Dr. Sawand was an assistant professor at IBA Sukkur’s computer science department. He had come back from France with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence to serve his people
An Elegy for Dr. Ajmal Sawand
By Shoukat Lohar
In the land of Sindh,
Once so serene,
A brutal murder, so cruel and obscene,
Tribalism and racism, blind and deaf,
Snatched away a pearl, leaving nothing but bereft.
Dr. Ajmal, a beacon of wisdom and light,
A lily flower, blooming with love so bright,
Knowledge and humbleness, his guiding star,
But now, his voice is silenced, his light afar.
Only vampires around, thirsty for blood,
Innocent people, their victims in the mud,
Feudalism, savagery, barbarity, so rife,
Dragon-like, they breathe fire and take innocent life.
How do we save our children from this plight?
From the darkness and the never-ending night,
We must fight with words, with love and with might,
And banish this evil from our sight.
Oh, Ajmal, your memory will live on,
In the hearts of those you have touched and known,
May your light continue to shine and guide,
As we strive to create a world that is dignified.
May your blood be last nail in coffin of tribalism and racism!!!
[*According to initial reports, Dr. Ajmal was assassinated due to tribal feud, however the FIR, lodged by his brother, says ‘Dr. Ajmal refused to pay Rs.2 million in extortion to accused Aijaz Ali Sundrani and he threatened him with dire consequences. Aijaz Ali Sundrani had made multiple demands for the money and had threatened that if Sawand continued to refuse, he would kidnap him. On April 6, Ajmal and his brother were traveling to their village at around 7am when Aijaz with some other armed assailants on motorbikes stopped their Toyota Corolla car registration number BKX-378, the FIR reads. After stopping the car, Aijaz said to Ajmal “we told you to give us money. You did not” and then he shot at Ajmal, the FIR read.]
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Shoukat Lohar is Assistant professor in English at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro. He can be reached at Shoukat.ali@faculty.muet.edu.pk
