Pakistani student Sabika Sheikh among victims of Texas school shooting
Sabika Sheikh, a Pakistani exchange student, is one of the student victims in Friday’s shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas.
In a letter sent to the YES programme students by Megan Lysaght, the program manager at American Councils for International Education, wrote: “It is with the greatest sadness in my heart that one of our YES students, Sabika Sheikh of Pakistan, was killed today in the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas.
“Please know that the YES program is devastated by this loss and we will remember Sabika and her families in our thoughts and prayers. We will have a moment of silence in her memory today.”
Lysaght also notified other YES programme students, “If you need extra support during this tragic time, please let your host family, local coordinator or placement organisation know. YES also has ‘Religious Advisors’ if preferred”.
Pakistan’s Embassy in Washington DC, confirmed through Twitter that Sheikh was among the high school students killed. Pakistani ambassador to the US, Aizaz Chaudhry expressed his heartfelt condolences for the victims of the tragic incident.
Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry has expressed heartfelt condolences for the victims of the tragic incident at the Santa Fe High School in Texas this morning 1/3
— Pakistan Embassy, DC (@PakEmbassyDC) May 18, 2018
Among the victims was Sabika Sheikh, a Pakistani exchange student. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Sabika’s family and friends”. Ambassador Chaudhry 2/3
— Pakistan Embassy, DC (@PakEmbassyDC) May 18, 2018
The 17-year-old Sabika was resident of Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal locality and was the eldest of three sisters. She had completed her secondary education at Karachi Public School.
“It is still so very hard to believe that [Sabika is dead],” her father told Geo News in front of their residence as relatives started to gather for condolences. “Sabika was going to come home on June 9.”
The bereaved family, who heard about the shooting at Santa Fe high school after iftar on Friday, were unable to get through to her mobile phone or in touch with any of her colleagues.
At 11 PM Friday night, the family received the shocking news of Sabika’s death when Aisha Farooqui, the consul-general in Houston, confirmed that the student was among the 10 people killed in the school shooting.
“She [was loved] and she loved everyone. She was all ready to return home,” said Sabika’s brother.