Pushed into abject poverty: a tale of hunger and loyalty

Sajjad’s left hand is amputated after an electric shock while his right-hand needs surgery

LAHORE: Hina, the wife of a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s stalwart whose left hand was amputated after suffering an electric shock while displaying banners of the party, said she could not believe how quickly the time has changed.

“I am alive but I die every passing day when I see my children with their eyes stick to the door awaiting someone to feed us as we mostly break our fasts with salt and water,” she said.

This is the story of a destitute father, a mother and their five children. The family struggles every day to make ends meet.

“I am living only for my children or I would have committed suicide due to starvation,” she said. “My children make demands of samosa and other snacks for Iftar but I have no option but to keep mum.”

Hina said she could not believe how quickly the time could change and people turn a blind eye to the issues of party activists. Expressing her gloom, she said her husband was a party worker for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz who loved his leader. During the day of the former prime minister’s arrival from London, her husband was displaying banners at Shahdara when he suffered a heavy electricity shock.

As a result of the incident, his left hand was amputated while the right hand requires a surgery. Hina has no money for his medical treatment.

“Neither can I see my husband’s deteriorating health nor the poor condition of my children who put demands of different food items but I remain unable to meet them.”

Hina said she had been moving from pillar to post and visited former chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar but all of her efforts were in vain. She added that she also submitted complaints to former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif’s office and his son Hamza Shahbaz Sharif’s office for their support but no one addressed her concerns. Her grievances were not addressed by any of the PML-N leaders.

“It is regrettable that my husband’s hand was amputated for doing work of the very political party whose leaders are even not ready to meet with the victim,” she said. Her husband was taken outside by different MPAs that day for decorating the area with banners and banners when the unpleasant incident occurred.

“Since the day of the incident no one has visited us even to console us,” Hina said while shedding tears. Hina works as a dishwasher and also stitches clothes but the money is not enough for her family’s survival. Her husband is unable to work now and all her children are minors.

Sajjad Ali, Hina’s husband, said he regrets going outside to work that day. He held himself responsible for being amputated, adding that small party workers are always ready to sacrifice their lives for their leaders but when the workers pass through bad times, the leaders turned a blind eye to their plight.

Sajjad further said the most difficult moment for him was to respond to the question when he was asked whether any of the PML-N leaders had visited him. The second painful moment for him was when he heard his children discussing that no one has come at their door to even see the family.

“This is the first Eid-ul-Fitr for our children when they have no new clothes to wear and this moment is not less than a moment of doomsday for us,” Sajjad said while shedding tears. “My children sometimes console me and say that their Baba need not worry about their Eid clothes but I know this is just their way of comforting me.”

Sajjad added that his family is not greedy for money. He further said, “Our God will help us and steer us out of this situation.” He left the youth with a message to think a hundred times before rendering their services for political parties.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2019.