“I was found on a road, and since then the roadside has been my life. I was put in an orphanage. I don’t know who my parents are, or if I have siblings. I beg on the roads and sleep on pavements. I bathe whenever I see a stream of water.

I used to sell newspapers till I was 16, but then a car hit me and broke my leg. I did not receive medical care so I lost my leg and since then I have been disabled. I cannot walk without support. No one wants to be a beggar, but society with its cruel attitude pushes you to become one. I tried to get into an institute in Islamabad for disabled people, so I could learn a skill. But I didn’t have any references so I couldn’t get in. I’ve grown up being held and abused by the police. They take you away, take some money and let you go. So many people pass me by in their cars. My fate, my earnings or if I even get to eat today depends on their mood and their mindset. In that moment, they may decide to give me money or just gesture at me to move on. I don’t know how I feel about being all by myself and not having a family because I never had one. I’ve spent most of my life accepting the reality of the life given to me. Can anyone change it?”

Published in Dawn, October 17th , 2015

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