'Abdullah Was My Future,' Father Mourns Son as Muggers Snatch Another Life

"My son was fighting for his life in the hospital after being shot, while the police were busy with formalities… That’s how I lost him."

17-year-old Abdullah lost his life in a snatching incident outside his home in Karachi. The 11th-grade student was spending time with friends when the tragedy occurred.

"We were together, planning to attend the Karachi Ijtema," said a friend and eyewitness.

According to the witness, the muggers held them at gunpoint and took their mobile phones. As the criminals were leaving, Abdullah made a move, perhaps to throw a stone in defense or in a way that appeared threatening to the assailants. In response, they opened fire and wounded him.

Speaking to Dialogue Pakistan, Abdullah’s father, a daily wage laborer, shared his grief. "He was my only son and the future of our family," he said. He also described how delays caused by police formalities hindered immediate medical treatment at a government-run hospital. "Who really listens to the poor?" he asked in protest.

The grieving father added that street crimes had become a regular occurrence in his locality. He feared how many more young lives would be lost who are like his son. Urging the authorities to take action, he called for a crackdown on criminals before more families suffer the same fate.

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