Unsung heroes: tales of brave firemen
The Gakhar Plaza inferno last week made headlines across the country, however, the news failed to shower much-deserved tributes on the real heroes – the 13 firefighters who lost their lives while performing their job for which they are ill-paid.
Gakhar Plaza might be rebuilt in the same grandiose manner in the heart of Rawalpindi city, but the lives of those who lost their loved ones in the tragedy will never be the same.
Similar is the story of the four firefighters of Rescue 1122, who laid down their lives in the line of duty. They did not shy away, and courageously responded to the call of duty.
Shafqat Hussain, who got married only three months ago, hailed from Chak Kamalia in Gujrat district. According to his colleagues, he was submissive and down to earth kind of a person. He was always ready to fight with fire and on number of occasions set an example not only for his colleagues, but also for the entire department.
Kashif Anar, a resident of Murree, was also one of the four Rescue 1122 firefighters who fearlessly went into the
blazing Gakhar Plaza to save shopkeepers trapped inside the building.
As luck would have it, he died when the date for his marriage was fixed for the coming April. He was also declared best rescuer of the month. Besides working as a firefighter, he also actively took part in the awareness campaigns launched by the Rescue 1122. To his colleagues, he was a jolly fellow, and always met people with a smile on his face.
Musa Zubair Lodhi, a resident of Rawalpindi, was originally a computer-cum-telephone operator in the control room, but he volunteered his services as a firefighter on the fateful day when fire broke out in Gakhar plaza.Though, he was extraordinary good at communication skills which was part of his duties, but always wanted to be a part of the action. His colleagues, both seniors and juniors, remember him as a brave person. He had also developed expertise in flood forecasting system that was laid down by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).
Mohammad Idrees, a resident of Pakpattan, belonged to a family of firefighters. He was one of the three brothers who are also in the same profession, posted in Rawalpindi and Sahiwal.
Idrees was working as Lead Fire Rescuer (LFR), who led his team from the front and was the first one who jumped into the Gakhar Plaza inferno. An ambitious person, Idrees besides working in the Rescue 1122 also completed his master’s level education. He was an embodiment of compassion for his fellow firefighters.
In total, 13 fire fighters lost their lives in the tragic incident; four from Rescue 1122, one (Sajjad Khurshid) from District Fire Brigade Office, Rawalpindi; two (Rizwanul Haq and Abid Ali) from the Civil Aviation Authority and six (Mohammad Sabir, Mohammad Irshad, Naveed Ahmed, Mohammad Zahid, Mohammad Hanif and Faisal Ghafoor) from the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), Wah Cantonment.
Though firefighters are showered with great honours in the western world due the risky nature of their jobs, however, the Pakistan government could not develop and attach importance to such kind of public service. As a result, contrary to the developed countries, firefighting is not one of the chosen professions in the country.