On March 23, the stories of Pakistani kaarigars

Stories of unsung heroes who are the backbone of big fashion labels.

There are many stories behind the beautiful outfits you see at designer boutiques and outlets; diligent pairs of hands work tirelessly, sometimes all night, to make sure each outfit is finished to perfection.

On Pakistan Day, designers tell the stories of some unsung heroes who are the backbones of big fashion labels.

Maheen Khan

In 1973, a young village boy came to Maheen Khan’s old Lahore shop Seamstress, which she used to run from the verandah of her home. Mohammad Afzal was then hardly seven years old at the time, and an exceedingly naughty seven-year-old at that. His mischievousness landed him in trouble, when he wringed the neck of the neighbour’s hen, and got sacked by Maheen. Three years later, Afzal knocked on Maheen’s door once again, pleading for a job. Maheen agreed, considering that he is from a family of nine siblings, and initially allowed him to do just hemming. While he soon learnt how to stitch a complete outfit, he didn’t know how to read. “The learning came later with my daughter teaching him the Urdu alphabet,” says Maheen. “He couldn’t read the clients’ measurements and today, he reads an entire newspaper!” Afzal is now the head master of patch and cutter of the label Maheen and Gulabo, and has also bought a house for himself. “He is simple man, faithful and loyal, someone who is fiercely protective of me and my brand,” she adds.



Nida Azwer

Years ago, when her label was a small and relatively new brand in the market, Nida Azwer’s eager young helper boy Naveed Nafees came on board. “He was a helper boy who learned how to use the computer very eagerly,” she says, adding that he wasn’t paid much then. “Today, he looks after most of the computer related screen work projects of my design house.”

“When he started, he had a simple Bachelors of Commerce degree and lived in a rented space. Today, through his sheer hard-work, he has his own house, a motorbike and sends his only son to an English medium school,” she says, adding that he has groomed his inter-personal skills and is quite savvy when it comes to business.



Huma Adnan

“Eighteen years ago, when Amir Adnan started his company, we had a little guy in his early 20s who had just completed his Matriculation,” says Huma. “Raheem was hired as a hath ka karigaar and held the junior most position of assistant sardoz. However, in a team of some 200 men, his capability completely outshone — today he heads the department of hand embroidery,” adds Adnan. From the lowest paid worker, Raheem is now the highest-paid worker in the factory.

“Earlier, we would help him out [charity] and look after him. Now, he looks after his community! His lifestyle has changed. He is a dedicated worker in whom we blindly trust.”



Deepak Perwani 

“What does one write about people who have worked for you for 15 years?” starts Deepak. He then talks about Alan Bhai, a worker who has worked with him for almost two decades. “I have not come across anyone as diligent and amazing as this man who was the Pure Embroidery in-charge for 10 years.” So diligent is he in his work that Perwani confesses, “I don’t even know when the work happens and when it is delivered.”



He adds, “He is the only man I know who has come to work without taking a holiday whether it’s been a strike or the city has burnt — this man has had perfect attendance. In a country where we generally take too many holidays and lack work ethics, there are just a few good men like him who put Pakistan on the map as a hardworking country.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2013.

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