February 25, 2007	Sunday	Safar 7, 1428

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FAISALABAD, Feb 24: Five children of a family -- three brothers and two sisters – burnt to death in the Samjhota Express tragedy were buried on Saturday in the main graveyard of Samanabad.

A large number of people, including women and fellow students of the victims, assembled at the home of Shaukat Ali, the father of the victims, after hearing the news of arrival of victims’ coffins from Panipat.

The rescue 1122 vehicles carried bodies of Ayesha (15), Asima (8), Bilal (12), Hamza (10), and Rehman (4) to Faisalabad from the Wahgah border.

Their father and mother -- Shaukat Ali and Ruksana -- burst into tears on seeing the coffins of their loved-ones.

The police had taken tight security measures at the Tanki Wali ground where the funeral prayers were offered.

Women mourners insisted on seeing the victims’ faces but their request was turned down by elders of the family who said the bodies of the children had burnt beyond recognition.

A neighbour of Shaukat said that the father of the victims loved his children very much because he had remained issueless for 10 years after his marriage.

Along with his wife and children, Shaukat went to India on Jan 20 to attend the wedding of his nephew, Shabbir Ahmed, who also belonged to Samanabad, Faisalabad. Shabbir and other guests had returned to Pakistan but Shaukat stayed there.

Despite tight security, a pickpocket deprived Attaur Rehman, the younger brother of Shaukat, of Rs22,000.