“I am from Rawalpindi. We were three sisters and four brothers - I am the oldest of my brothers – and our father was a master tailor.

I completed matriculation at a technical school in 1989 on DAV College Road, and I did my FA from the degree college in Satellite Town. My father enjoyed tailoring, but when his shop closed down it became difficult to run the house. So I began looking for work immediately after my FA. Through a reference, I got a job as a daily-wage worker in the urgent mail service.

My salary in 1992 was Rs1,940 per month. My job was regularised in 2000, but today I am still where I started. I have never been promoted, because of the culture of promoting favoured individuals.

My salary now is Rs29,000 per month. I work from nine to five, and I make more than 65 deliveries every day in my allotted area, which is G-7.

I am married, and I have three children. One is in university, and another is doing MCCS.”

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2018