Bomb Blast Victim's Children Face Uncertainty



Mewish Bhatti (centre) with seven of the eight Masih children

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By Mehwish Bhatti          

On Sunday 15th March twin bomb attacks occurred on two churches in Lahore killing 17 people and wounding at least 80 parishioners.  An usher named Kushi Masih was at the church gate at the time the attacker's arrived at the church, bravely he rushed to apprehend the armed men but was shot in the head sustaining serious injuries.  The 55 year old volunteer security team member was taken to ward 19 in Lahore General Hospital where he died the following day. He leaves behind his wife, Balqees Bashir, and his eight children: six daughters and two sons. 

As the sole breadwinner in the family, he was hard working and was putting all of the 8 children through education.  His tragic loss now means they are in financial crisis and are struggling to provide food on their table, or to pay the educational fees of those in their tender years. The children range in age from 6 to 22. The girls are: Aneeqa, 22; Anita, 18;  Nisha, 17; Rebecca, 15; Snober 13; and Sylvia, 11. The boys are Rajesh 19 and Excel who's 6.

Aneeqa   F.A   22  years old   Studying   Female   Eldest
Rajesh   F.Sc   19 Studying Male
Anita   Eighth standard   18 Studying Female
Nisha   Seventh standard     17 Studying Female
Rebecca    Seventh standard   15 Studying Female
Snober   Fifth standard   13 Studying Female
Sylvia   Third standard   11 Studying Female  
Excel   Prep class     6 Studying Male

The family needs ongoing support as they have had nothing to live on since March except small sporadic donations from different organisations who emerged to help at the time of the blast. They need regular funding for food, clothes and medical care, and help with school fees since there is no help from the state in Pakistan and no form of National Health Service.   

With four of the six girls near marriageable age it is a very real concern that they will be forced to drop out of their studies and enter into arranged marriages since their mother can no longer afford their school fees. She has no real alternative due to the misogynistic culture of Pakistan which does not value women or see a need for their education, and has no safety nets in place for families such as hers.  The girls will feel duty bound to accept the situation and be married in order to relieve the burden on the family and we at the BPCA feel that these girls should be given the option to stay on at school and not feel pressured into marriage at such a tender age. All the children deserve to carry on their schooling as their father would have wished, and he would have ensured they did so, had his life not been cut short so cruelly by this act of terror.

Wilson Chowdhry, BPCA Chairman, said:

"It is saddening that these beautiful daughters are now being seen as surplus to requirements simply because this victim family is struggling to meet daily needs.  Women are always victims in Pakistan, in a male dominated society that is both cruel and uncaring towards them.  In particular however this incident has destroyed this family and will prevent these girls fulfilling their dreams.  I pray sisters in the west will provide support to enable the girls to be the godly, intelligent women their doting father would have wanted."

Please help us to provide ongoing support to this victim's family who are now in this dire position through no fault of their own.

If you would like to donate towards helping this needy family then please use these bank details:
Sort Code: 20-67-90
Account number: 63468976
Bank: Barclays
Ref: Love for the children of Kushi Masih

Alternatively if you would like donate using PayPal please use the PayPal facility on the top right hand corner of our blog, our PayPal email address is: info@britishpakistanichristians.co.uk.

Any cheques should be made payable to the BPCA to our address: 57 Green Lane, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1XG.

With your support we hope to change the lives of millions of Christians in Pakistan. 
        
 


Mehwish Bhatti prays with the family

If you would like to donate towards helping this needy family then please use these bank details:

Sort Code: 20-67-90

Account number: 63468976
Bank: Barclays

Ref: Love for the children of Kushi Masih

Alternatively if you would like donate using PayPal please use the PayPal facility on the top right hand corner of our blog, our PayPal email address is: info@britishpakistanichristians.co.uk.

Any cheques should be made payable to the BPCA to our address: 57 Green Lane, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1XG.


With your support we hope to change the lives of millions of Christians in Pakistan.