Dust to dust: Ten laid to rest in Youhanabad

Two were hit by a car during riot, One of the men lynched by a mob also buried .

LAHORE: Ten more people, including two who were run over by a speeding car during Monday’s riot, were laid to rest at Youhanabad on Tuesday.

One of the men killed by a mob that had taken to the streets following the blasts on Sunday was also laid to rest at his native Nivey village on Ferozepur Road.

Funeral services for the victims of the blast and the ensuing unrest on Ferozpur Road were held at St John’s Girls School amidst tight security arrangements.

Six of the blast victims buried on Tuesday were identified as Zeeshan Masih, Akash Bashir, Riaz Masih, James Sardar, Abishak Sarfaraz and Ilyas Barkat. Amir Masih and Tanveer Ahmed, hit by a car driven by a woman trying to escape rioters, were also laid to rest.  A walk-through gate was installed at the school entrance to ensure that no one entered the premises without a security check. Volunteers from the community were in charge of security in and around the school.  The neighbourhood was surrounded by a large number of policemen. The entrance was cordoned off. A police team was deployed at a small opening to check those entering the premises. Proof of identity was required.

At the school, a large crowd of relatives and neighbours attended the funerals led by Bishop Joseph Arshad, Archbishop of Lahore Archdiocese Sebastian Shaw, Bishop of Lahore Irfan Jameel and Frances Gulzar.

Youhanabad resident Nadeem Anthony said security was beefed up to avoid any untoward incident during the services. He said youngsters from Youhanabad and an adjacent neighbourhood had come close to a clash on Monday. “We wanted to avoid a similar situation during the funeral prayers. The volunteers had strict instructions to restrict themselves to the duties assigned to them,” he said.  On Monday, Zahid Goga, who died trying to prevent the attackers from entering the church, was laid to rest. A funeral service for him was held at the Christ Church.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2015.