HYDERABAD, April 2 The cremation of Dr Sorath Lohano — an activist of the World Sindhi Congress (WSC) — was performed at a Shamshan Ghat off Kali Road here on Thursday by sobbing relatives and friends.

According to her family, Ms Sorath died in an accident at Knebworth railway station in London on March 26 when she was hit by a non-stop speedy train.

Earlier in the day, her body was brought to Karachi from London in an aeroplane and then taken to Hyderabad.

Her father and brothers accompanied the body which was first taken to the house of her mother Kamla in Happy Homes where the grieving family stayed for around three hours.

Then the body was taken to the house of Ms Sorath's brother in Abdullah Town, Qasimabad, for last rites. During cremation, a national song was sung by participants.

The 27-year old Dr Sortah worked for a reputed pharmacist company after she did her masters in pharmacy from King College University, London, three years ago.

Born in Mirpur Bathoro, Thatta district, she studied there up to grade-II and then shifted to Hyderabad along with her family where she stayed until she was seven. Then she shifted to London where she completed her education. Her father Dr Lakhu Lohano is secretary-general of the World Sindhi Congress.

She had been working at the WSC office in London as a receptionist and organising events held to project Sindh's case in London.

“She was too young to die. She was selfless and unmarried”, her father told Dawn. He said that the WSC was like her family and she loved to help people.

Her father's friends — including Dr Qadir Bux Jatoi, who spent a major part of his life in exile in United Kingdom after having to leave Pakistan during Gen Zia's martial law, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz secretary-general Dr Safdar Sarki,, nationalist leader Asif Baladi, Dr Abdul Hameed Memon of the Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party, Taj Joyo, Punhal Sario, Riaz Chandio and Dr Mir Alam Mari — attended the last rites.

Dr Jatoi recalled Dr Sorath's involvement in programmes organised in the UK by the WSC. He said that her death had produced a vacuum in Sindh's society which was hard to be filled.

Dr Memon said that that she was unlike other ordinary girls. She had a vision, he said.

Dr Sarki said that she was the incarnation of Shah Latif's character, Sorath, after whom she was named, and added that she justified her name with her character. He said that she did not have passion for worldly things which reflected in her everyday life that was different from modern lifestyle of women.

Mr Baladi — one of the missing persons of Sindh after having been picked up by an intelligence agency — said that she was an example for Sindhi girls and expressed the hope that women would try to emulate her.