A Father's Sacred Vow: No Burial Until Justice for Slain Son in Karachi
For nine days, the body of 17-year-old Rosham Hussain has remained unburied in Karachi. His father, Rohedad Hussain, has made a solemn pledge before Allah: his son will not receive funeral prayers nor be laid to rest until the killers are brought to justice. This is not defiance of the state; it is a demand that the state uphold its sacred duty.
What happened to Rosham Hussain in Manghopir?
On September 8, six armed robbers, two of them reportedly wearing police uniforms, stormed into the Hussain family home in Manghopir. When young Rosham stepped out of his room, he was shot dead in cold blood. The brutality sent shockwaves through the neighbourhood, igniting a fire of grief and righteous anger that refuses to die.
Why is the family refusing to bury Rosham?
Rohedad Hussain has declared he will neither offer funeral prayers nor bury his son until the murderers are arrested. This is a father's ultimate sacrifice, a stand rooted in the Islamic principle that standing with the oppressed against the oppressor is a duty. The family, joined by friends and a growing number of residents, has camped outside the Manghopir police station in a peaceful sit-in that has now entered its ninth day.
Banners demanding justice flutter in the wind. Chants echo through the tent pitched on the road opposite the police station. The protesters have resolved to remain until the killers are in custody.
What did protesters say at the sit-in?
Addressing the gathering, one participant reminded the crowd that Islam commands believers to stand with the oppressed and demand accountability for wrongdoing. Another protester, Shafiq Jan Durrani, declared that the people regard the state as their mother, and they are only asking her to protect her children.
We will continue to stand alongside the bereaved family in their struggle until Rosham's killers are arrested, he said.
Mr Durrani questioned the delay: Are the killers so clever and so powerful that they have remained beyond the reach of the police? He suggested that if the police cannot trace the suspects, the investigation should be handed to another agency.
What does Rosham's father demand?
Speaking with tearful eyes but a voice of steel, Rohedad Hussain said his only demand is the arrest and punishment of his son's killers.
My son was innocent. What was his fault? Nine days have passed since he was killed, but his killers have still not been arrested, he said.
He noted that neither Home Minister Zia Lanjar nor Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has visited the sit-in to share the family's grief. But he added with quiet dignity: It does not matter if they do not come. I do not need any minister or adviser. I only want the killers of my son to be arrested and punished.
What evidence exists in the murder case?
Rosham's paternal uncle pointed to a glaring failure of investigation. According to the investigation team, seven mobile phones were active at the location during the incident, two inside the house and five outside. He asked why investigators have not traced the numbers and determined whose SIMs were registered.
This is not a case of missing clues. The evidence exists. What is missing is the will to act. The people of Manghopir have shown the nation what resolve looks like. Now, the state must answer with justice.
Photo: Dawn
