Furqan Ali: Karachi’s firefighter who gave his life to save others

KARACHI: The fire that broke out in Karachi’s bustling commercial hub Gul Plaza may have been extinguished, but its heat has reached the home of a family whose only support is now nothing but memories.

36-year-old firefighter Furqan Ali, who was buried under the rubble while protecting the lives and property of citizens, has today become a beacon of light for the entire city that the dust of time will never fade.

Playing with danger was nothing new for Furqan Ali. This spirit of dedication and sacrifice was inherited from him. His father, Shaukat Ali, also served in the fire brigade department, but he passed away after a stroke.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Furqan chose this dangerous profession in 2018 on the basis of disease quota. He was not just a government employee, but a soldier carrying forward his father’s unfinished mission.

Last call and call of duty

When the fire in Gul Plaza started engulfing the entire building at 10:26 pm on Saturday night, fire stations across the city were alerted. Furqan Ali was also on the front line as usual.

Around 5 am, when the last efforts to control the fire were underway, a piece of debris suddenly fell during the operation in the shops at the back of the plaza, which did not give Furqan a chance to recover. The duty he had started to save the citizens turned out to be the last duty of his life.

Tribute to the national hero

Firefighters are given the status of civilian heroes all over the world, because they jump into the fire when the world is running away from there. For this great sacrifice of Furqan Ali, all political and social figures including the Governor of Sindh, the Chief Minister and the Mayor of Karachi have paid him a great tribute.

Officials say that Furqan Ali has set an example of professional integrity that the fire brigade department and the entire city will always be proud of.

After Furqan Ali’s marriage, life was on a new and prosperous turn, but fate had something else in mind. Today, the air of Karachi is mournful and every eye is moist.

Furqan Ali is not with us today, but his story of bravery will always be remembered from the walls of Gul Plaza to the highways of Karachi. He will be remembered as a hero who extinguished his own lamp to keep the homes of others lit.