What a Father

     Let me share another strange experience of my life. I am sure that the readers will be flabbergasted and shocked. 

     It was 1989 and incident happened at Gulgasth Multan, Pakistan. 

     That was a hot summer day and most of the people were retiring in their houses having the afternoon nap. Gulgasth is a posh area of Multan, Pakistan where generally well to do people live in their own houses. 

     The door bell of a house rang and the eldest son of the house, on his father's instructions,  went to the gate to enquire and see who was there. When he opened the gate, three dacoits, with guns in their hands, pushed him and came in. The dacoits placed the gun on the head of  the 15 years old boy and instructed him to take them in the house. So the boy turned, with face white with fear and trembling and crying he started moving towards the main door of the house. There was a yard in between the Gate and the entrance door of the house where beautiful grassy lawn was grown. The distance from the gate to the House’s main door was about 25 to 30 meters. Meanwhile, Mr. Kiani, the owner of the house and father of the boy, came out of house just to enquire who was there on the gate and why is it taking so long. Mr. Kiani, when saw his son on the gun point and Dacoits, immediately realized the situation, ran back in the house, closed and locked the main door of the house and hid himself inside the house. 

     The dacoits, noticing that, pushed the boy hurriedly to the door and while the gun was still on the boys head, demanded from Mr. Kiani to open the door or less they will kill the boy. Mr. Kiani refused. The boy started begging his father for his life and kept requesting him to open the door and give whatever the dacoits were demanding. But, his cries were going waste on the deaf ear of his father. The father rather told the dacoits that even if they kill the boy, he will not open the door. The dacoits fired and placed a bullet in the leg of the boy. But still the father did not listen. The dacoits told him that they will count ten and then will shoot and this time kill his son. They started the count. The dacoits were about to shoot the boy that five/ six people, who were coming out of a nearby mosque after offering their “Asar” prayers, heard the pistol fire and the cries of the boy and came to the gate. After realizing the situation, they challenged the dacoits. The dacoits immediately released their hostage and fled. However, the Mohalla people successfully chased and caught the dacoits and handed them over to the police. 

     This entire episode was narrated by the boy infront of the trial court as a witness statement, where the dacoits were being tried, and I was one of the Judges. 

     I still wonder, how in his life, Mr. Kiani could have faced his son to whom he almost sacrificed in lieu of his material belongings. And mind you, we confirmed that it was the real father of the boy.

     Some how I still cannot believe that a Father could be so cruel to his own Son. What do you think?

Posted by Zaffar Iqbal Durrani