Pranks to die for.

Byline: Asha'ar Rehman

THERE is no end to man's lust for new ways of annihilating human life. Not to be left behind, Pakistanis appear to invent ways of deriving this ultimate pleasure.

Muhammad Iqbal was born to Noor Muhammad and his wife some 46 years ago. He had six siblings, three brothers and three sisters. The girls having been married off, for the last decade or so, Noor Muhammad, his wife and their sons lived together off Ferozepur Road in a dense if relatively new locality of Lahore.

Among the sons, only Iqbal was unmarried. As the eldest, he was responsible for providing for his parents once his father, now 70, retired as a gardener at a public-sector hospital in the city. There was one problem though. Iqbal was incapacitated by a disability. He was blind.

'I will not lie to you. Iqbal did work. He worked as a beggar,' a person close to him confirmed by telephone. I was also told that Iqbal did manage to find his way about outside his home. And while on his rounds of the locality, he made friends and built up acquaintances. It was one such relationship that proved to be his downfall.

On a routine search for succour in November, Iqbal ran into people working at a tyre repair shop. The shopkeepers and the visitor apparently knew each other, only on this occasion there was mischief taking shape in the minds of the 'hosts' that would change their lives forever - just as it would bring a shocking end to the invisible journey of Muhammad Iqbal.

There have been jokes and stunts culminating in disasters. This has been brewing for a long time.

The case is pending with the police. From the details that have emerged in the media, Iqbal was taken into the shop where his body was filled with air through the pump used to inflate tyres. The effects the prank had on his system inside can only be imagined. From the reports we have, some kind of an attempt was made to save the blind, helpless man in hospital. These attempts failed and Iqbal's parents now say their fate rests with Allah. His brother says the family are pursuing the case - as best as they can.

An analysis of the behaviour of those who 'accidentally' brought Iqbal's life to an abrupt, most unusual end is awaited. But one thing is certain, when the experts finally get round to assessing the motive and sentiment behind this fatal innovation, they will have more than just Iqbal's case as evidence to feed their minds on.

The trend is picking up pace. A few days after Muhammad Iqbal was...