Shahrae Faisal portion closed 5pm to 2am

Shahrae Faisal portion to be temporarily closed Tuesday to commemorate victims of twin Karsaz bomb blasts.

KARACHI: The stretch of Shahrae Faisal between the Shahrae Quaid and Drigh Road, as well as the roads connecting to Shahrae Faisal, will be closed between 5 pm on Monday and 2 am on Tuesday as a mark of respect for the people who died in 2007 at the twin Karsaz bomb blasts.

According to SSP Ali Raza, the Karsaz Road will also be closed from the National Stadium onwards.

People coming from the airport will have to take the Shah Faisal Colony bridge and get off near the Korangi Industrial Area to make their way towards the Sunset Boulevard and DHA.

Similarly, people will have to take the Rashid Minhas road and move towards Dalmia, Stadium Road, University Road, New MA Jinnah Road and Sharae Quaideen to get to their destinations while people who wish to get to the airport must take the Baloch Colony Bridge, Korangi Industrial Area and get on the Shah Faisal Colony bridge to get to Stargate.

People can also take the Baloch Colony, Jail Road, University Road, Nipa Chowrangi, Rashid Minhas Road, Drigh Road route to get to the airport and ahead while the MA Jinnah Road, University Road, Stadium Road, Dalmia, Rashid Minhas Road, Drigh Road, Shah Faisal bridge route can also be taken to get to the airport.

Karachi mourns Karsaz blasts three years later

Sindh chief minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (Sindh) president Qaim Ali Shah has directed all district wings of the party to organise fateha and Quran khwani today (Monday) in memory of the victims of the Karsaz twin blasts.

The blasts, which took place on the day of Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming on October 18, 2007, resulted in the deaths of several PPP supporters and activists. Among the supporters was 22-year-old Nadeem - a factory worker who had gone to join the welcome rally. Despite a passage of three years, his family has yet to find out what became of Nadeem, as his body was never found. This makes them hope that he is still alive and will come back to them one day.

Nadeem’s elder brother, Pervaiz, leaves his house every day to search for his missing brother. Although he returns home dejected, he still believes that his brother will come back. “All of us brothers lived in the same house. We worked, earned and ate together. Since the time he left us, we miss him a lot,” said Pervaiz.

Nadeem’s elder sister, Perveen, also believes that her brother will come back. “We miss him a lot. He will come back home to us,” she said.

Nadeem’s family said that the Karsaz blast victims had been promised compensation by the government. However, this promise has yet to be made good. Meanwhile, the family awaits Nadeem’s return.
WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP

Published in The Express Tribune, October 18^th, 2010.