Never forget: A father’s search on foot

[Devil Soul]

Never forget: A father’s search on foot
By Riaz Ahmad
Published: January 18, 2015

“Asfand was the eldest of my three children, one girl and two boys. He wanted to be a lawyer like me,” Ajun added. PHOTO: Shaheed Asfand Khan FACEBOOK PAGE

PESHAWAR:
Advocate Ajun Khan, a resident of Tehkal Bala, was in a hearing at the Peshawar High Court when he received a phone call from his nephew that there was a blast inside the Army Public School (APS). Ajun asked the judge to give him permission to end the argument and rushed to APS on foot since every road in the area was blocked.

Ajun was naturally worried about his first born son, APS 10th grader Asfand Khan, who would have turned 15 on January 17.

“I reached Defence Park on foot as I was told that children were being evacuated there but found Asfand nowhere,” Ajun told The Express Tribune.

The advocate then rushed to Combined Military Hospital (CMH), again on foot, but was not allowed entry, forcing him to go to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) instead to continue the search for his eldest son. After hours of searching, the body of his son was identified at CMH. Asfand had received one lethal bullet in his head.

“My son was able to get out of the auditorium hall with his friend Ali, but was eventually shot in the head while Ali managed to escape,” said Ajun, adding Asfand was found with one hand in his pocket, where his phone was.

“Asfand was the eldest of my three children, one girl and two boys. He wanted to be a lawyer like me,” Ajun added. “He studied till class five in another school but I enrolled him at APS from class six because it is considered a good school.”

Ajun said his son is gone forever, but as a parent he now wants foolproof security arrangements for other schools in order to avoid any such incident in the future. “I think locals should be included in [arranging] security for schools since they know more about their surroundings.”

As a martyr, Asfand Khan was buried in his school uniform.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2015.

 

[I.R.A]

I cannot even imagine what this father would have gone through while looking for his son and finally finding his dead body, that was an atrocious cowardly act by some cowards who call themselves warriors of ALLAH but hide in rat holes for fear of their lives, I pray to ALLAH that these cowards get the worst death that is possible Ameen.

 

[Kompromat]

No father should have to go through this.

 

[Musafir117]

The death of a child must be one of the most painful experiences
known to humankind.


Each day since we first lost you
Life is not the same,
Each day we search for reasons
Each day we call your name.

Each day we feel the pain
And the hurt that will not heal,
Each day we ask the sky
To please make this not real.

Each day we look for answers
To the endless questions why,
Each day we bow our heads
With another tear to cry.

But each day we're reminded
Of the joy that you would bring,
Each day we still remember
How you brightened everything.

Each day we hear you laughing
With that smile upon your face,
Each day we hear you playing
And your spirit we embrace.

So each day we live on
We will never be apart,
For in each day that passes
You're forever in our hearts.

By Graham Allaway