HYDERABAD, Oct 21: Like thousands of people across Sindh who lost their dear ones in the deadly attack on the Pakistan People’s Party rally in Karachi on Thursday, the family and friends of Rashid Sarwar Seharo were overtaken by grief when they remembered him at his Soyem on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Seharo, who was first cousin of Saeed Ghani, information secretary of the party’s Karachi chapter, and his young first cousin Zulfikar Seharo had been planning to attend the rally since the day Benazir Bhutto announced the date of her return. He had left for Karachi a day earlier on Oct 17.
Late Seharo believed Ms Bhutto’s Oct 18 rally would be historic and might outdo her April 1986’s rally in Lahore when she returned to the country after her father’s execution.
Excited as he was he threw caution to the wind although his elder brother Jehangir Seharo had advised him to be careful and vigilant during the rally, and managed to get as close to Ms Bhutto’s especially-built truck as possible.
He had especially bought a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt for the occasion.
Late Seharo was the son of Ghulam Sarwar Seharo, a retired employee of police department who had served in Karachi’s central police office, and was a resident of Kotri town in Jamshoro district.
He had remained in constant touch with Saeed Ghani ever since Ms. Bhutto had announced her date of return and told him that he desired to act as guard of PPP chairperson. “He used to say in jest that he will embrace martyrdom one day,” said his elder brother.
“Bhai we are quite close to Mohtarma’s truck,” an overexcited Rashid who was the fifth among ten siblings, told his brother. Minutes after Jehangir advised him over cellphone to take good care of his cousin Zulfikar and himself.Rashid, an intermediate student, was laid to rest in his hometown Kotri while Zulfikar was buried in Chanesar Goth on Friday. Late Zulfikar had got married three months ago. The cousins who were close to each other were not formal PPP members but they hardly missed any party programme or rally. They were assisting their cousin Saeed Ghani in distributing refreshments and water among the party workers who were responsible for the security of Ms Bhutto and media personnel, said Jehangir. Saeed Ghani was on one of the media trucks about 150 to 200 metres from Ms. Bhutto’s vehicle.Rashid’s death has left his sisters and four brothers traumatised. He did help his family business of party arrangement but he had plans to leave for abroad or find some job at home. He had landed a job as a laboratory assistant in education department and was about to join it before the death stalked him. “I used to ask him to concentrate on the family business and do not chase a job of merely a few thousand rupees but he was adamant either to seek a government job or opt for abroad,” said a sobbing Jehangir as he broke down recalling his brother’s words.
