Mohammad Akram, also known as Khan, decided he would make his last khussa in a 50-year career at the start of this year.

“My eyesight is weak and my limbs ache. I am going to call it a day, and I cannot continue with my work,” Mr Akram, 75, who is considered one of the best khussa makers in Chakwal district, told Dawn.

Traditional in the Indian subcontinent, leather khussas were popularised by the Mughal emperor Saleem Shah, better known as Jehangir. The shoes are also called mojari.

Until recently, Chakwal district was considered the centre of the khussa business, but today there are just a few remaining artisans associated with hte professional. Mohammad Akram of Bullhay Bala village is one of them.

Although khussas are still in demand, particularly because rural young people like to wear them at wedding and cultural fairs, the cottage industry of khussa-making is losing artisans because young people are not interested in continuing to learn the craft.

“I have three sons, but none of them following in my footsteps. God knows why. I am the last artisan of my tribe,” Mr Akram said.

Born into a poor family in Chawali village, Mr Akram was a toddler when his father died and just seven when his mother died as well.

“I grew up in miserable conditions, without a school education, and I was forced by circumstances to learn how to make shoes as a body,” he explained. Mr Akram was taught by Ghulam Hussain in his hometown, but he later moved to Karsal village nearby, which was a hub for artisans. He moved to Bullhay Bala in 1971 and settled there.

He started out making khussas for children before moving on to nagras – a kind of khussa worn by women – before establishing himself as one of the best khussa makers for men in the district.

There are two kinds of khussas made in Chakwal; a zari khussa, which is fully embroidered in gold or silver, or a simple khussa, which is only partially embroidered. Mr Akram specialised in the latter.

The feature that distinguishers a plain khussa made by him is the extended tip, called the noke, which curves backward, as well as a partially embroidered vamp and embroidered heel.

“Chakwal has many khussa makers, but no one can craft a curved noke as masterfully as Akram,” Asif Ali Khan, a regular customer of his, said.

Mr Akram explained that he starts by tanning cow leather by boiling it in oil, and the leather is then dyed.

“After the leather is ready it is cut into the required pieces, and then the soles of the shoe are made,” he said, adding that it takes 15 days to make one pair.

Mr Akram said khussas he has made became popular when he gave a pair to Imtiaz, a resident of Odherwal village.

“After Imtiaz, Sardar Jamil, a young landowner from Odherwal, came to me. Because Sardar Jamil wore khussas, more and more men in the village followed suit,” he recalled.

Mr Akram charges Rs7,000 for a pair; a pair of zari khussas made in the Jhamra village by Intizar Hussain sells for Rs40,000.

“It is very painful that the demand for khussas is increasing but new artisans are shy of stepping into the profession,” Mr Akram said.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2020