Remembering the fallen: No longer with us
Wounds are raw for the families and loved ones of the June 15 carnage victims.
Wounds are raw for the families and loved ones of the June 15 carnage victims. PHOTO: ONLINE
QUETTA:
Shah Jehan Gujjar is a man in pain. His bloodshot eyes, his trembling voice, and the grief etched across his face are all too evident.
“I cannot believe Shajila, my daughter, is no longer with us,” he says quietly. “She was intelligent, hardworking, so committed to her family and her studies. In one instant, that suicide bomber in the university bus destroyed my life.”
Shajila Shah Jehan, a third-year student pursuing a BSc, was one of the Sardar Bahadur Khan University students who lost their lives in the Quetta carnage on June 15.
The aggrieved father has many questions, but no answers.
“Who are they? Why are they killing innocents in the name of religion?” he asks, unable to hold back the tears. “Our religion teaches us peace, love and forgiveness. Humanity cannot persist if they go on killing people.”
Shajila’s sister, Nimra, also cries as she talks about her deceased sister. “She was inspired by Benazir Bhutto. She would tell me that one day she would become a leader like Benazir,” Nimra says. “Ironically, Shajila has been martyred in the same way – by unknown persons.”
Gone too soon
With the wounds still raw, the families and loved ones of the victims continue to grieve today. Misal Fatima, a BBA student, lost a close friend and many classmates in the blast.
“After our last paper, I said goodbye to my friends and boarded the bus right behind the one that was attacked,” she recalls. “Once inside, I started discussing the paper with my friend Mehvish through the window, while she was standing on the ground. Suddenly, a blast shook the place and a stampede ensued. I came to know later that Mehvish had not made it. It was the most tragic day of my life. I don’t know how I can face going back to the university again.”
In the line of duty
After the university bus bombing, the Bolan Medical Complex incident also claimed many lives. Among them was Quetta’s Deputy Commissioner Mansur Kakar.
“He was one of the finest officers in Balochistan,” says his brother Masroor Kakar, the project director of the forestry department. “He was highly educated, competent, and always ready to help anyone, without any reservations. I will greatly miss my brother.”
Among others, Mansur leaves behind four children, the eldest in class two, and a crippled father.
Similarly, Rifat, a nurse from Multan in the final year of the nursing course, was also killed in the hospital siege. According to colleague Meena Auntar, Rifat voluntarily went to the BMC emergency ward to help those injured in the suicide attack.
“Her duty was not in that ward but she always wanted to help people,” says Auntar. “This time, she got unlucky.”
June 15 was the last day of Rifat’s duty before she went on a long leave for her wedding. Her husband-to-be, Dr Mateen Baloch, was coming back in a couple of days from Thailand, where he was studying.
“She always topped in the examinations. She was so intelligent and hardworking,” recalls Auntar. “On the day of her death, she was so happy. She was really looking forward to her wedding.”
Need for action
According to Sultan Tareen, president of the Pakistan Medical Association’s Balochistan chapter, the group has registered their protest at every governmental forum. However, no serious steps have been taken.
“Just 10 to 12 constables have been deployed, which is not enough. They need to plan alternative security measures for hospitals, as the doctors and nurses are at risk,” Tareen claims. “It is not the first time that terrorists have attacked the hospital. They [terrorists] are not from among the common men – they are well-trained. They first systematically targeted the bus, and then the hospital. They killed over 25 people.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2013.
Shah Jehan Gujjar is a man in pain. His bloodshot eyes, his trembling voice, and the grief etched across his face are all too evident.
“I cannot believe Shajila, my daughter, is no longer with us,” he says quietly. “She was intelligent, hardworking, so committed to her family and her studies. In one instant, that suicide bomber in the university bus destroyed my life.”
Shajila Shah Jehan, a third-year student pursuing a BSc, was one of the Sardar Bahadur Khan University students who lost their lives in the Quetta carnage on June 15.
The aggrieved father has many questions, but no answers.
“Who are they? Why are they killing innocents in the name of religion?” he asks, unable to hold back the tears. “Our religion teaches us peace, love and forgiveness. Humanity cannot persist if they go on killing people.”
Shajila’s sister, Nimra, also cries as she talks about her deceased sister. “She was inspired by Benazir Bhutto. She would tell me that one day she would become a leader like Benazir,” Nimra says. “Ironically, Shajila has been martyred in the same way – by unknown persons.”
Gone too soon
With the wounds still raw, the families and loved ones of the victims continue to grieve today. Misal Fatima, a BBA student, lost a close friend and many classmates in the blast.
“After our last paper, I said goodbye to my friends and boarded the bus right behind the one that was attacked,” she recalls. “Once inside, I started discussing the paper with my friend Mehvish through the window, while she was standing on the ground. Suddenly, a blast shook the place and a stampede ensued. I came to know later that Mehvish had not made it. It was the most tragic day of my life. I don’t know how I can face going back to the university again.”
In the line of duty
After the university bus bombing, the Bolan Medical Complex incident also claimed many lives. Among them was Quetta’s Deputy Commissioner Mansur Kakar.
“He was one of the finest officers in Balochistan,” says his brother Masroor Kakar, the project director of the forestry department. “He was highly educated, competent, and always ready to help anyone, without any reservations. I will greatly miss my brother.”
Among others, Mansur leaves behind four children, the eldest in class two, and a crippled father.
Similarly, Rifat, a nurse from Multan in the final year of the nursing course, was also killed in the hospital siege. According to colleague Meena Auntar, Rifat voluntarily went to the BMC emergency ward to help those injured in the suicide attack.
“Her duty was not in that ward but she always wanted to help people,” says Auntar. “This time, she got unlucky.”
June 15 was the last day of Rifat’s duty before she went on a long leave for her wedding. Her husband-to-be, Dr Mateen Baloch, was coming back in a couple of days from Thailand, where he was studying.
“She always topped in the examinations. She was so intelligent and hardworking,” recalls Auntar. “On the day of her death, she was so happy. She was really looking forward to her wedding.”
Need for action
According to Sultan Tareen, president of the Pakistan Medical Association’s Balochistan chapter, the group has registered their protest at every governmental forum. However, no serious steps have been taken.
“Just 10 to 12 constables have been deployed, which is not enough. They need to plan alternative security measures for hospitals, as the doctors and nurses are at risk,” Tareen claims. “It is not the first time that terrorists have attacked the hospital. They [terrorists] are not from among the common men – they are well-trained. They first systematically targeted the bus, and then the hospital. They killed over 25 people.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2013.