WAZIR DHAND, Khyber Agency: Afreen Khan was four years old when she last saw her father.
Zahir Hussain Zar Khan went to Saudi Arabia from the Pakistani town of Peshawar in 2012 to work as a trucker but ended up in jail after getting into a road accident that killed four people. Since then, unable to pay the 1.3 million riyals – or $350,000 – in blood money to the relatives of those who had died, Khan has languished in jail.
In this undated file photo, Zahir Hussain Afridi, a tribesman from Khyber tribal district, poses for a photo in Saudi Arabia in 2011. Two weeks ago, Saudi Arabia’s bait-ul-maal social welfare organisation paid off Afridi's blood money and now his family and friends excitedly await his return home after spending seven years in a Saudi prison. (Photo courtesy Afridi family)
This month, Saudi Arabia’s bait-ul-maal social welfare organization paid off the blood money and now his family and friends excitedly await his return home. His daughter Afreen will finally see her father again.
“It feels like Eid every day,” 11-year-old Afreen said, speaking about the time since she had heard her father would walk free. “We pray for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the government of Saudi Arabia for paying the blood money which led to the release of my father. We have missed him for years.”
In this undated file photo, late father of Zahir Hussain Afridi sits with his grandchildren at his hometown in Khyber tribal district in 2011. Afridi’s father died whole his son was detained in Saudi Arabia after four people were killed in an accident with his vehicle in 2012. Two weeks ago, Saudi Arabia’s bait-ul-maal social welfare organisation paid off Afridi's blood money and now his family and friends excitedly await his return home after spending seven years in a Saudi prison. (Photo credit family)
Khan’s brother Hidayatullah Khan said he had received a copy of the order of a Makkah court about two weeks ago saying Khan would be home in the next two weeks.
“We are poor people. We could not have paid the blood money without the cooperation of Saudi authorities even if we had toiled for seven more years,” Hidayatullah said.
Bismillah Khan, the detained man’s first cousin, said jubilant relatives and villagers were now daily visiting his hometown of Wazir Dhand, a dusty hamlet on the outskirts of Peshawar, to congratulate his family.
In this file photo, Zahir Hussain Afridi (right) poses for a picture with his friend at his hometown of Khyber tribal district in 2010. Two weeks ago, Saudi Arabia’s bait-ul-maal social welfare organisation paid off Afridi's blood money and now his family and friends excitedly await his return home after spending seven years in a Saudi prison. (Photo credit family)
“You cannot gauge our happiness. I traveled to Saudi Arabia last year for umrah and tried to meet my cousin in prison but I could not see him,” Bismillah said.
Nasrullah Khan, a neighbor, said a steady procession of villagers had been arriving at the residence of the truck driver each day to congratulate his family over his release orders.
“The announcement that hundreds of Pakistani prisoners would be set free on the instruction of the crown prince is something we will remember as long as we live,” he said
Hidayatullah added: “I wish there was a way we could convey to the crown prince how grateful and happy we are today at the release of our loved one from prison.”
