Talking of cameleers, here is a story of one of those from Lyari
Dost Mohammed, was an entrepreneur from Lyari, a Baloch. He went on a trade expedition to Australia as a cameleer. There he fell in love with a girl, Annie Grigo. Her family disapproved of the relationship and she eloped with him to get married in Lyari. They returned to Australia, leaving their first born baby boy, Mustafa, behind in Lyari. Dost, who had intended to return home, procrastinated plans and stayed in Australia where he gathered wealth and property. He settled in Port Hedland. Following a patch up with his in-laws, he supported them financially. His brothers in law had a reputation of being violent.
Once during the course of an altercation with his wife, her elder brother interfered which led to a physical assault. As Dost got hold of him, his another brother in law, knocked him with a heavy piece of wood hitting his head that caused a fatal injury and Dost succumbed to the blow. The two brothers were charged with wilful murder but the courts found the accused not guilty and released them.
Dost’s brother decided to go to Australia to establish the facts and look into his heritage, as he suspected Annie to be an accomplice to his brother’s murder. He managed to lure her into an agreement and convinced her to visit Karachi to settle the property issues. She left for Karachi with her five other children.
Annie stayed with her in laws in Lyari but a well wisher warned her of their evil plans to get rid of her. One of Dost’s Makrani friends offered her an accommodation in Malir and she moved into that house. Fearful, she met the District Magistrate with her concerns and sought security. The house in Malir happened to be near the police station and that all seemed re-assuring. Her in-laws desired Lily, her 12 year old daughter, to be married to Dost’s nephew and she refused the proposal.
Ultimately, Annie decided to return to Australia and the plans were all set for Monday the 8th August, 1910. As the family (accept for Mustafa) were sleeping in the large bedroom and she was in bed with her youngest two children, a number of assailants entered through the bathroom window around midnight. They stabbed her multiple times in the back and in the heart. She was murdered on 6th August.
She was given a Christian burial in Karachi and the five children were taken into custody as witnesses. They were handed over to the matron of Civil Hospital to be looked after. Her daughter, Ada, who saw the assailants in pitch dark could not recognise them and the accused four could not be found guilty. The five children were repatriated back to Australia whereas the sixth, eldest son – Mustafa, who was already in Lyari stayed behind with his father’s family.
In those days this was a very famous case as it caused a lot of wrangling between the two governments as well.
These are the photographs of Annie (Mrs Dost Mohd) and their children (excluding Mustafa). The quality is poor since these are taken from an old newspaper.
Good Old Karachi 