Generosity is a quality rarely found in today’s society. At a time when workers suffer from poor living conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic, an elderly man has been providing a shelter to homeless labourers in the provincial capital.
The 78-year-old landlord, Haji Niyamat Ali Bara, has given three kanals of commercial property worth millions of rupees on Main Multan Road to the labourers, free of cost, for 38 years. The building has more than 20 rooms with a capacity of about 150 people. An oven had also been set up for the workers to prepare food.
According to the workers living in the building, not only are all their needs being taken care of, but financial support is also provided when needed.
At a time when poverty, inflation and unemployment are increasing in the province, philanthropists like Niyamat are also playing their role and making efforts to provide some relief to the needy.
He is continuing to provide shelter to the homeless labourers on Multan Road at Hanjarwal stop.
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People living in Vehari, Rajanpur, Burewala, Sahiwal, Hafizabad, Ghagho Mandi and other small cities, towns and villages of Punjab are turning to Lahore for employment.
After reaching the provincial capital, most people have to work as labourers. Despite working hard all day, these workers do not get enough wages to pay rent, electricity, water and gas bills.
To save some money for their families, most labourers have to sleep on the sidewalks, underpasses and around shrines.
Although Punjab government has provided shelter to the homeless, the number of homeless people is so high that this effort does not seem to solve the problem.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Niyamat, the owner of this shelter home, said that when he carried fodder for his animals near Chauburji, he witnessed many homeless labourers on both sides of Multan Road sleeping helplessly on the sidewalks. “At that time, I really wished to do something for the needy who work all day and still do not have enough to provide themselves a home.”
The land of our ancestors was sold in 1982, for which I received a considerable amount of money, he added. ”My father Farzand Ali Bara and I shared the same ambition of ending poverty, for which I spent 50% of my total share on providing this shelter.”
Ghulam Hassan and Mirza Naseer Baig, both labourers hailing from Chunian, moved to the shelter after they could not find another place to live in. They said, “We have been living in this shelter home for a long time. Not only do we get a place to live in but we also get food here.”
Wasim Abbas, who also works as a labourer, said that a labourer works all day to earn a living wage. “If we cannot even find a place to sleep at night, our problems will only get worse.” Waris Ali, a labourer from Burewala, stated that his problem of finding a decent home had been solved. “We have all the facilities here needed to survive.”
Mohammad Younis of Vehari said, “I feel comfortable in this shelter because financial support is also provided here when we need it most.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 22nd, 2021.
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