‘Conflict claimed my father, brother lives, but still I want to live in peace’

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Nine-years-old Barakatullah lost his father and brother in a blast inside a mosque in eastern Nangarhar province, but he is still hopeful for peace in the country and dreams a peaceful life with his mother, two brothers and three sisters.

He hails from Nangarhar’sHaska Mena Jawdari locality and studies in a welfare religious school in Behsud district, tens of kilometres away from his home, mother and sisters in the search of a bright future.

Barakatullah is desperate for peace in the county and is optimistic that one day he will have a happy life in a peaceful country along with his mother and sisters.

In nine years of his life, Barakatullah tasted the pain of life. He saw blood-bathed bodies of his father and brother and is currently the head of his family. He did not surrender to the difficult side of life and is committed to continue his studies and become a doctor or engineer in future and serve the people of this country.

Seventy-two people were killed and over 20 injured in a blast in a mosque during Friday’s prayer in October, 2018 in the Jawdari locality of Haska Mena district.

Barakatullah is among several other orphans who lost father and brother in Jawdara blast.

A welfare Organisation called Ihsas facilitated Barakatullah and several other orphans to study in a religious school in Behsud district.

They are learning modern knowledge in the morning shift and religious studies in the afternoon shift. These boys are provided with a hostel facility as well by the Ihsas Welfare Organisation.

With his sweet tongue and innocent face, Barakagullah tells the story of blast that claimed the lives of several people including his father and brother: “It was Friday, my father went to the mosque earlier, me and my friend went later. After a moment we arrived, there was a heavy blast and we fell unconscious. When I came to senses I saw my hands and legs injured. A woman came and dragged me to another place and from there people shifted me to the district clinic.”

“After initial treatment, I was discharged but when arrived home I came to know that my father was killed and brother injured.”

The pain and grief of the loss of his father and brother did not allow Barakatullah to continue his story and that his voice stopped in his throat.

“My father died on the spot and my brother was injured in the legs, later he also died and his body was brought home.”

He said the conflict took the lives of his father and brother, but if peace prevailed, he will have a good life with his mother and sisters.

Barakatullah said he was committed for future and had decided that he will study and will not allow his mother and sister to grieve anymore.

QariFaqir Syed Hashami, a member of Ihsas Organisation, said they had built a separate hostel for orphans of Jawdari blast.

He said well-off people provided the Ihsas Welfere Organisation with donations which they used to serve the orphans of Jawdar blast.

According to local residents, the Jawdari blast left 35 women widowed and tens of children orphaned. Abdul Sattar, a tribal elder, said the children of 35 families became orphans as a result of Jawdara blast and total 72 people were killed and over 20 others injured.

He added: “A separate place for the new cemetery was identified and we dug 72 graves. I can count every grave and we wrote the names on every grave. Our village is not Jawdara but it is a death valley.”

Abdul Sattar said that Daesh was in power at the time in the area and they demanded support from the people but the residents rejected them and they responded with the deadly blast in the mosque.

“Daesh made three demands, one was support, supply of medicine and supply of food, tea and sweet. I rejected their demands and told them that I cannot accept your demands because we have a government and whatever we do will take the permission of our government.”

He said Daesh group sent three warning to the residents of Jawdara but the people rejected their demands therefore Daesh carried out the blast.

The Taliban had rejected their involvement in Jawdara blast.

The residents also said the Taliban did not carry out the Jawdara blast and Deash was considered behind the blast. But still it remained unknown which group carried out the blast.

Nh/ma

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