Mayo mother and son killed in Pakistan car crash laid to rest quickly in keeping with faith

A Co. Mayo mother and son killed in a car crash in Pakistan last Thursday were laid to rest within hours of the tragedy in keeping with the funeral rites for those of Islamic faith.

Tahir Shafiq, a family friend in Ballinrobe of Nasreem Shafiq (55) and her son, Umar (18), spoke for the first time of the immense loss felt by the Pakistani and local communities caused by their deaths. He explained that the funerals had taken place quickly in keeping with the requirement for those Islamic faith that burial take place as quickly as possible after death.

It has emerged Nasreem and her husband, Mohammed, who survived the impact had been on a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudia Arabia about a week before they travelled to Tariqabad, Faisalabad, where the tragedy occurred last Thursday. Umar, who completed the Leaving Certificate at Ballinrobe Community School last month, did not accompany his parents to Saudi Arabia but joined them later for what was intended as a family holiday in Pakistan.

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Nasreem was a front seat passenger while Umar was in the rear seat of the car driven by Mohammed which collided with a bus. Mohammed was a valued employee of Jennings’ Meats, Ballinrobe, and he and his family were held in high standing in their adopted town.

According to Tahir Shafiq, Mohammed is out of hospital but on medical advice won’t be fit to return home to Ballinrobe for six weeks or more. As Ballinrobe continues to mourn this week the loss of Umar and his mother, Nasreem, Moazam Wagar, a friend of Umar’s, sadly recalled how he had spoken to him at Friday prayers at Ballinrobe mosque days before he departed to join his parents in Pakistan.

“We didn’t speak about him going to Pakistan”, Moazam said. “It was just normal talk”. News of deaths filtered through to Ballinrobe almost immediately on Thursday following a phone call from a doctor at the hospital in Pakistan where the dead were admitted.

On the following day, members of the Pakistani community gathered in Ballinrobe mosque for their traditional Friday prayer gathering. “Usually on Fridays there is noise but this time the mosque was absolutely silent. There were about 40 people there for the Salat al-Janazah’, funeral prayer sevice”.

A book of condolences has been opened in the oratory of Ballinrobe Community School; where Umar was a valued pupil. The book of condolences has been open every day this week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday and it will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.

A steady flow of people, including Umar’s former classmates, and players and supporters of Ballinrobe Athletic Football Club, have been signing gathering since Monday to sign the condolence book. Umar was an outstanding soccer goalkeeper and was predicted to have a bright future as a player.

William Culkeen, principal of Ballinrobe Community School, which will have an enrolment of almost 850 pupils when it reopens in September, described Umar as “a model pupil, hardworking, dedicated and popular with both students and staff”. Mr. Culkeen continued: “His entire family have been highly regarded in this town”.

Former classmates, as they lined up to sign the book of condolences, were unstinting in their admiration of their former schoolpal.

One, who did not wish to be named, commented: “Umar was one of the lads, loved the craic, was always up for a laugh and had a kind word for everyone”. Another classmate recalled him as a hard worker who worked in the local Supervalu and had an ambition to become an electrician. “He was always a friendly boy with a great smile on his face”, she recounted.

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