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Unsung tales of ‘four’ cold-blooded bodies
By Ammad Hafeez
Being a Karachite, an air of melancholy surrounds me after witnessing the gloomy scenario of my distressed city. The city and dwellers are facing killing sprees, though killings are mostly based on sectarian or extra-judicial. Neither I am Shiite nor political worker, but still I have some grave concerns in these serial-killings. I bet, none of any local Karachite like me can rule-out this fact. Let’s have look at Karachi death toll from 2011 to 2013.
Karachi death toll from 2011 to 2013
Last day, I was watching the private TV show, some non-local Karachites (who were settled recently) made calls in live show, sneered at Karachi’s closure and ridiculed killings despite rebuking. After watching such responses, I am still downhearted that we are living in such society in which human beings have no value. Question is: if anyone loses his/her beloved one in these killing sprees, will he/she go for business? Those are being killed in on-going killings, are not my relatives but still I am disheartened and that’s why I decided to write.
On Friday, I was really shocked after seeing ghastly tortured dead bodies of four youngsters who were 22-25 years-old. When I got a glimpse of horrific torture marks on their bodies, I felt that how can anybody torture a human like this? If they were really criminals then why would they not be presented before courts?
Then, I tried to contact their family members, friends and neighborhoods eventually I became aware of some shocking revelations. They were political activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, so I firstly contacted some party representatives to dig out the in-depth stories.
When I approached, an MQM sitting MNA — Saman Jafri, she told, “When we visited victims’ families; Sameed’s mother, Salman’s grandmother, Ali Haider’s sisters and Faizan’s family members, all were saying the same, what was the sin of our sons, brothers? Why did they torture them, why did they not kill them by riddling bullets in their bodies? Baji — we couldn’t even identify our beloved ones, who empowered and ordered them to murder our brothers viciously? Baji — if my brother/son was criminal then why did they not present before court?”
When I enquired of torture tactics, she said, “22-25 years-old boys were severely tortured; acids were injected in their bodies, severe electric shocks were given, nose-bones of Salman and Faizan were fractured, and intestine, pancreas and other organs were cut-out. Iron-burnt marks were also seen on bullet-riddled bodies. Bodies had been swollen because of barbaric tortures”. Further, she said, “After seeing those mutilated bodies, unknown plain-clothed personnel’s enmity towards MQM and Urdu speaking community had been witnessed”.
In the last, she ended conversation by saying with low-amplitude, “Mere Shehar Mein Meri Nasal Lootnay Walon, Pata Hai Beta Kis Tarah Jawaan Hota Hai”.
It was just political side’s outlooks, after that I was seeking statements of their families and finally I succeed. When I made contact with Salman’s family, “Salman’s mother disclosed some dreadful tale that when she went to Rangers office to meet her son with some clothes and appealed them to let her son changing his clothes. In the response, personnel said, you would meet your son on Friday then you could change his clothes. She was really happy that at-last she would meet her son soon”. Same Friday, Salman’s mother received mangled bodies of her son. Salman’s father works in the canteen of Karachi University; he is also Karachi-based MQMer.
According to the family members of another slain worker, Ali Haider, he racked with cold-blooded maltreatment. They revealed, Ali Haider’s hairs were clawed from his head and shot point-blank-range in the head too. The sister disclosed that we went everywhere for seeking justices but no one took us into concentration, we were rejected by all. She categorically said, why would they kill my brother? We are followers of Altaf Hussain and descendants of those who had migrated from India to Pakistan at the time of partition that’s why are we being killed? What was fault of my brother; he was MQM’s activist that was the only reason?
Haider’s sister made revelation that he was just 22-years-old guy and he was getting married on 7th August, 2014. Sorry, I couldn’t sum-up his mother’s statement, she had passed away; otherwise I could try to listen her sentiments too. Haider’s father said, “I was unable to single out my son because of these gruesome torture marks”.
Ali Haider and Faizan, both were the youngest ones in their families. According to Faizan’s family and neighborhoods, “He was really helpful guy; he always came forward to sort out neighborhoods’ issues”. Faizan’s sisters said with weeping eyes, “What would be happening with my brother, when he was being tortured? He must be calling us for help and we weren’t there for him”. They were repeating same statements, what were sins of their youngest brother?
Faizan’s neighborhood aunty said, “The lives of our children have been made distressful, they are boys we cannot keep them inside homes like girls. When our children stay at homes, plain-clothed personnel abduct them. We didn’t bring up our children for being killed bestially. When they return our children, innocents are brutally tortured”. “Our children were not involved in criminal activities but if you arrested them then why wouldn’t you present them before court — why would you kill them mercilessly. Such torture tactics weren’t even applied to those who are war-prisoners?”, she asked.
Sameed Khan, was the proactive political worker and friend of Salman, according to their close friends, both spent times with each other. Sameed belonged to a lower middle- class family, he was the only breadwinner and after this tragic loss, his family needs financial support now.
While covering Sameed’s story, I heard important confessions too. Neighbors told me,“During past months, while neighborhoods were facing water and sewerage issues in the area. Sameed was the guy who helped and sorted out water issues”. Further he said,“Neighborhoods were deprived of water for 8 days”.
I would like to quote one more narrative, the owner of mobile accessories, Gulshair told,“Sameed helped him out in the catching of thieves who mugged his shop and were running away”.
“Sachal police station’s officer, Mr ‘X’ went to country apartments for condolences with his family members”, a neighbor said. He added, “Though, he was not much educated but still he was good-hearted”.
When I heard these stories, I was really ill-spirited and now you can assess what is happening with those family members who have lost their young brothers and children. You can feel, what would be happened to them — when they were being tortured? Let’s feel the pain, all four were arrested on 13th April and dead bodies were recovered last days, so in the span of 20-25 days how much pain they would have felt? Question is: have we forgotten the Day of Judgment, what will we do on this day after torturing humans’ body?
It was also depressing moment, when I was going through some tweets — social media activities had more concerns about city closures than brutal custodial killings in the city. Question: Is there anything precious than the human race? Have we forgotten the ethics and humanity?
There were no criminal charges on anyone, so that’s why they didn’t present them before court and killed them extra-judicially. That was the reason? I would like to question high authorities, why are Urdu speakings being killed? When will this ethnic based genocide be stopped? Today, on 3rd May, it is ‘World Press Freedom day’ — I ain’t a press guy, but yes I have freedom to express my views and truth. According to the constitution, nobody has the right to kill me with or without any reasons.
Author is the student of Electronics Engineering, an aspiring writer, he loves to analyze the current affairs and political scenarios. He tweets as @Rectified_guy (ammad.rectified@gmail.com)
