The nation was shaken as the untimely and tragic death of a 10-year-old Amal Umer surfaced on the media. Amal went out to participate in Independence Day celebrations with her family when just a few minutes into the drive, their lives turned upside down.
Beenish Umer and Umer Adil, the parents who belong to the film fraternity, wanted to spend a night out with their girls when they were robbed of their belongings and phones at a traffic signal.
However, police noticed the robbery and opened fire on the criminals
One of the bullets pierced through their windows and only moments later they realised their eldest daughter was shot in the head.
They rushed her to the hospital but the doctors pronounced that their daughter had passed away.
While it was a loss that could not be replaced, the parents started looking for answers as to what went wrong within the system and what could have been the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that could have saved Amal.
Beenish wrote an open letter that was published in a daily English newspaper narrating the incident and telling the nation how the system failed them. Moreover, in the world of social media, celebrities started tweeting about the matter with the hashtags #justiceforamalumer and #justiceforamal, hoping the family could find some answers.
Mahira Khan, along with other celebrities, tweeted the letter written by Beenish.
Heartbreaking. https://t.co/bEnpmM9z0b
— Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) September 16, 2018
Mawra Hocane also tweeted the letter:
https://t.co/MlkTzV6b5N #JusticeForAmalUmer ?
— MAWRA HOCANE (@MawraHocane) September 17, 2018
Sadaf Kanwal shared her Facebook post on her Twitter account as well:
#justiceforAmalUmer pic.twitter.com/xABCAhO2SX
— sadaf kanwal (@thesadafk) September 16, 2018
Kent S Leung, who worked with Beenish and Adil for Chalay Thay Saath tweeted about the tragedy stating, “On August 13, Amal Umer, the 10yo daughter of the director and producer of Chalay Thay Saath, was shot and killed in a tragic crossfire in the streets of Karachi.”
On August 13, Amal Umer, the 10yo daughter of the director and producer of Chalay Thay Saath, was shot and killed in a tragic crossfire in the streets of Karachi. Amal’s mother Beenish… https://t.co/GkWFPFI3wn
— Kent S. Leung (@KentSLeung) September 16, 2018
Adnan Malik took to Twitter and said, “While the rest of the country celebrated 14th August, friends of mine lost their daughter to the stray bullet of a policeman in a botched mugging.”
While the rest of the country celebrated 14th August, friends of mine lost their daughter to the stray bullet of a policeman in a botched mugging. Please read & share. #justiceforamalumer https://t.co/GF31GMv9Ej
— adnanmalik (@adnanmalik) September 16, 2018
Other celebrities also tweeted about the incident:
Worst nightmare for a parent. Umer and Beenish’s story is a tragic example of the failures within the system and the immediate need for reform.
Rip little Amal. You are in a better place and you are dearly missed. #JusticeforAmalUmer https://t.co/SNHGKyGnDd— manshapasha (@manshapasha) September 16, 2018
#justiceforamalumer raise your voice ! Its time …..
How the system failed us
https://t.co/DZAepQi7Ma— Nabeel Qureshi (@nabeelqureshi) September 16, 2018
No parent should have to go through this. RIP Amal ?#justiceforAmalUmer https://t.co/e7T42MMTDB
— Syra Shahroz (@SairaShahroz) September 16, 2018
https://t.co/GYsx1C8gYO#JusticeForAmalUmer
— zhalay sarhadi (@Xxhalay) September 16, 2018
Hasan Zaidi also took to Twitter to express grief over the incident.
Eos Cover: Beenish Umar, mother of 10-year-old Amal whose life was tragically cut short in a police encounter on Aug 13, pens a harrowing first-hand account of what happened that night. Plus: Questions & Answers from the police and the hospital https://t.co/oPhCSxaIKT
— Hasan Zaidi (@hyzaidi) September 16, 2018
Zahraa Saifullah, the publisher of HELLO! Pakistan and Grazia Pakistan took to Twitter and said, “This totally crushed me. What a painful read, their loss is immeasurable. Shame on all the institutions that failed on every level, who will take notice of them? Who will provide accountability?”
This totally crushed me. What a painful read, their loss is immeasurable. Shame on all the institutions that failed on every level, who will take notice of them? Who will provide accountability? #justiceforamal https://t.co/KjAvTlbm6D
— Zahraa Saifullah (@ZahraaSaifullah) September 16, 2018
Activist Jibran Nasir also tweeted about the incident and said, “10yr old Amal Umer lost her life in the aftermath of a mugging in Khi… Her mother, who watched her daughter being taken from her, recounts the terrible circumstances and makes a forceful plea for the overhaul of a desensitised policing and medical system”
10yr old Amal Umer lost her life in the aftermath of a mugging in Khi… Her mother, who watched her daughter being taken from her, recounts the terrible circumstances and makes a forceful plea for the overhaul of a desensitised policing and medical system https://t.co/0Ww5gzdFRI
— M. Jibran Nasir (@MJibranNasir) September 16, 2018