Lahore bomb victims revisited

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By Mehwish Bhatti

Victims of the Lahore twin bomb attack are still desperately seeking help for the survival and many feel they have been forgotten only weeks after the terror attack that destroyed their lives took place.  On a recent visit to Lahore I met with some of the victims we are working with and met with many new ones.

I joined with Pastor Samuel Masih from Raiwind at the behest of a pastor from America concerned about the plight of the victims of the Lahore explosions. 


All the victims I met shared their utmost disappointment and concern at the manner in which they were abruptly discharged by the staff at the General Hospital, Lahore.  Many young men spoke of the ongoing pain and discomfort they felt due to ball bearings being lodged into their bodies after suicide bombers let off their devices.  The ball bearings had been inserted into the explosive devices in an attempt to maximise the maiming and killing of victims in the attack, as they whizzed through the air at high velocity they caused untreatable fatal wounds and a mixture of long and short term injuries.

To remove the ball bearings from their bodies victims are required to pay for private medical treatment, the cost of which is far too burdensome for these deprived Christians. They seek help with medical costs to have them removed as if not there are significant fears of blood poisoning and infections which if not treated could lead to further fatalities or debilitating injury. 


 


Amir Zahoor, 32, Youth leader at St James Catholic Church, explained:

“This treatment by the hospital faculty is beyond description. One of the staff members refused to provide any service to me, he told me that blasts like this happen every day, It is not something new but expected.  They told me that other than patching me up after the incident they could do no more to help without money.  How will we afford it?” 

Amir was hit in the face by ball bearings, his right arm was also badly damaged.


 


Amir works at a medical unit and was due to work a shift on the Sunday of the blast. One of his colleagues contacted him early in the morning and asked for a shift swap so Amir would work on Monday instead.  For Amir this was good news as his heart’s desire was to attend church. His friend arrived at work allowing Amir to leave his shift and share morning mass with his family.  Amir noticed children and young people playing in the church forecourt area and angrily sent them inside the church to attend the service. There were women volunteers outside the church who were talking loudly this day too. Using the authority of his senior role as youth leader he asked them to go inside also, as the noise was embarrassing the church.   Whilst remembering these actions he explained that it was strange for him to be so concerned about people outside the church. He believes many were saved by his actions and that God placed it in his heart to unknowingly get these people out of danger. 

 

Amir describes that he was away from the main gate when he saw the terrorist dressed in a black suit and sky blue shirt enter while firing. He was with the suicide bomber who detonated himself upon entering the church. Amir shouted to close the church gate and the young boys ran towards that and thankfully were successful otherwise 3000 lives present inside the church would have been harmed. After that Amir was unconscious and doesn’t remember what happened. 


 


One of the young men, Sikander Inyat
who was closing the front gate of the church after hearing the shooting got hit by the gate as it flew off its hinges. He lost one eye and  seriously
 fractured
his left leg. He is only 28 years old and needs urgent medical treatment to stop any infection in his eye.  He is also hoping to be able to secure funding
for an artificial eye as he has lost great confidence, due to the stares that his scarred eye induces. He is one of only two children to his
parents.  His mother died when he was young and he was taking care of his elderly father. His sister, who is married and lives in Hyderabad over
1000 miles away, has had to live with the father and son to tend for them for the last 2 months.  

Sikander Inyat, said:

“I feel really bad that instead of caring for my father I have become a burden for the family. This is a really cruel life and I pray that God gives me strength again to be of more value to my family and the community. “



 


Another victim Yousaf Masih, 41, was shot twice in the arm.  Despite two months for recovery the wound is still festering and bleeding, as it is so badly infected.  His hands were also burnt . He was working in a factory Usman Saeed Garments factory. Even though he was not medically fit he returned to work simply to try and feed his family and get through the financial crisis that was consuming them.  When he got to work he was told by his Muslim employers that as he had been away from work so long he had been replaced. Moreover they told him that due to the killing of two 
Muslims

 by Christian rioters, He was advised that Christians were no longer welcome in his workplace.   Yousaf was fired without any severance pay. Yousaf described how he cried that day because he is responsible for the care of his three small
children. He feels discouraged and said:

” In this country a Christian is worth no more than a stray dog, Muslims hate the very sight of us”.

 



I met Shahbaz Gill, 22, a young man who has ball bearings in his back.  He was once a film maker and now is suffering immense pain that prevents him earning for his family.  


Adnan Gill, 32,  is forced to overcome pain daily. Working as a welder he is required to stand up for long hours and he has ball bearings lodged in his right leg and foot.  The necessity to eat has spurred him to get back to work but he is desperate for funds for an operation to remove the shrapnel from his body.


 


Basharat Masih, 26, was working in a factory and studying before the attack.  He has ball bearings deeply lodged in his arm and is unable to work. He has had no treatment bar an initial bandaging of the wounds and they have healed over.  He needs the ball bearings removed to avoid further complications such as infection.


 


Zubaira Francis, 32, has ball bearings in her stomach which have moved through to her leg due to non treatment.  There are serious concerns
that the ball bearings might block a main artery or cause internal poisoning. 


 


Quaisor Pervaiz, 35,
was
one of the survivors of the bomb attack. He was 80 percent burnt and it’s a big miracle he is quite better now. He requested for dental surgery because
all his molars got damaged and he finds it very difficult because it hurts when he takes his meal. He requested for UPS (uninterrupted power supply)
due to burned skin as the wounds are getting worse.

 

If you would like to donate towards helping the victims of this latest Christian church bombing, then please use these bank details:


Sort Code: 20-67-90
Account number: 63468976
Bank: Barclays
Ref: Love for Lahore Christians

Alternatively if you would like to send a one off donation please use the pay-pal facility on the top right hand corner of our blog, our pay pal email address is info@britishpakistanichristians.org.

Any cheques should be made payable for 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.

Bullet riven gates of St James Catholic Church, Lahore.


Families of the deceased agree to meet Mehwish and pray together seeking solace with one another.

Mehwish provided food to the mother of 10 year old Abishake, a very bright student who was praying in church for good results in his exams, which he would have received the following day. He never got to see them. His younger sister keeps asking about him which leads to his mother crying.


This is the mother of Musa Shahzab Tanveer her and her surviving son featured
in our main campaign image. Her 20 year old son Musa’s body pieces were sprayed widely leaving her in a state of shock.

Mehwish presented flowers to all the bereaved mothers and wives and food parcels for all the families, some of whom have lost bread-winners.

Mehwish before the gates of Christ Church, Lahore.