Khan Begum, a 54-year-old widow of a blast victim, is a brave woman as she preferred to work hard despite odds to bring up her children and even motivated other widows in her village to never give in and continue doing hard work to look after their children.

“It was back in January, 2010 when the most tragic incident happened during a volleyball match in a village playground in which 127 onlookers were killed, mostly young including my husband. More than 200 others were seriously injured. I became widow with four little sons, having no one to earn livelihood,” she recalled.

Shah Hasankhel was the unfortunate village, situated 21 kilometres south-east of Lakki Marwat district, comprising now a population of 6,000 individuals, where one could only see mud-made houses, unmetalled roads and endless sand mounds.

According to local people, Shah Hasankhel is now known as the village of widows and lacks basic education, infrastructure and healthcare facilities. Most young men of the village loved volleyball. The trophies won and displayed by the killed players in their homes are now remainders of the tragedy.

Ms Begum said that her village had around 120 widows because the suicide bombing at the playground and many other militants’ attacks took away their bread earners and left them with the only option to come out of their homes and stand on their feet for survival of their orphan children.

“Almighty Allah has gifted our village women with a talent to craft different things from leaves of a plant grown in the mountain located some three kilometres away from our village. I went out and motivated widows to get ready for the job. Early in the morning, we get up and head towards the mountain for reed plant and begin crafting household items from its leaves and then bring those items to local market. The strategy worked out but it does not mean that our ordeals are resolved,” she said.

Wadana Bibi, another widow from the same village, told this scribe that the then provincial government announced a monetary compensation of Rs300, 000 per killed individual in the suicide attack. She regretted that not a single government functionary visited the affected families and the widows strived hard to feed their children.

“I lost my husband and two sons in the tragedy. Although I am old and sick, yet I have to bring up my two daughters. I don’t earn enough to make both ends meet. Last week, my daughter Durkhanai requested me to buy her new clothes but I couldn’t. What could a helpless woman do in a world dominated by men,” she said with tears rolling over slump face.

Shah Hasankhel was named as village of widows after 127 people were killed in a suicide bombing during a volleyball match in the area

The condition of more than 100 widows is not different from Khan Begum and Wadana Bibi.

“The widows travel three kilometres daily to cut down reed leaves and bring the heavy rolls on their fragile backs to shape it into various crafts. The widows have no support of government or community to come out of the endless sufferings. Are we really destined to doom forever, where is ‘the change’? Is there anyone to save us from the hellfire? I believe no one will listen to our cries because we are a different specie called women and the worst we are widows,” Sultana Bibi, another widow, poured out her heart when approached to tell her story.

Zareen Jana, 68, came up with almost similar woeful tale. She recalled that she had lost two married sons in the tragedy and was left with 11 grandchildren and two widows. She said her elder son Sher Mohammad left behind two sons and four daughters while her younger son Din Mohammad had two sons and three daughters.

“It was evening time my sons returned from their labour work and went out to enjoy the match. After a short while, I heard a big bang and like me many mothers in the village were devastated. I am unable to express my grief because for me the tragic incident still as fresh as if it happened yesterday,” said Ms Jana as she hid face with her hands.

The grieved widow said her ordeal was big compared to other because other widows and relatives had received the remains of the deceased but she didn’t and looked up to the authorities to do something.

“My story is altogether different from other women in the village. Other mothers and widows had the satisfaction to have had seen the dead bodies of their dear and near ones but I am the only destitute mother to have not even seen the remains of dear sons,” said Ms Jana with a sobbing voice.

Abdul Malik, the nazim of the village council, when contacted, said that the families affected by the blast lived hard life and only Diljan Khan Foundation, a charity organisation, arranged a lady doctor, who paid a weekly visit to Shah Hasankhel while arrangements were also made for imparting education to the children of the blast victims.

He said the crafts of the village women were being marketed that fetched them a handsome profit but admitted that most widows, around 80 families, were living a miserable life since the terrible blast. He said that government should take steps to improve the infrastructure, education and healthcare facilities in the village.

“KP government should introduce Insaf health card, and set up craft centre and a high school for girls in the village. Another important step would be to revive volleyball game as the local young men have the talent to compete in the national game festivals. My colleagues in collaboration with some organisations are doing much but the government support is a must. Improving the living standard of the brave widows of Shah Hasankhel should be the topmost priority,” said the nazim.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2019