After 22 Months, the Jhelum Finally Returns a Son to His Waiting Mother
At Gandbal, faith outlives despair as a mother’s daily prayers find an answer on the riverbank
Our Special Correspondent
Srinagar: For nearly two years, the banks of the River Jhelum at Gandbal bore silent witness to a mother’s unbroken faith. Day after day, she came to the same spot, lifting her hands in prayer, pleading for one mercy alone — that her missing son be returned to her, even if lifeless, so she could finally lay him to rest.
On Monday, the river answered.
Almost 22 months after the tragic boat capsize of April 16, 2024, the mortal remains of Showkat Ahmad Sheikh, 40, son of Abdul Gani Sheikh of Gandbal, were recovered, bringing painful closure to a family that had lived between hope and heartbreak.
The body was first spotted by local sand extractor Ishfaq Ahmad during extraction work along the river.
“The body appeared fresh. We identified him immediately, and his identity was later confirmed through his card, which was found safe in his purse,” Ishfaq said.
Another local, Bilal Ahmad, helped pull the body ashore. “When we retrieved him, he was unconscious. His identity card was intact and was handed over safely to the area president,” he recalled.
The recovery reopened memories of the horrifying tragedy that claimed eight lives, including several schoolchildren, when a boat capsized in the Jhelum. While the bodies of all other victims were recovered in the days that followed, Showkat’s body remained missing — leaving behind a grieving mother who refused to stop believing.
On January 11 this year, hope and horror briefly returned when sand extractors found a shoe with a human foot believed to be Showkat’s, lodged in the riverbed. From that day onwards, his mother’s visits to the river grew longer. She would sit on the cold bank for hours, crying softly, whispering prayers, and waiting for the Almighty to bring her son back.
“She came here every single day,” said a woman neighbour, as women wailed uncontrollably on the riverbank. “Since the shoe was found, she spent hours here, crying and praying. Today, finally, her prayers have been answered.”
As word of the recovery spreaed, grief gathered along the banks of the Jhelum. Women beat their chests and cried aloud, while men stood in stunned silence, eyes lowered. Police soon arrived at the spot and completed all legal and medico-formalities. The atmosphere was heavy, broken only by sobs and whispered verses from the Quran.
An official of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said that the body was retrieved by a local sand extractor in coordination with the SDRF and the Quick Reaction Team, Jhelum. “After almost 22 months, the mortal remains of Showkat Ahmad Sheikh were recovered,” the official said.
After the completion of legal formalities, Showkat’s body was taken for last rites. As the funeral procession moved away from the river, the Jhelum flowed on in silence — leaving behind a mother whose faith never faded, and a village that will remember how patience, prayer and pain finally found closure on its banks. The recovery of Showkat’s body plunged entire locality a fresh wave of shock and grief.
