June 3, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 2, 1424

KARACHI, June 2: Twenty one bodies of the victims of Sunday’s Keenjhar Lake tragedy were laid to rest in Jafar-i-Tayyar and Wadi-i-Husain graveyards on Monday amid demands of stern action against the government functionaries for their failure in ensuring necessary safety measures and adequate rescue and relief arrangements at the picnic spot.

The remaining five bodies are likely to be buried on Tuesday as the bereaved had to wait for some close relatives’ return to the city to take part in the funeral.

Naqi Haider, 37, a police official posted at the Saddar police station, was the only person who died in the incident along with his entire family — three daughters Sabahat Haider, 5, Sahar Haider, 10, Aliya Haider, 12, wife Shehla Haider, 35, and mother Hameedunnisa, 60. Naqi’s sister-in-law, Khushnood Bano, wife of a police inspector Intikhab Haider, was among those drowned.

Ali Haider, Naqi’s maternal uncle and an employee at the water and sanitation department of the city government, lost his five-year-old daughter Iffat and 11-year-old son Abbas Haider.

Ali Haider’s three other children were accompanying the family at Keenjhar but did not board the ill-fated boat.

Naseem Abbas, also a resident of Jafar-i-Tayyar Society, lost his wife Shamim Fatima, son Waseem Abbas, 14, and three daughters Nargis Abbas, Farhat Abbas and Raisa Abbas.

The Namaz-i-Janaza of seven victims — Vira Fatima, 10, Huma Anwar, 17, Amber Zaidi, 17, Hina Anwar, 18, Kausar Fatima, 12, Qamar Fatima, 36, and Nida Zehra — was offered at the Masjid Khairul Amal in Block 20, F. B. Area. It was attended by a large number of people. They were laid to rest at Wadi-i-Husain graveyard, off Super Highway.

Funeral prayers for 14 other deceased were offered by hundreds of people at the Victory Ground, Jafar-i-Tayyar Society, Malir. They were Shahla Zehra, 35, Hameedunnisa, 60, Shamim Fatima, 35, Khushnood Bano, 28, Abbas Haider, 11, Haider, 9, Zain Husain, 8, Aliya Haider, 12, Iffat Fatima, 12, Mehvish Zehra, 17, Sahar Zehra, 8, Sabahat, 5, Mughtaba, 7 and Naqi Haider, 35.

Since Tuesday morning, different political parties had pitched their tents along the route leading to the Markazi Imambargah, Jafar-i-Tayyar Society.

All the markets and shops, including Liaquat Market, in Jafar-i-Tayyar Society and its adjoining areas, as well as some major markets in Malir, remained closed since morning on Tuesday. Coffins arrived at about 4pm at the Markazi Imambargah where hundreds of women mourners were already present.

Several hundred men were also present along the route leading to the Imambargah. As the 14 Edhi ambulances, carrying the bodies started arriving near the Imambargah, mourners broke down in tears.

There was a sense of shock, grief and mayhem everywhere in the Imambargah when the bodies were placed for final glimpses before they were taken away in a procession for funeral prayers at Victory Ground.

Later, the 14 bodies were laid to rest in the Ghazi Town graveyard in Jafar-i-Tayyar Society.