Shahida Raza, the victim of Italy migrant shipwreck, laid to rest in Quetta

Shahida Raza, the victim of an Italy migrant shipwreck, was laid to rest in Quetta on Friday.

The funeral prayer of the Pakistani athlete was attended by Government officials, colleagues and relatives.

Pakistan’s women’s hockey and football player Shahida Raza, 27, was among the unfortunate 86 migrants and refugees who died when their boat crashed into rocks off the Calabrian coast, after leaving from Turkey.

Her last remains were repatriated from Italy.

Raza fell prey to human smugglers amidst the worsening economic crisis and enlisted like the other 86 casualties on board the ill-faith boat to get her out of Pakistan to assist her family.

She used to live in the Alamdar Road area of Quetta and wanted to go abroad for employment.

Raza represented Pakistan in 2012’s Asian Hockey Federation Cup in which she was regarded as the team’s linchpin and was nicknamed Chintoo.

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Vice President Shehla Raza and PH Women Wing Secretary Tanzila Amir Cheema and other people associated with hockey have expressed sorrow over her demise.

“President of Pakistan Hockey Federation Brigadier R. Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, Secretary General Haider Hussain, Chairperson Women’s Hockey Wing Syeda Shehla Raza, GM Women’s Wing Tanzeela Amir Cheema has expressed condolences to the family of former international women’s hockey player Shahida Raza (Chintu), who died due to an accident and prayed for her forgiveness,” the PFF said in a press release.