Five of same family die in Lahore blasts

LAHORE - A couple and their two minor children and nephew were among the dead in Wednesday’s suicide blasts in Pakistan’s Lahore city.

Painter Rehmat, in his early 30s, was part of the Shia procession with his family when three back-to-back explosions went off within half hour.

A total of 35 people were killed and over 250 injured in the horrific incident, just after sunset, near the Karbala Gamay Shah, the most revered Shia shrine in Lahore.

The victims included Rehmat, his wife and their sons - one aged five years and the other six months.

When the first suicide attacker blew himself up, Rehmat with his elder son Ali Hasan was just a few steps away and died on the spot.

His wife, carrying the younger son, was walking behind him and was critically injured.

Both were shifted to a hospital but succumbed to their injuries within hours. Ghulam Sabir, a nephew of Rehmat, was also killed.

Their funerals were collectively held early Thursday in Taksali Gate area near the site of the blast.

Pervez, brother of Rehmat, was all tears at the funeral.

“My brother was religiously inclined and always took part in these processions with the entire family,” he said, adding his own son Sabir had gone with them this time.

“Today, all of them are gone. I don’t know how we are going to live without them,” he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced Rs.500,000 as compensation for each blast victim, while each injured person would receive Rs.75,000.

(Awais Saleem can be contacted at ians.pakistan@gmail.com)