A man of honour and dignity

Ammar Haseeb is an example of a disbaled man making ends meet with honour and dignity.

RAWALPINDI: The scene of a blind man making a living in a local park, while others around him beg visitors for money, is a touching one. Ammar Haseeb is an example of a disabled man making ends meet with honour and dignity.

Born in Lathianwala, a few miles away from Faisalabad, 30-year-old Haseeb resides in a hostel near Rawalpindi Stadium Road.

“My dreams will come true if I get regularised in the Ministry of Science and Technology,” said the visually-impaired Haseeb, when asked about his greatest desire during an interview with The Express Tribune.

His disability has not barred him from getting education and earning an honourable living not only for himself, but also for his family. Under the ministry, he has been associated with National Physical and Standard Laboratory as a Telephone Operator for almost one and half years now. He said he could function normally at his work and was doing well in his job.

Earlier, he had requested the recently sacked Federal Minister for Science and Technology Muhammad Azam Khan Swati to make him a permanent employee of the ministry, but the decision is still awaited.

Being the sole bread-earner for his family, which includes his mother, three brothers and three sisters, Haseeb was concerned about his younger sister’s marriage. He said that two of his sisters had been married but due to financial constraints, he was finding it difficult to “arrange for the third one.”

To meet these responsibilities and provide additional income to his family, he comes to Nawaz Sharif Park along with a weighing-machine. The visitors come and weigh themselves on the scale for Rs5 each.

“My family lives from hand to mouth. After the job hours, I come here in the late afternoon to earn slightly over Rs100 after a six to seven hours of labour,” said Haseeb.

Honesty is another trait of this man. With a fixed price of Rs5, he takes all of the money out from his pocket and asks the customers to take the change themselves. Haseeb can still not forget the day when a customer deceived him and took Rs90 after giving him Rs10 note, saying it was of a hundred rupees.

“Our society is made up of good and bad people. Some people also offer more than Rs5 but I refuse as it is not my right to charge extra,” he said, adding that the new short-sized notes were very difficult to judge.

“I get really hurt and feel sorry for myself when young people, especially those on motorbikes, pester me and sometimes break my stick. Are we not a part of this society? Why are we treated this way?”

Haseeb said he had to abandon his education after obtaining an intermediate certificate as a private student from Faisalabad. Completing primary education from his native village, Haseeb’s quest for knowledge took him to Bahawalpur for higher education, as there was no institution for disabled persons in his village.

“I love to study and have submitted an admission form to get a bachelor’s degree in Library Sciences from Allama Iqbal Open University,” he said. However, he realises that lack of financial ability could make it difficult.

Haseeb has to pay Rs4000 per month as hostel charges, which leaves him with another Rs2000 to 3000 for the rest of the month. He has also appealed to the government to increase the quota for disabled people and ensure a timely implementation.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2010.