KARACHI: Despite the passage of nine days since the murder of 17-year-old Rosham Hussain, his family has yet to bury him, as they insist that they will neither offer his funeral prayers nor lay him to rest until his killers are arrested.
The family, along with Rosham’s friends, acquaintances and a large number of the residents, has been holding a sit-in outside the Manghopir police station to demand the arrest of those responsible for his killing.
On Sept 8, six robbers, two of them reportedly wearing police uniforms, barged into the house of Rohedad Hussain in Manghopir and shot his 17-year-old son when he came out of his room. The incident sent shockwaves through the neighbourhood and triggered anger and grief across Manghopir.
Police started investigations but nothing has been established in the case so far.
Father of slain Rosham refuses to bury him until justice is served
On Wednesday, just like the past several days, people from different areas of the town arrived at the protest site where a tent has been pitched on a road opposite the police station.
Banners demanding the arrest of Rosham’s killers were put up around the protest camp, while members of the bereaved family were seen holding placards. Chants demanding the arrest of the killers echoed through the tent.
Addressing the protesters, one of the participants said Islam taught people to stand with the oppressed against the oppressor and demand accountability for wrongdoing. He said the protesters had resolved to continue the sit-in until the killers were arrested.
When Rosham’s father arrived at the protest camp, several people stood up to embrace him and offer their condolences. As Rohedad Hussain took his seat among the protesters, his eyes welled up with tears. His grief appeared to cast a moment of silence over the gathering as those around him watched quietly.
Members of his family tried to console him, breaking the silence that had settled over the camp.
One of the protesters, Shafiq Jan Durrani, told the gathering that the protesters regarded the state as their “mother” and were only asking it to help them secure the arrest of Rosham’s killers and bring them to justice.
“We will continue to stand alongside the bereaved family in their struggle until Rosham’s killers are arrested,” he said.
Mr Durrani questioned why the suspects had not yet been arrested if investigators had been working on the case for several days. “Are the killers so clever and so powerful that they have remained beyond the reach of the police?” he asked.
He said that if the police were unable to trace and arrest the suspects, the authorities should hand over the investigation to another agency.
‘I want my son’s killers punished’
Speaking to Dawn, Rosham’s father said his only demand was the arrest and punishment of his son’s killers. Despite his tearful eyes and heavy voice, he spoke with determination.
“My son was innocent. What was his fault? Nine days have passed since he was killed, but his killers have still not been arrested. Neither Home Minister Zia Lanjar, who calls himself the voice of the oppressed and visits police stations even at night, nor Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has come to the sit-in to share our grief or offer us support,” he said.
“It does not matter if they do not come. I do not need any minister or adviser. I only want the killers of my son to be arrested and punished,” he added.
Rosham’s paternal uncle questioned why the suspects had not yet been traced despite the availability of modern investigative technology.
“According to the investigation team, seven mobile phones were active at the location when the incident took place. Two were inside the house, and five were outside. If investigators know that seven mobile phones were active at the location, they should also have their numbers and be able to determine in whose names the SIMs were registered,” he said.
Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2026.
