) joined supporters of Shahzeb Khan in a protest held on Sunday at Clifton beach. PHOTO: AYESHA MIR/EXPRESS

Dr Qadri, while clutching picture of his son Jamal, asserted that a joint movement will help put pressure on government officials. “Till today, no killers who were involved in the murder of my son have been arrested,” said the emotional man, while sharing that his own life was also in danger. “My other son who has been critically injured is fighting for his life. My family had to leave our home as our life is also in danger.”

A friend of Shahzeb, Umer Zubairi who stood on the side to make sure traffic was not disrupted by the protest, said that they wanted to set an example. “If our protests can succeed in getting justice for our friend, we can do the same for others as well. We have come out on the streets not for Shahzeb alone, but for the entire youth.”



Activists from political parties also participated in the walk along Clifton beach. Actress Atiqa Odho, who had come with her husband Samar from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said, “We never came out for protests when we were young. But such is the situation today that even young kids are coming out. We all want a secure future for our next generation.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2013.