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Saleem's father was
a doctor by profession. He even served as
the Medical Superintendent of Nishtar Hospital
Multan and Mayo Hospital in Lahore before becoming
the Director Health Punjab.
During his last year
at Petaro, he was appointed Senior Section Leader
of Liaquat House. He was a member of the college
cricket and hockey teams, and was also a good
swimmer.
After leaving
Petaro, he was selected to join Pakistan Army and
was inducted into the 55th PMA Long Course in
1975, and was commissioned an officer in 1977. He
joined the Corps of Engineers and was a part of
the 6 Engineers Battalion. He then qualified and
graduated as a Civil Engineer. He also went abroad
and obtained a Masters degree in Civil
Engineering.
During his years
with the army, he was posted to different places
including Karachi and Risalpur where he served as
an instructor for officers pursuing civil
engineering degree.
Saleem was serving
as a Lieutenant Colonel on the Karakorum Highway
in 1998. One weekend in July, he took his family
to a picnic spot near Pattan on the banks of a
beautiful valley with a gushing stream of rapids.
That beautiful day and the beauty of the valley
became the scene of a tragic and horrifying event.
His daughter Zimsha was trying to take a
photograph and slipped and fell into the rapids.
As he saw her dragged away by the forceful waters,
he jumped in to try to save her, but could not
sustain the pressures of the rapids despite being
a good swimmer. Both father and daughter were
drowned and his body was found nearly 3km
downstream.
Lt.Col. Saleem
Soomro was buried at Lahore. May Allah grant
the best to the souls of Saleem and his daughter
Zimsha in Jannatul Firdaus.
The remaining family
- his wife Yasmeen and the two sons Hammad and
Zimsha - are now settled down in London, UK.
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