Traumatised father in Pakistan appeals to Gulf News for help

Dubai: A heavily stamped envelope found its way to the Gulf News readers mailbox all the way from Pakistan recently. The letter was an appeal for financial help sent by Abdul Sattar, whose 18-year-old son lost both his eyes after a bomb explosion in a marketplace in Swat Valley.

Sattar, a 39-year-old father of two, left his 14-year-old daughter and wife in Swat Valley in order to monitor his son's treatment in Peshawar.

In a tired voice that clearly conveys all the hardships and pain he has gone through, he detailed the events that happened earlier this year: "I was sick and on bed-rest that day, so I sent my only son, Tariq to get cough syrup for me, and some groceries.

"While he was returning on his bicycle there was a huge explosion. I found out about the incident two hours later. I immediately rushed to the hospital where I discovered that he had lost his eyesight."

Sattar was at a loss as to what to do.

"My son woke up after two hours and just kept on crying, with people around trying to comfort him as much as they could ... the hospital was full of victims."

The doctors in Swat Valley told Sattar and his son to transfer to one of the bigger hospitals in Pakistan, so that surgery to restore the teenager's eyesight could be done.

The doctors estimated the cost of the operation to be around Dh8,000, an amount that a labourer and farmer could ill-afford.

"The hardest thing for me is to see my son, who is a Hafiz, [someone who has memorised the Quran] to not be able to read the Quran. Sometimes when it rains, he starts crying because he can't see it," Sattar said.

He hopes that he can return to his wife and daughter soon. They are striving to keep afloat by selling blankets and flower garlands.

An aspiring teacher, Tariq is also committed to his wish of one day being able to teach the recitation of the Quran to others.