Khalils take back sweet, warm scent of Sri Lanka
Shirajiv SIRIMANE
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President OPA, Upali Bulumulle handing over a plaque from the
OPA to Mohamed Khalil. Second Secretary Pakistan, Ayaz Khan and
Mrs. Mohamed looks on.
Pic: Chinthaka Kumarasinghe
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Mehar Mohamed Khalil, who stood between life and death of the Sri
Lankan cricketers, vowed he would come back to explore more of Sri
Lanka.
Mohamed the Pakistan driver, who drove the Sri Lanka Cricket team bus
during the terrorist attack in Lahore to safety, will bid adieu to Sri
Lanka, ending his one week stay. And he and his wife will take back many
a pleasant memories of this island nation.
The Organization of Professionals Association of Sri Lanka (OPA)
hosted him to dinner last night and he thanked Aitken Spence Hotels,
Pakistan High Commission, Cricket Board and Associated Newspapers of
Ceylon for organizing his tour.
Mrs. Mohamed said that more than anything she was amazed with the
hospitality of the Sri Lankans. “This is the first time that I went
overseas and first I must thank everyone who organized this event,” she
said.
Asked what she would take back to Pakistan she said that it was the
`sweet warm scent’ of the Sri Lanka people. “I enjoyed my stay and the
Bentota beaches were wonderful and I want to bring my family (two boys
and two girls) to see this beautiful island,” she added. Commenting on
the terrorist attack, she said that she first got to know about it from
the television and it was after almost two hours that she was informed
that her husband was safe. “I think those two hours were the most
agonizing moments in my life,” she said. President OPA, Upali Bulumulle
said that they organized this event since they wanted to honour a hero
who saved the lives of our sporting ambassadors.
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