By IANS,
Islamabad : A man who appealed for calm despite losing his son in the violence in Britain shows how Pakistanis “actually are as opposed to how we are looked upon”, said a leading Pakistani daily Friday.
Tariq Jahan’s son Haroon Jahan died alongside two other Asians after being hit by a car in riot-hit Birmingham Wednesday. The other two were siblings Shezad Ali and Abdul Musavir.
Violence had erupted in London Aug 6 over the Aug 4 fatal shooting of a man by the police. Unrest quickly spread to other cities in the country.
An editorial in the Dawn said: “Having just lost his 21-year-old son, he (Tariq Jahan) could have opted to vent his anger on the English streets that have seen so much rioting over the last few days. Instead, he sought to fight the world of madness that has come to surround him in his Birmingham home.”
“…the brave father stands up to the troublemakers, flanked by Asians and Africans. His exterior hides his grief and his arms are stretched forward as if in an embrace.”
Two of the dead came from families belonging to Gujar Khan, a Punjab town near Rawalpindi and the third hailed from Gujranwala.
It said: “Theirs is an example to be quoted.”
“In England, the urge would be to use it to bring together various sets of people who share a home that they all must guard. In Pakistan, it is going to be cited as proof of what `we` actually are as opposed to how `we` are looked upon.”
It went on to say that the there is only one way Tariq Jahan can be consoled: “by allowing the law and good sense to prevail”.
Following his son’s death, Tariq Jahan had said: “Blacks, Asians, whites – we all live in the same community. Why do we have to kill each other? I lost my son. Step forward if you want to lose your sons. Otherwise, calm down and go home.”
Recalling the incident in which his son and two other young men died, he said: “I heard a thud, ran round and saw three people on the ground. My instinct was to help the three people. I did not know who they were, who had been injured. I helped the first man and somebody told me my son was lying behind me so I started CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) on my own son. My face was covered in blood, my hands were covered in blood.”