‘Bashir Ahmed Bashir: A man of struggle and achievements’
Struggling throughout his life, he achieved what he had never thought of. Life was once unfair to him but he didn’t give up. All he knew was one thing: had to earn his bread to survive.
Bashir Ahmed Bashir, an 87 years old brave man, who still works as a supervisor at a building under construction near hockey ground G-8. A self-made man, whose life is a mesh of struggles and accomplishments, the greatest of all is being a father of four highly educated daughters and a son.
Some people earn money in their life, whereas some earn a worthy reputation.
Bashir Ahmed is one of those who lived for others; his life’s aim is to find the truth about Islam and to serve humanity.At the age of thirteen he left his home and never returned. Having no idea about his destination, his belief in Allah Almighty and his courage landed him in Karachi. All alone with just 15 rupees in his pocket he went in search of a new life.
An innocent child with no awareness or fear chose to walk to Karachi following the railway track. He is still working to give his children all the necessities of life for which he once left everything behind.
Mr. Bashir is a man who has learnt and earned through struggles. His grey hair and his fearless voice are a reflection of his experience. A 5th grade child who never studied further has gained knowledge about this whole universe. All the hurdles taught him what a college or university could not teach you. In his age where he should stay home and take some rest, he still goes out to learn something new. Nature never changes! Yes it never does.
‘I lost my most valuable thing: my mother’ he said in trembling voice. The pain could be seen in his grey wrinkled eyes that had lost the love and affection. At the age when children go to school and play with friends, Bashir lost his childhood due to poverty and hunger. He wonders what made him so courageous that he went alone. The journey he covered during the year 1945 wasn’t safe. Walking from Islamabad to Karachi he faced hunger, thirst and sleepless nights. His empty pocket gave him a life lesson.
“I spent my first night in a ditch”, he said.
Days and nights passed and he reached Karachi’s first station, Laandi after two and half (2 1/2) months. With no degree or any experience the only option to earn for survival was through labor work. He started as a helping hand in construction work, and gained a lot of experience and knowledge. From constructing popular buildings in Karachi, he was hired by other world famous companies. His commitment to his own self earned him wealth and fame. A poor child after years of struggle learned to stand on his own feet.
Mr. Bashir said that he worked with German and French companies and constructed PVC plastic factory in Karachi. Dawood cotton mill; which was formed in 2004 was also constructed under his supervision. Working with other renowned construction companies in Saudi Arabia wasn’t less of an achievement for a person who had acquired everything through years of labor work. Mr. Bashir had made 22 mosques in different cities of Saudi Arabia. This is the real meaning of success.
As he spent a significant portion of his life in Karachi, during his stay there, he met Ayub Khan and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto at Murtaza Larkana in 1972. Many people just like him work every day from dawn to dusk to make both ends meet but he didn’t work just to earn bread. His goal was to fulfill his desires and after marriage he got more determined. Being a father of 4 daughters isn’t easy. Their education and marriage was an ultimate goal of his life.
“Seeing my daughters educated and independent are my biggest achievements” he said. The spark in his eyes showed how happy he was with his life. It seemed as if his daughters fulfilled all his dreams. The eldest daughter has completed her PhD recently, the second one takes British council exams and the other two have done masters. His daughters are his asset.
Mr. Bashir is man full of life and hope with deep love for poetry. His life seems to be a novel with different chapters, where every chapter opens up to a new story.
The conversation ended with these beautiful words:
Yeh tou teh hai keh aik din mout ayai gi or
Mar jayein ge hum,
Dekhna sirf yeh hai keh is zindagi mein
Kya kar jayein ge hum
