SIALKOT: Six out of the 15 victims of the recent killing in Turbat belonged to Sialkot district. The bodies of four reached here late on Thursday and the remaining two on Friday.

The bodies that reached and were buried on Thursday night were of Ghufran Zahid, Muhammad Ghafoor, Waqas Ilyas and Tayyab Raza. Those of Abubakar and Majid reached Jethikey village in Sambrial tehsil on Friday and were laid to rest at a local graveyard. All six had paid around Rs200,000 each to local human traffickers and agents in Sialkot, Sambrial, Wazirabad and Gujrat, their families claimed.

Abubakar and Majid were close friends and had planned to undertake this journey to Greece through Turkey and Iran together, but were gunned down along with 13 others near Turbat. Their families claimed that human trafficking had claimed the lives of their loved ones.

On Friday, a large number of people attended Quran khawani for the victims separately in their native villages. They demanded crackdown on human traffickers, agents and sub-agents in the district.

Ghufran and Ghafoor were laid to rest in Bhinder village; Ilyas in Gojra village, Daska; and Raza in his native Punj Garaayien village, Daska. Their funerals were attended by a large number of people, including Deputy Commissioner Dr Farrukh Naveed and local parliamentarians.

Ghafoor’s father, Noor Ahmed, said his only son and sole breadwinner wanted to rid his family of poverty by working abroad. The 35-year-old victim has left behind three minor children.

“I have lost everything after the killing of my beloved son, my only child,” Ahmed said with tears.

Ghufran’s father Zahid Mehmood said his son was the only hope for the family. He was the only brother of three sisters. Ghufran wanted to go abroad to earn a living for the family. He contacted suspected human trafficker Tanveer in Mundai Khurd village, Sambrial tehsil, who charged Rs150,000 for sending him to Turkey through Iran via Quetta.

In Punj Garaayien village, the family of Raza said their poverty had forced them to contact a human trafficker for sending their son abroad. The agents struck a deal for Rs200,000, which they borrowed from their relatives. But, agents Bashir Ahmed and Ali Ahmed did not honour their commitment and shot him dead near Turbat, the family alleged.

In Gojra village, the heirs of Ilyas (24) staged a sit-in in the village against human trafficking and demanded action against traffickers. The family demanded “ruthless” legal action against the suspects and their agents.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Divisional Deputy Director Khalid Anees said they had sent suspects, Zafar and Tanveer, behind bars for their alleged involvement in attempting to traffic Ghufran and Ghafoor to Iran through Quetta. Separate cases were registered against them and further investigations were underway.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2017