Kallar Kahar tragedy: Two years on, wounds are as fresh as yesterday

Parents of deceased children angry with government.

FAISALABAD/ KARACHI:

“I can still vividly recall the tragic accident. What happened on September 26, 2011 haunts me every single day,” says Abdul Ghafoor, who lost his son, 13-year-old Mohammad Umar, in a deadly bus crash in the Kallar Kahar area.

In all, 35 people – mostly schoolchildren – had died in the dilapidated bus that crashed in the mountainous region on the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway.

“We, the parents, are holding on to the photos and toys of our kids, almost hoping they will come back to us,” he said, almost choking back his tears.

Ghafoor is not alone in his agony.

For the grieving families of the 29 students from Faisalabad’s Millat Grammar School who had lost their lives, mourning hasn’t ended. No transparent inquiries have been held and no one has been taken to task. Two years on, there are more questions than answers.

Chasing ghosts

A number of inquiries were conducted by various teams, including the chief minister’s inspection team, and the findings were all similar.

Among other things, they pointed towards the forged documents of the bus, route permits and recreation tour permits issued without inspection and verification, bus driver Nadeem Akram Khokar’s fake driving licence, how the bus (FS 4186) was originally a truck model 1981 sold by the Pakistan Air Force as scrap, and how the bus was packed with 108 people, far exceeding its capacity.



And yet, despite these findings, few security measures – if any – were put in place to ensure safety of the travellers on the Motorway.

“My son Azhar and his classmates were killed because of the negligence of some government officials. This much has been confirmed by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE),” says a tearful parent, Intizar Husain. “However, no one has been taken to task. How do we expect such incidents to be averted in the future?”

A visibly angry Husain says steps should have been taken at that time to address the parents’ concerns. “All accused were granted bail one by one and the matter is now in the dustbin!” he claims.

Aftab Sarwar’s mother, Samia, echoes the sentiments. “The propensity of the government departments not to deliver justice indicates that the probe into the Kallar Kahar incident has been buried in a calculated manner,” she asserts. “It is either illegal gratification at play, or the fear of influential figures running the business with criminal impunity.”

The parents have a point. Although the accident was highlighted by the media at that time, nothing has been done in the follow-up.  “No development has come to light during the past two years,” says Muhammad Hafeez, a social scientist from Millat Town.

Justice delayed

A case was filed by the ACE against 10 people, including eight officials, before a special judge of the Anti-Corruption Court for initiating trial on December 12, 2011.

“It can take several years for the case to settle,” says Mian Muhammad Nasir, a leading lawyer and an expert in corruption cases. “Getting justice is a cumbersome process.”

According to Nasir, it is merely the sluggish attitude of government agencies and officials that is causing the delays and holdups.

As many as 25 hearings have taken place so far, but a regular trial has not yet been conducted because even notices have not been served on the witnesses for recording their statements, gathering evidence and producing proof. The next hearing is on October 10 next. Meanwhile, all the accused have been released on bail.

Samreen, 22, who had lost her brother, seventh-grader Hamza, is waiting for the outcome of the case proceedings. “Hamza sounded so excited when he told us that he and his friends were all going to Kallar Kahar on an educational trip. He said he would bring gifts for everyone,” she recalled and her eyes brimmed with tears.

“We want Hamza back, and we want justice. He was our greatest gift. But we lost him in a tragedy that we can never, ever forget.”

The shadow of catastrophe

Not too long ago, the Millat Grammar School (MGS) was considered one of the best private schools, primarily because of its excellent staff. However, the investigations conducted after the accident revealed that even the school building was unfit for holding classes. Besides, the three-storey structure was illegally constructed.

Following the accident, a portion of the building was demolished, the rest of the building was sealed and holding of classes banned by the authorities. The school owners had to arrange for another premises and the academic session was somehow completed there.

Later, however, the court passed an order in favour of the management and the building was unsealed.

Now, the MGS is there no more because the management has renamed it City Grammar High School. Some of the teachers have joined hands to establish a new Ettihad Grammar School.

The MGS ceases to exist. But the shadow of the tragedy lingers on.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2013.