The body of the Pakistani exchange student who was killed in the mass shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas was brought back to Karachi on Wednesday (23), and funeral prayers were offered for her at Karachi's Hakeem Saeed Ground.
Sabika Sheikh was among 10 students and staff members killed on Friday (18) at Santa Fe High School. The 17-year-old will be laid to rest at the Azimpura graveyard in Shah Faisal Colony.
Sabika, the eldest of three sister, was studying at Santa Fe High School in Texas on a US State Department scholarship under the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) programme. She was set to return to Pakistan in three weeks.
Sabika was excited to be shortlisted for the programme, and in a YouTube video that she uploaded the teen said she was "over the moon" and "jumping like a madman" when she found out about her place on the shortlist. Sabika also called it "the best moment" of her life.
A memorial service was held for Sabika at a mosque in Stafford on Sunday night. More than 3,000 members of the Texas Muslim community attended to ceremony to pay tribute to Sabika, reported CNN.
Gun Control
Following the shooting, Sabika's father Abdul Aziz Sheikh urged US President Donald Trump to take action and to reform gun laws.
"I would like to say to the Trump administration, kindly stop this type of incident," Sheikh said. "You can make rules and law and you can amend your Constitution and change the law of guns, kindly take serious action on this," he added.
Sabika's uncle echoed similar sentiments, telling LA Times: "I don't blame the murder of my girl on American society but on that terrorism mindset that is there in all societies. We need to fight it all over the world."
"I do ask the American government to make sure weapons will not be easily available in your country to anybody. Please make sure this doesn't happen again," he added.
