Living in Larchmont, Trying to Get Help to Family in Pakistan

by Sabrina Saleem

(October 16, 2005) When a massive earthquake hit Pakistan on October 8, the tremors were felt around the world, including here in Larchmont where Aziz Abdul Khan, a Kashmiri native, has been working for close to twenty years in the Oak Bluff home of Zoovia and Muhammad Saleem. With much of his family still living in Siri Vera, the mountainous region of Kashmir hit hard by the 7.6 magnitude quake, Mr. Khan was frantic to hear from his wife, parents, children and siblings or from the numerous members of his extended family. Phone communication was impossible, though he did manage to connect with a son-in-law, Aftab, in Islamabad, who said he was renting a truck and heading to Siri Vera to find the family and see what he could do to help.

Meanwhile, the Saleems and their friends started joining with other Pakistani-Americans and Pakistani expatriates in the Westchester area to figure the best ways to get immediate help to the earthquake victims.

No News From Home

For days, Mr. Khan didn’t hear any news of his family, despite hours of anxiously scouring newspapers and TV news for some clue as to how his little village, Siri Viera, in Kashmir fared in the earthquake. He continued to hear about how landslides had blocked many of the major roads and how even the Pakistani military was having trouble reaching the far-flung villages in Kashmir.

“It is a four-hour drive from Islamabad normally. I don’t know how much of the distance Aftab will be able to drive. I guess he will have to walk most of it by foot,” said Mr. Khan earlier last week about his son-in-law’s intended trip to Siri Vera. To add to these worries, the Kashmiri region was wracked with countless aftershocks.

Larchmont is far from Mr. Khan’s hometown, Siri Vera in the district of Bagh, Pakistan. Over the years that Mr. Khan has lived in Larchmont, he’s maintained contact with his Pakistani family through visits and calls, supporting them through his American wages. But he has also become a true Larchmonter, helping out at Little League, soccer or tennis games in which the three Saleem children participated as they grew up. He was also very involved in school activities at Chatsworth School and Hommocks, often contributing by cooking exotic Pakistani dishes and desserts for class picnics and international fairs. These days, with the youngest Saleem child in college, he is a still a familiar sight in Larchmont, working the night shift at Dunkin Donuts or frequenting Larchmont Manor Beach in the summer.

Aziz Khan (left) in Siri Vera before the earthquake celebrating the wedding of his daughter, Shaheen (in yellow). Another daughter, Baseerat, plays with one of his granddaughters, known as "Bubbly." .

This week, though, there was no time for Mr. Khan to enjoy his safe Larchmont life. He knew that his Pakistani village was just 20 miles away from the epicenter of the earthquake at Muzaffarabad, a city with a population of 70,000 that lies at the foothills of the Himalayas 65 miles northeast of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. He knew that the earthquake was said to have left 40,000 or more dead, mostly in the Northwest Frontier Province and Kashmir regions. There were reports of another 4 million left homeless, with little food, water, medicine, clothing or even tents to shelter from the cold weather.

More Unsettling News From Pakistan

While he waited to hear from Aftab, Mr. Khan got word from another son-in-law in Islamabad, Ishtiar, who had raised money from the community to rent a truck and buy food and supplies and was attempting to make the journey to Siri Vera. Mr. Khan learned that Ishtiar had barely left Islamabad when dozens of people surrounded his truck and begged for food. Ishtiar said there was nothing he could do but hand out all the food from the truck—food that he had meant for his family. Ishtiar also reported that the roads were totally destroyed and he had no idea when he would get to Siri Vera.

Finally Word From Home

Shazia Khan (left) and her friend pose earlier in the term at the college that collapsed in the earthquake as she was arriving.

Five days after the earthquake struck, Mr. Khan finally received word from Aftab, who had reached Siri Vera at last and had excellent news. Mr. Khan’s immediate family members had managed to survive. Two of his daughters, Shazia, age 20, and Syruth, 16, had been on their way to classes at their college, but were running late. Just as they were approaching the college's gate, they saw the college collapse before their eyes.

Mr. Khan’s two-year-old grandson and four-year-old granddaughter were already in school when the earthquake struck, but they along with all the other young children managed to climb their way out of the ruins of their small, tin-roofed schoolhouse. Mr. Khan’s wife, Bergath Jan, had just left her house to pay a surprise visit to another daughter, Shaheen, who, in turn, was on her way to visit her mother, when they felt the ground shake terrifyingly beneath their feet. His son, Azad, was running late for work at his store, while Azad’s wife and children were in their home, but all managed to escape. Sadly, his wife's two sisters were killed when their homes collapsed on them.

Mr. Khan’s family lost their homes and all their belongings. “My house, my brother’s house, my son’s house, and my three sisters’ houses are finished,” he said. “I still can’t phone my three sisters. I don’t know where they are…where they are staying right now. There’s nowhere for them to live right now, from what I’ve heard.”

Mr. Khan said his family is a proud and hard-working one. “We can’t chase the military trucks and beg for food like the way you see people doing on TV. We’ve always worked and we don’t feel right asking for it, much less fighting with others for it,” he said. He plans to travel to Pakistan in the coming days and hopes to be able to help out his family in any way that he can. “There is a lot that needs to be done. I need to bring warm clothes, medicine, find a place for everyone to move into temporarily. For the long-term…houses need to be built, so do schools and health clinics. Everything was destroyed. Not a building was left standing in Siri Vera.”

How to Help: Tents, Blankets and Funds Needed

At this point, though it may be hard to get help to any particular family, including the Khans, efforts are underway to send assistance to the impacted areas. The Saleems have joined with friends who are sending tents and blankets, the items most critically needed at this point. Shipments are being sent via Pakistan International Airlines, which is providing free shipping, this weekend (10/22) and again next weekend (10/29). To make a donation, please drop items by Friday (10/20 or 10/27) so they can be packed properly. Drop site is:

24 Greenfield Avenue
Bronxville, NY 10708

Further information call: 779-4264, or 834-2576.

Items Needed

• Blankets/Sleeping bags (Used or New)
• Tents

For general help in this disasters, the Saleems recommend donating to

The Edhi Foundation
http://www.paks.net/edhi-foundation/
Send checks to:
USA Edhi international Foundation.
42-07 National street
Corona, New York, 11368 USA
Tel: (718)(639-5120)

Front Page

Print This Page
Email this page