From Pakistan
A friend of mine is visiting family in Karachi, Pakistan. I emailed her to see how she was doing… this was her response.
My mom, brothers and sister in law and I were shopping when I received a text from my father asking us to come to the hotel because he feared for our safety since Benazir Bhutto had been shot. I ran inside the store to tell my mother this, and as we were running out of building filled with small shops, all I saw was mass amounts of dust in the air and people running all over the place panicked. All I heard was people yelling and telling us not to go outside because people might be shooting in the streets and told us to just keep going upstairs. We all started running up the stairs and stopped on the second floor and I noticed that my mother was panicking and crying. I realized that my legs and hands were shaking and I felt a sense of helplessness that I can’t even explain to you at this moment. I only kept thinking of the fires I had seen being set to markets in the past when there have been riots in the city and my only thought was that if this happened to this building, how were we going to escape.
A man standing on the stairwell saw the panicked and lost looks on our faces and told us to get in the elevator to his room upstairs. I didn’t feel right getting in the elevator and told him that we’d rather take the stairs. He led us to a room to hide us on the fourth floor and locked the door and told us to stay in there and not leave since there will be rioting and shooting outside.It was a small room with a phone inside it. My mother was bawling at this point and my only thought was to get a hold of my father because he had no clue where we were. All cell phone communications were down and we just kept telling the guy to please find us the number for the Sheraton. He diald it and I tried the rooms to get no answer.
By this time, my sister in law’s cousin was already on his way to meet us where we had been shopping. Luckily my sister in law’s cell phone received his call and we told him where we were. All we kept hearing was people telling us not to leave and that we might be in there for hours until things settle down.
You have no idea about the sense of relief I felt when I saw my sister in law’s cousin walk through that door to get us. We were on the phone with my great aunt screaming to her that we are all right and that Faizan, the cousin, was on his way and to just let Baba know that we are safe and alive.
We hurried down the stairs again, literally running to get out of the building. The main entarance to the building had been shut and there was a side door that was open. We were running to get to the car. I stepped out of the building and smelled a strong smell of gasoline in the air, saw the dust and people running in all directions. There were cars speeding by with people who were in the same hurry as us to get to their homes.
We crossed the street and stood in the median to cross the other side for what seemed like an eternity. Finally on the other side, I saw Faizan’s car. We ran to it and literally flew in the car to get out of the open as fast as possible.
The roads were jammed. Traffic horrible. People reversing their cars in front of us to divert and take the back roads. Chaos in the streets everywhere. Faizan mentioned that his friend lived close by and that we can stay at her place until the situation calms down. We all disagreed and said that we just wanted to go to the hotel. I was just ansy to get to my father.
After another minute on the road and realizing that the main road to the hotel is the one where Benazir Bhutto was first attacked in October…and there will be chaos there as well…we decided that it was in our best interest to just be inside.
I am here right now, with my brothers, sister in law and mother. My father is with my grandmother and great aunt at their house. We are told that it is not safe to be at the hotel at this time since places with foreigners get targeted as well.
We have no idea how long we will be here…there is a strike in the city for three days, during which anything can happen…
my mother and grandmother are supposed to be in Karachi until Jan.18, but after tonight, I have a strong feeling that my father will do anything in his power to get them out of here also…
My legs and arms have stopped shaking and my heart is still beating. My chest feels tight.
I’ll cry later.
We are safe, for now.
