Death of an innocent child who wanted to become a pilot

4-year old Shahzeb was killed in Jamrud blast along with parents

PESHAWAR: The death of four years old Shahzeb Afridi in the recent suicide bombing in Jamrud, Khyber Agency, left people in tears.

His father Shah Faisal and mother also perished in the blast that took place close to the police post in the Karkhano Market on January 19. The site of the devastating explosion was near the boundary between Khyber Agency and Peshawar district.

The couple with their won Shahzeb had come to Peshawar from their native Bara in Khyber Agency to withdraw the amount from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) that had been transferred to Shah Faisal’s bank account. It was supposed to be a happy day for the poor family as it had been desperately waiting for the call from the BISP office to collect the money.

After collecting the money, the family was on way home when the tragedy happened. It had reached Karkhano Market where Shahzeb asked his father to give him Rs10 so that he could buy a chocolate. Eyewitnesses said Shahzeb got the money and just then the blast took place when the suicide bomber targetted the Line officer of Khassadar Force, Nawab Shah. The explosion killed 13 people, including Nawab Shah and other Khassadar personnel and tribal journalist Mahboob Shah Afridi.

Shahzeb and his parents too were caught in the blast and were killed. The ill-fated family was passing through the area and had been at the wrong place at the wrong time.The desperately poor family had experienced suffering in recent years due to militancy and military operations. It was displaced from Bara and had to seek refuge in the Jalozai Camp in Nowshera district where living conditions were tough. It had recently returned to Bara along with other families repatriated to their homes.

Shah Faisal was an unskilled labourer who did menial jobs in Bara to earn livelihood. He had four children - two elder sons Alamzeb and Amjad and a one and half year daughter. With his death and that of his wife, his three surviving children have become orphans.

Shahzeb was admitted to the Government Primary School at Yara Din in Bara that was established by an organization, OSED, under the Emergency Education Project, TLCs. The family preferred the school as the students were being provided school bags, notebooks, pencils, sharpeners, rubbers, etc. Though Shahzeb was a KG class student, the school head teacher Khan Gul remembered him as a talented and obedient boy who took keen interest in his studies and was neat and clean. “Shahzeb was one of our shining stars. He used to say he wanted to become a pilot and defend the country against enemies,” Head Teacher Khan Gul added.