After reading it, I just couldn’t resist posting it on my blog. May his soul rest in peace. Ameen!
Bilal Jamaee, one of the plane crash victims, often used to tell his friends that he wanted to be buried at a graveyard situated in the University of Karachi after his death. According to the Jamaee’s peers, this desire rose from the love and fondness he had for his educational institution.
“Due to his attachment with the university, he wished to be buried there. It is so saddening that his life came to an end even before he would graduate from the university.
His classmates have filed an application to the administration seeking permission for his burial at the KU graveyard,” said Ahsan Raza, a friend of the deceased. However, till the filing of this report, Jamaee’s father Naseer Rajput was still awaiting a response from the administration regarding this matter.
Bilal Jamaee was amongst the 152 passengers and crew aboard the doomed Airblue flight 202 which crashed into the Margalla hills on Wednesday. The 25-year-old, who was a third-year BS student of the Mass Communications Department, was heading for a Youth Parliament session, participating in it as a Youth Shadow Minister for Information.
Jamaee’s body was brought to his hometown on Thursday and will be buried today after Friday prayers.
“Bring my brother back. I just want to see him one last time,” cried Jamaee’s younger sister, Ayesha. “A single glimpse of him would also do. I had not seen him for eight days since I, my mother and younger sister had gone to Rahim Yar Khan to tend to my grandmother. It was wrong of us to go.”
Recalling the last conversation she had with her brother, Ayesha said that it was on the early morning of July 28 when her brother called and asked about the whereabouts of the money saved for the Islamabad trip. “I was so sleepy that I did not even talk to him properly,” she said amidst tears.
Ayesha now cherishes the last text message which was sent by her brother. The message reads: “Good luck and tc.”. She is unable to comprehend as to why he wished her luck.
Meanwhile, a large number of Jamaee’s classmates, teachers, friends and acquaintances visited the traumatised family to express their condolences at their residence in Rabia City, Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
A university friend, while talking to The News, remarked on the brave attitude of the young man, saying: “When Bilal was rejected for admission to the Mass Communications Department, he took the matter to the Sindh High Court and fought the case for one year after which he was successfully transferred. He challenged the entire administration and remained steadfast on his right stance.”
Jamaee’s father, Naseer Rajput, told The News that he was extremely proud of his son for becoming so successful at such a young age. “Amongst the Youth parliamentarians, including Oxford students, my son confidently delivered his speeches in Urdu. The mother tongue was his greatest strength. Recently, he came back from a trip to the UK, where he got the chance to visit the House of Commons. He was a great writer and wrote several stories. He was apolitical and was a great student and an active participant in extra-curricular activities,” said Rajput, a retired public relations officer. According to him, Bilal changed his last name to ‘Jamaee’ from Naseer after graduating from Jamia-e-Millia.
“He was such a truthful and honest person, the best son a mother could ever have,” said Jamaee’s weeping mother. “When I was leaving for Rahim Yar Khan, he asked me to stay behind and wait for him to depart for Islamabad. But I did not listen to him, and he left forever — never to return back.”
Jamaee was the eldest among a brother and three sisters. Mariam, Jamaee’s other sister, said his brother aimed to study in the United States. “He wanted to work for BBC,” she said, adding: “The memories of last night keep on coming back to me. He was talking to me the whole night and saying that on his return he would give me a treat. My brother, my best friend, my childhood buddy is gone. How will we survive?” she questioned, breaking down into tears.
