Cuteness with a glimmer of hope

Published June 14, 2007

ISLAMABAD, June 13: One cannot believe that these three little sisters wearing so much innocence on their cute faces can carry hearts with holes. Iram Zahid (12), Ayesha Zahid (9) and Zulaikha Zahid (1) are the daughters of a poor man, Zahid Farooq, who sells ice cream on a handcart and live in a rented house in Chountra, Jhelum district.

Iram has been suffering from heart problem since 1995 when she was just one year old. Ayesha has two holes in her heart since 1998, while little Zulaikha was born with the nasty disease.

Their father has appealed to philanthropists from around the world to help him in paying for the medical expenses of his three daughters. He has been running from pillar to post to move the government to support him financially for the treatment of his daughters.

“I lost my son to this within months after his birth. The disease is going to take the lives of my little flowers if some one does not come to our rescue,” Mr Zahid told Dawn with tears in his eyes.

Zahid Farooq’s address is Al-Hafeez Bakery, Tahlinawala, Chountra, Jhelum District, Pakistan, whereas he can be contacted on cellphone 0092 300 544-2753.

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

THE FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth ...
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...