Karachi: Sabika Sheikh laid to rest at Azeempura graveyard

Dunya News

Dozens of political leaders attended the funeral.

KARACHI (Dunya News) – Funeral prayer of Pakistani girl Sabika Sheikh, who was killed in Texas’s Santa Fe High School shooting, has been offered at the Hakim Saeed Ground in Karachi today (Wednesday).

Dozens of political leaders including Chief Minister of Sindh (CM) Murad Ali Shah, governor Mohammad Zubair, Home Minister Sohail Anwar Sial, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Haleem Adil, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Chief Mustafa Kamal, Amir Khan and others attended the funeral.

Afterwards, she was laid to rest at the Azeempura graveyard.

It is to be mentioned here that dead body of 17-year-old Sabika Sheikh arrived at the Karachi airport in the early hours today. Family members of Sabika Sheikh and personnel from US Consulate in Karachi were present at the Airport Cargo Complex to receive the body.

Earlier, Brand Lane Islamic Center in Houston on Sunday had offered funeral prayers of Sabika Sheikh.

Large number of members of Pakistani community, Pakistan Council General Aisha Farooqi, Mayor Houston and members of US Congress attended the funeral.

The Santa Fe shooting has unleashed an outpouring of sympathy and horror over the tragic murder of Sheikh, who had been in the US for 10 months and was just weeks away from coming home.

Sheikh, whose father said she had always excelled in school, had nurtured dreams of serving in Pakistan’s foreign office.

She had been due to return to Karachi in time for Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam’s most revered holidays, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in which families come together and celebrate with days of feasting.

"She was coming back soon," her father said.