“My husband owned a cloth shop in our native Narowal. He met an accident a few years ago and soon after that, he suffered a stroke. He is now bedridden and paralysed.

We had taken loans from family and banks to start his shop but he could not work anymore and we could not pay the money back. Women are not allowed to work in our family back in Narowal so we moved here. We had to pay back the money somehow and feed our four children.

I bring the raw material for these footballs from Sialkot and make about Rs500 to Rs600 a day selling them. We live in a rented house in Bhara Kahu. Though the rent agreed was Rs10,000 a month, the landlord does not charge us because he knows our financial situation. Every month, I am left with Rs10,000 or Rs5,000 with which I buy supplies.

All my children used to go to school back home but we cannot afford to educate them now. I would not even be able to feed them if I did not work. I am the first woman in my family to work. I will still get into trouble with them if I took off my niqab for this picture.”

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2019