Heart-rending tales of Peshawar bus blast victims

Hamid Jan’s birth anniversary turned into the day of death

PESHAWAR: The blast in the passengers’ bus that claimed about 16 lives and injured many others in the provincial capital on Wednesday left behind heart-rending tales.

Hamid Jan Khan, an employee of the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar did not know that his birth anniversary would turn into his death anniversary. He left his home in Tangi village of Charsadda district and boarded the ill-fated bus in Peshawar to reach his university but he died before reaching his destination.

Born on March 16, 1984, Hamid Jan left this mortal world on March 16, 2016. He was the lone breadwinner of his family. He is survived by his widow, one-year old son and a daughter born eight months ago.

The tale of Shahid Ali, hailing from Parkho Dherai village in Mardan district, is equally tragic. A student of MBA, he used to commute between University of Peshawar and his village despite the long distance just to take care of his ailing mother, who was a patient of cancer. On the day of the occurrence, he served his mother with breakfast before leaving for Peshawar. His death shocked all who knew him.

Another victim of the explosion was Muhammad Said, alias Mamu who used to travel a long distance of 70 kilometres by coming from Takkar village in Mardan to Karkhano Market in Peshawar to work as a daily wager.

Mamu, 47, had been visiting Peshawar daily for the last 15 years to reach the Karkhano Market early in the morning but on Wednesday he failed to get there before his scheduled time, 9am, as he died in the incident. He was also the lone breadwinner for his family of eight including his wife, four sons and three daughters.

Another victim Ismail, the only son of his parents, left home telling his mother that he will return soon. Instead, he embarked on an eternal journey never to return. The 28-year old Ismail was making arrangements to go overseas.

His father told the media that on Wednesday morning his son left home in Takht Bhai for Peshawar to give fingerprints for the application process to go abroad. He was unaware of the fact that his fate has been sealed and he would lose his life.

Arshad Ali, a subject specialist at the Government High School at Shergarh in Mardan, had reported at the school and then left for Peshawar to get attested the documents of a relative. He met a similar fate as his fellow passengers due to the heartless act of terrorism that targetted low-grade government employees and civilians.