Pakistan Minister Ms Zil-e-Huma Usman Laid to Rest
'Pakistan Times' National News Desk

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Social Welfare Ms Zil-e-Huma Usman was laid to rest on Wednesday. Her funeral prayers were attended by hundreds of people.

The provincial minister was shot in the head on Tuesday during an open kachehri in Muslim League House at Gujranwala.

Her dead body was brought from Gujranwala to Lahore today. Funeral prayers were arranged in Garrison Ground, however the prayers were offered in a plot near her residence owing to downpour.

Governor Punjab Khalid Maqbool, Chief Minister Pervez Elahi, other provincial ministers, chief secretary, IG Punjab and people from all walks of life attended the funeral prayers.

Recap

As reported by 'Pakistan Times' in its edition of Tuesday, February-21, 2007; adding the fire in the fresh wave of terrorism, the Provincial Minister for Social Welfare Ms Zil-e-Huma Usman, was gunned down Tuesday morning at Muslim League House, Gujranwala, some 80 km away from the provincial metropolis, when she was holding an Open Kutchery.

The assassin, identified as Ghulam Sarwar Mughal has been arrested by police and handed over to CIA police custody for further interrogation.

He has reportedly been involved in serial killings, woman hater and termed as extremist, fanatic and against the freedom of women.

Eyewitness Arif Khan, the driver of Ms Zil-e-Huma says; as soon as she came out of her vehicle No LEG/95 to attend the open kutchery, Sarwer Mughal opened fire at her from a very close area and left her in precarious condition.

Police arrested him with pistol and took the injured minister to the nearby hospital at Gujranwala. The doctors referred her to Lahore General Hospital and she was brought in the helicopter of Chief Minister Punjab but she succumbed to injuries and passed away on the way.

DIG Gujranwala Asif Nawaz Waraich said that killer Ghulam Sarwer is a religious extremist, who had been opposing the Hudood Ordinance and the freedom of women. The killer had already tried to take the life of some of the liberal women and the murder of Ms Zil-e-Huma seems to be a pre-planned act, he added.

Ali Bajwa, the brother of Ms Zil-e-Huma giving the details about the biography of his assassinated sister said that she was born on June 19, 1971 and was married to Dr. Usman.

She left behind two sons Hamza and Samza, studying in class X and IX, her husband Dr. Usman is in Canada for a course.

She did her Masters in Political Science and also got diploma in Tax Law. She had planned to leave for Canada on 22nd and later visit USA but the destiny did not allow.

She had been holding the portfolio of Parliamentary Secretary of Planning and Development for four years.

Ms Zil-e-Huma became Minister for Social Welfare on 1st November 2006 when the CM Ch. Pervaiz Elahi shuffled his cabinet and also inducted three more ministers.

The family of the deceased is that of old Muslim Leaguers, associate of Quaid-e-Azam and as such she enjoyed great respect in the city of Gujranwawla. The families active in social and political activities.

At Lahore hospital morgue there was a big gathering of people from different walks of life including ministers, secretaries and social and political figures.

They were grieved, and condemned the brutal murder in strong words saying that the Punjab Assembly has been deprived of a hardworking and committed member.

Punjab Chief Minister Ch. Pervaiz Elahi has condemned the gruesome murder and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace. He also condoled with the family of the deceased and pledged to root out extremism and terrorism from the province.

President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in their separate statement also expressed deep sense of grief and shock over the tragic murder of Ms Zil-e-Huma Usman.

The President and PM said that Ms Zil-e-Huma was a committed and dedicated politician and during her short span as minister, she took several steps for the welfare of the people of Punjab.

In messages addressed to the family of Ms Zil-e-Huma, they offered his heartfelt condolences and prayed to Allah Almighty to give them the strength to bear this irreparable with fortitude and patience.●