SANGHAR: When transport and property worth billions of rupees were torched during the three days of riots that erupted after assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the villagers saved the life and properties of more than 3,000 railway passengers stranded at Jalal Mari and Sarhari railway station.

Jalal Mari is a deserted place and notorious where dozens of bandits and robbers take shelter in the thick jungle spread over thousand of acres. Awam Express was halted here and Hazara Express pulled up at Sarhari railway station on December 27.

The villagers at Jalal Mari, led by Ismail Brohi, vacated their mud houses for the lady passengers. Dozens of villagers surrounded the train and remained vigilant during the chilling night.

The women folk in the villages prepared roti and cooked vegetables which the men fetched from their fields.

More than 1,500 passengers were fed by villagers for three days. Due to shortage of flour, the villagers pooled wheat bags and grinded at village flour chakkis.

In the meantime, no official from railway or the district government helped them. The villagers also brought dozens of pitchers full of milk for the passengers specially children. All these services were provided free of cost.

Many villagers, who themselves are poorest of the poor also brought biscuits and provided quilts and “Rillies” to save the passengers from cold. After three days, the railways officials with the help of locals transported the stranded people to their destinations.

At Sarhari too, the villagers fed more than 1,500 passengers for three days and nights and also remained vigilant to protect the life and property but at Sarhari the train Hazara Express was torched but no passenger or their belongings were harmed and they remained safe in the houses of the villagers.