Pakistan: Pupil Sabika Sheikh killed in Texas school shooting

Islamabad, Pakistan – Sabika Sheikh, a 17-365 days-primitive Pakistani student on a international substitute programme within the United States, was as soon as among those killed within the Sante Fe school shooting, her household and the programme gain confirmed.

Sheikh was as soon as among no longer no longer as a lot as 10 schoolchildren killed when a gunman opened fire on the Sante Fe Excessive College, about 50km southeast of Houston, on Friday morning.

A 17-365 days-primitive boy, identified by police as Dimitrios Pagourtzis, has been taken into custody following the assault, the twenty 2d school shooting within the US this 365 days.

Sheikh, 17, hailed from the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, a sprawling metropolis of extra than 18 million those who’s the gracious city within the nation.

« She was as soon as unheard of, genius, and gifted, » Abdul Aziz, her father, informed journalists at their dwelling within the Gulshan-e-Iqbal neighbourhood.

« My daughter by no manner came fourth [in class] – finest ever first, 2d or third.

« At this kind of young age she would assert such unbiased precise stuff, that incessantly I could perchance not deem it. Even now I will not deem that my daughter is long gone, » he stated, his enlighten breaking with emotion.

Abdul Aziz stated he tried to name his daughter without prolong after hearing recordsdata of the shooting, nevertheless she didn’t take up her mobile phone.

« I called [the foreign exchange programme’s] coordinator there, I spoke to them and they also informed me […] about three hours later, at 11pm [18:00 GMT, about five hours after the shooting], they confirmed that she was as soon as uninteresting. »

Bridge between cultures

Sheikh was as soon as visiting the US beneath the Formative years Exchange and Discover (YES) programme, a Bellow Division funded that provides scholarships to Pakistani college students to attend highschool within the US for a full academic 365 days.

Students live with host households within the city they are placed in and are immersed in scholastic and cultural programmes.

Since 2003, extra than 1,one hundred Pakistani highschool college students gain studied within the US beneath the YES programme, in step with the organisations web pages.

Megan Lysaght, supervisor of YES, wrote to varsity students within the programme confirming that Sheikh was as soon as killed within the shooting.

« It is with the gracious sadness in my heart that I must describe you that one amongst our YES college students, Sabika Sheikh from Pakistan, was as soon as killed on the present time within the college shooting in Sante Fe, Texas, » she wrote in an email.

« Please know that the YES program is devastated by this loss and we may perchance keep in mind Sabika and her households in our thoughts and prayers. »

David Hale, US ambassador to Pakistan, stated embassy workers gain been « devastated » by the tips, and called Sheikh’s household to explicit condolences.

« As an substitute student, Sabika was as soon as a formative years ambassador, a bridge between our peoples and cultures. All of us on the US Mission in Pakistan are devastated by and mourn her loss. We can honor her reminiscence, » he stated, in step with a press open.