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Shahida Raza Death: The Pakistani Hockey Player Who Died In Italy Shipwreck
Shahida Raza, the former Pakistan hockey and football player, was traveling among migrants when she was killed in the shipwreck off the coast of Italy. The 27-year-old was fleeing the country in an attempt to seek medical assistance for his child.
The shipwreck reportedly killed around 60, while it carried around 200 passengers from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Syria illegally.
What Happened To Shahida Raza Son?
Shahida Raza’s son, Hasan has been unwell after he had a stroke due to a fever that led to damage to his part of the brain when he was 40 days old. The damage has caused the brain to be inactive and one side of his body has been left paralyzed.
The former Balochistan United football player could offer no treatment to her son even after seeking medical assistance from multiple hospitals in and around PakistanShahida attempted to seek the illegal route through Turkey to Italy in the hope of seeing his child get back to proper health.
The inflation in Pakistan further fueled her mind to approach this way. Despite being a top athlete, she was struggling to meet the ends of the family as the sole breadwinner of the family. In addition, her husband also decided to end their marriage due to his inability to afford to live with a disabled child. She wasn’t paid well despite appearing in international games to play for the country.
Where Did Shahida Raza Go?
According to reports, Shahida Raza traveled to Iran via Pakistan’s southern-west border and from there to Turkey. She was traveling to Italy in the hope of seeking asylum in Europe.
Turkey is one of the most used routes for people smugglers. The journey involves starving and locked up in containers for many days. Pakistanis are known to pay millions to people smugglers for this journey to reach Europe, as it appears that getting a visa in the country is as difficult as it could be.
According to one of the family members, she aimed to take her son away with her as soon as she found a job there. Moreover, she always used to ask about her son, Hasan – when she was away in Turkey. Shahida used to be funny and make others laugh most of the time, but after the incident with his son, all their family members could see were her tears.
It appears that the former Pakistan player is not only facing these struggles, but it also happens to be desperation that forces people to flee the country due to the government’s inability to assist sources for their basic needs.
Since the family is expecting her body to be received, a spokesperson for the officials has cited that their embassy in Rome, Italy is working closely with the authorities of Italy to retrieve the mortal remains of the deceased back to the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that 17 Pakistan nationals were rescued from the boat and another two passengers were still missing. No information about these passengers has been revealed.
Shahida Raza Appearance For The Pakistan Hockey Team
Shahida Raza was a half-back for Balochistan United; a supporter of his family despite her international status with the Pakistan hockey team. She made six appearances for the Pakistan Hockey team in 2013.
Upon her death, several members of the hockey and football federation expressed their condolences.
Pakistan cricket player Hasan Ali also paid tribute to her death on Twitter.
It is doomsday for the family and especially for the child to learn about the demise of their beloved Shahida, who sought a better life for his child amid a struggling atmosphere in Pakistan.
In the wake of the accident, international organizations along with the Pakistan government and Italy governments were strategizing ways to bring down illegal human tracking. Italian Government has blamed human traffickers for illegally migrating the 200 passengers in a 20-meter boat in this horrific weather across the sea.
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