Open letter to Baitullah

Published March 14, 2008

I AM writing this letter on behalf of Asia, wife of my worker who was killed in bomb blast on March 11 in Lahore. She believes that Baitullah Masood is responsible for the death of her husband, Arif. He was 29 years old and leaves behind four young children. She says

“What kind of devil do you have inside you. You did not know my husband, the sweetest person on earth. He loved me, his three little daughters and a son.

“How am I going to take care of them? What am I going to tell them? They are too young to understand. You apparently are not a Muslim and don`t believe in Allah or the Day of Judgment.

“How are you going to explain that you have killed so many innocent people, made so many widows, and deprived so many little children of their father`s love? I hope that you have enough conscience left in you to think about these questions.

“We are not at war with you. Whoever is your enemy, fight with them like a man. Don`t take the cover of innocent women and children.

“You know that you will surely go to hell for what you are doing. There is still time to repent. God is very forgiving.”

ASIA, WIDOWED BY YOUR

BOMB Lahore

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

THE FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth ...
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...