Victims let down by People's Party

Islamabad: In a sombre ceremony on Monday, Shahida Ameen and her five children recited the Quran along with a dozen relatives and neighbours as they observed the third death anniversary of her husband, Raja Mohammad Ameen, who lost his life three years ago while escorting Benazir Bhutto's motorcade after the fateful election rally.

He was amongst 22 other Benazir loyalists to die in a suicide attack, which many believe could have been averted.

After the death of Raja Mohammad, an electric welder from Rawalpindi's poor neighbourhood of Rata Amral, his life story made headlines on television channels and newspapers. Farayal Talpur, sister of Benazir's widower and heir to the party throne, and other central leaders Naheed Khan and Shah Mahmoud Quraishi visited the locality perched next to a sewer line, the Nullah Leh.

"With such PPP stalwarts visiting us, we were overwhelmed with hope of sustained financial and emotional support," said Shahida while preparing tea for mourners.

She was quick to point out that no PPP leader ever attended her husband's death anniversary ceremonies. Ameen's eldest daughter, Iqra, 17, says: "We have stopped expecting anything from the Peoples' Party in return of our father's noble act."

Ameen's family live in a one-room portion with attached kitchen and washroom. The late PPP worker had accommodated his widowed sister and her five children in one of the two rooms while the other room houses his brother's family.

So far, the 23 PPP ‘martyrs' of December 27 have been paid money equivalent to Dh12,846 and been provided ownership documents of a small plot.

"Neither can we sell the plot nor build two rooms there given the rising inflation," says Azra, widow of Esmail Raja, who lives three streets away from Shahida Ameen.