Death of Bushra Zaidi
Bushra Zaidi (Urdu: بشریٰ زیدی) was a 20-year-old girl whose death in a traffic accident on April 15, 1985 started riots in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.[1] Bushra, a 20-year-old Muhajir student of Sir Syed College, died after being struck by a bus driver. It was thought at the time that the driver was Pashtun.[1]
Incident
[edit]The death of Bushra Zaidi occurred on April 15, 1985, and was a significant turning point in the history of Karachi, Pakistan. Bushra, a 20-year-old student at Sir Syed Girls College, tragically lost her life in a traffic accident on Nawab Siddiq Ali Khan Road.[2] The exact details of the accident have been a matter of some confusion and discrepancy, with some reports suggesting that she was killed while alighting from a bus, while others indicate that she was hit by a bus while crossing the road. Her sister, Najma, who was with her during the accident, suffered serious injuries, including a fractured leg.[3]
Riots
[edit]The news of Zaidi's death triggered widespread protests and riots across Karachi. Outraged students, joined by female protesters from nearby colleges, gathered at Golimaar Chowrangi to express their anger and frustration.[4] The situation quickly escalated, and protests spread to other areas of the city, resulting in violence and arson. Reports indicate that the riots took an ethnic turn, leading to clashes between various communities residing in the city, further exacerbating the tense situation.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c March 8: Bushra Zaidi, the woman who changed Karachi forever, by dying
- ^ Sajwani, Abeer Mahar (15 April 2021). "Bushra Zaidi – a case that changed Karachi by accident". Samaa.
- ^ Verkaaik, Oskar (October 2016). "Violence and Ethnic Identity Politics in Karachi and Hyderabad" (PDF). South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies. 39 (4): 841–854. doi:10.1080/00856401.2016.1228714.
- ^ Aziz, Shaikh (20 September 2015). "A leaf from history: Bushra Zaidi's killing and the riots in Karachi". DAWN.COM.