The Swat River may have calmed, but the storm it left behind in the lives of the victims’ families still rages on. For one father, Abdul Salam who buried his wife and two young daughters after the Swat tragedy, grief has taken a silent, heavy form.
17-year-old Abdullah, the only son of Abdul Salam, was swept away in the tragic incident which took place last week.
Abdullah was known for his vibrant personality, bright smile, and budding passion for modelling. No one could have imagined that this cheerful soul would vanish so suddenly.
The family had been planning the trip for three years. Abdul Salam, who works abroad, had recently returned to Pakistan. Though unwell, he encouraged his wife Rubina, their two daughters, and Abdullah to go ahead and enjoy the vacation. None of them could have imagined that their joyful departure would end in devastation.
The next day, a phone call shattered their world.
Abdul Salam has said that he has accepted that death is inevitable but what pierces him is the silence of the authorities. “The children were screaming for help, but no one came. No one,” he says.
Out of the 17 people swept away in the Swat River that day, four were rescued, and 12 bodies have been recovered but Abdullah remains missing. The father believes that his son is out there. Maybe hurt. Maybe far. But alive.
