There is nothing common between the women of Gazdarabad, Ranchore Lane and Santiago of Paolo Coelho's 'The Alchemist'. He was an Andalusian shepherd, the master of his own will. They are married women from lower middle class families, averagely educated and bounded to the will of their husbands, in-laws and society. He lived under the wide, blue sky and would travel through the beautiful streets and markets of Spain and Egypt. They live in small, dark and congested houses and travel through the narrow, filthy, dilapidated off roads in Gazdarabad, where stray dogs, sluggish cats and pet hens are roam in the shades of run down multi-story flats.

Above all he was a young man independent and carefree and they are women, the oppressed faction of our patriarchal society with homes to take care of and children to earn respectable lives for. But when it comes to believing in dreams, daring to realize those dreams and taking pains in pursuit of destiny, the women of Gazdarabad are no less than the brave shepherd who did not succumb to fate.

Living with a dream to spread education and eradicate religious intolerance in Gazdarabad, the area with an estimated population of more than 30,000 inhabitants and people belonging to varied ethnicities (Hindu, Sikh, Marwari, Pathan, Gujrati, Urdu, Memon, Katchi), the women in the area, voluntarily and on self help basis, run a library under the banner of Progressive Girls Council (PGC).

The small (10/10") one-room library, with 1000 books approximately and room enough for 12 chairs only, serves many purposes for the people in the locality. It serves as the library, as a reading room, the vocational training centre where on the single computer available children are taught the basics of computers and above all it serves as a literary and current affairs society where on a cup of tea, literally, storms are raised.

"People value our opinion to the extent of opinion leaders," says Nazwer Haneef in her late 30s who has been associated with the council since Grade 3. Life for Nazwer is one errand after another. She wakes up early, does the dishes, cleans her home, religiously seeks the answer to the most difficult question in the world aj kia pakay ga? And with only a Matriculation degree, teaches at a school to make both ends meet.

Despite her exhausting schedule every day she manages to get to the library at 6 in the evening where she, along with other volunteers with roughly the same schedule as her, have a reading session where leading Urdu newspapers of the day are read by every participant and an analytical discussion on the news items and columns of the day is held afterwards. "The girls do not know English much therefore they read Urdu newspapers only during the reading hour," says Fareed, an active member of the Youth Progressive Council (YPC) the parent party of PGC.

The party was formed in 1964 when National Students Federation (NSF) broke up and dispersed into two groups - the Kazmi group and the Rasheed group. "The area was always socially awakened and any happening in the world or the country would ultimately affect residents here," recalls Fareed who was among the early workers of the YPC. Amidst the chaos emerged due to the breakup of NSF, some prominent figures in the area including Lala Muhammad Hussain, Faruq Chuhan, Faizullah Baig and Inam Ilahi Gazdar who formed YPC following the formation of a library in 1967. The library served both men and women equally. In 1992, however, upon objection raised by certain religious factions in the area, the women wing was separated from the YPC and the said library was formed that serves as a platform for the women of the area. Through this platform every three months an Urdu magazine, 'Message' is published. The magazine addresses a variety of issues "It includes articles on international, national and the local issues written by our members," tells Nazwer who also presides the magazine.

Thousand copies of the magazine are published and 500 copies are distributed in Gazdarabad alone. The rest are distributed in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Dubai and Saudi Arabia where members of Marwari Silhwatta Bradari live.

A total of 100 rupees is charged annually as subscription fee for the magazine which is "not sufficient" to meet publication charges says Fareed. "Almost 11000 rupees is spent on a single publication," he adds.

Other than this, to promote a congenial environment among different communities residing here, PGC organizes different events. That includes Eid Mela, Meena bazaar, Jalsa-e-Eid Milad-un-Nabi (800 women attended the celebration this year), debate competitions, baitbazi, seminars and lectures on current affairs where prominent personalities are invited. So far the forum has hosted Faiz Ahmed faiz, Khadija Mastoor, Habib Jalib, Khalil-uz-Zaman, Shehnaz Uhad, Mujahid Barelvi and many other journalists and writers in seminars and lecture programs, Fareed tells Kolachi proudly.

The programs are held in the Marwari Silhwatta Jamaat Hall in the vicinity and are followed by a sumptuous meal in the end, "Our programs are not like those of Arts Council where even in the presence of 4 or 5 people, the program is run," remarks Sobia Bhujan, LLB and a volunteer, "No program of ours has an audience less than 50-60 women and this sometimes increases to 300-400 in case of a big event," she adds.

Other than this, to promote education in the area an annual convocation with the name of "Jalsa-e-Goldmedal" is held. Gold medals are awarded to students getting A and A plus grades in Matriculation, Intermediate or at University level.

"This creates a desire for acquiring higher education and getting good grades, not only in girls but in their parents too," Nazwer elaborates on the need of organizing such events. People in Gazdarabad barely had regards for educating women few decades ago. Matriculation, PTC, and then teaching was the only accepted career path for girls those days. Students too were not very fond of education and would rarely reach to the level of B-grade. Recognition from such platform has now motivated them a lot and "Having 14-15 A plus grades, every year is no longer a novelty," adds Sobia. "Watching a girl receiving a gold medal and a shield on stage amid claps and getting her interview and photograph printed in Message promotes other students of the area to do well in studies."

The PGC is working for its cause in Gazdarabad since the past 15 years and Fareed feels it has been quite successful. Compared to the past, he observes, people have become more progressive today. Religious bigotry in the area has reduced over times. "The fundamentals who had always rejected and opposed us for being dahria (a derogatory term used for communists) now work along us," he says. Changes have occurred in how education is perceived by the locals, "Even a sweeper's girl in the town is getting an education today."

In terms of finance, however, conditions are not encouraging enough. This is a self-help organization where all funds are generated from within the party workers. The 11-rupee fee per year for the library is not enough to make ends meet. Therefore, volunteers themselves bear the library expenses, which include monthly rent of the place, utility bills and other daily expenses. Though, the council was twice offered help by an NGO but it was rejected straight away, "They were giving us 50000 rupees and wanted us to raise their slogan in return," says Sobia extremely against the idea, "we have our own ideology and don't want to be overridden by any one."

This lack of resources is restricting the councils activities in many ways, "There are so many things that we want to do but have been unable to do so," laments Nazwer mentioning councils efforts that went in vain to improve filthy road conditions in the area. Moreover, the lack of resources has resulted in the lack of books in the library. Though the library has a wide range of books from religion to politics, literature to fiction and general knowledge, children books, digests and course books but the library committee comprising of five residents regrets that their collection doesn't equal that of the boys' library. "We do not have complete sets of every writer in our collection and we can hardly save money from our budget to add in the collection."

This lack of resources, however, never discourages the council's volunteers who are very happy with the growing number of members. Currently, 1200 women from within Gazdarabad, Jubilee and Ranchore Lane Bazaar are members of the council who never miss any of the events organized by the council and come regularly.

Appreciation and encouragement by the women in the area serves as the icing on the cake. The Library workers for their conduct and services to the locality are widely respected in the area. "I send my daughters to them regularly," remarks a woman in the area. "They not only make them read good books but help them in studies as well," she is confident that her daughters are in good company. The women are lauded for their efforts in developing the aesthetics of the girls in the area. Initially, the readers' choice was marked with novels, tells Nasreen, another volunteer. Than came the era of children's books and writers like Ishtiaq Ahmed became popular among our readers. This was soon replaced by digests like Khwateen Digest and Shuaa etc. Now the situation is totally different. After much effort, Nasreen says, we have been successful in cultivating an interest in poetry, literature and other literary stuff in girls other than mere ladies digests and suspense novels. "Prem Chand, Jalib, Sajjad Hyder and other progressive writers are now one of the favorite writers of our girls," she smiles.

Nazwer, Sobia, Nasreen and other such volunteers are ardent soldiers of their cause. Even their personal and professional duties do not come in between their passion for the cause of education and a better progressive life for women of Ranchore Lane. Giving their tight financial conditions and the social background where the phenomenon of a working woman and that too of a married woman is still frowned upon, their commitment is commendable and at the same time a model for all women of the city and the country.

– Photos by Athar Khan

The latest incident to cause widespread hue and cry in local media has once again come from the nation's so-called sleepy capital (what are the odds?). A group of women students of a Madrassah pulled a raid on a resident's house and "arrested" three women on charges of running a brothel, detaining them for days before they were released. The students alleged that the residents of the locality where the attack was launched supported their act, as the women's "activities" had been causing great distress in the neighborhood and the police had failed to take action despite repeated complaints.

The incident has caused new fears, concerns and forecasts for yet more impending gloom. The concerns raised in intellectual, political and media circles for the lack of authority held by law makers and enforcers are not new (two police personnel and vans were allegedly detained by the women). What's new this time is the nature of the perpetrators. A group of women clad in black, armed with batons, charging upon adversaries not yet proven guilty by the state – the end-result might be typical, but the profile is definitely different.

It is important to note though, that in the country painted as the house of the religiously unhinged in international media, the actual percentage of subscribers to the extremist religious brand is comically low – a fact presented to hard-line political parties every election. And yet one must be careful before launching an attack against values passed down from religion amongst the masses, as most Pakistanis hold certain firm notions regarding their moral standing and are nowhere near as liberated as the latest soap operas and billboards in the city would have one believe. The Pakistani woman may not be ready to be admonished by a Mutawa for not wearing Hijab, but she is not voting for legalizing prostitution any time soon either.

As for the masses, made aware of the incident thanks to the continued media outcry, they have produced mixed reactions. From flip remarks regarding the 'empowerment of women' in the reign of enlightened moderation to outrage at a blatant disregard for law, to reluctant agreement - you may have heard it all. We interviewed some Karachiites, all belonging to the educated and hence relatively more aware section of society, for their opinion on the raid carried out by the students of Jama'a Hafsa and the possibility of a moral police in Pakistan. Here's what they say.

"When I read about it I was considerably outraged. But after watching the interviews of the in-charge of the Madrassah and the students on a recent television program, I've started to view this issue a little differently, and from Jama'a Hafsa's perspective as well. I think if the government absolutely fails to protect its citizens or do anything about things like prostitution in a resident area, then actions taken by the masses become justified. But this is only applicable in a situation when the government and the law are a failure which is true in our case, unfortunately. If the police refuse to take action and people still don't resort to taking things in their hands, change will never come. It is because these students took matters into their own hands that the government is being made to realize its fault for being weak and incompetent." – Fiza Fatima is 22 and a social sciences graduate from a college in the U.S.

"It is indeed horrifying to see how people can totally disregard authorities and take law into their own hands. Mosque and all such religious entities should be respectable institutions for us and we should look up to them. Having said this, people responsible should keep this in mind and should commit acts which make them respectable for us, not degrade them. When I say all this, I do not want to offend anyone but I guess there has to be a better way of enforcing Shariah than doing all this." – Muhammad Ali is an engineer

"Policing is not the job of citizens, even if it is done for the right reasons. We just don't have the right to take the law in our hands. What is in fact our responsibility is to point out whatever wrong is going on in society and protest against it, but we cannot start punishing people on our own for crimes that we may not even have full proof of. We do not even know what exactly these students' definition of immoral activities is – for all I know this was not really a brothel at all. And even if it was, it is the government's job to take action against it. My question is that why don't these women raise their voices against rape and other violent crimes taking place against the women of Pakistan everyday, which need much more urgent intervention. I would probably support them if they did the same to men who gang rape women in villages, instead of launching attacks at women who may have been victims of their circumstances and doing what seems more like pushing their male leaders' agenda. I request the government to take strong action against these students who have taken full advantage of their gender, and to ensure that incidents like these don't happen again before the country falls into anarchy!" – Mrs. Masooma Azher is a housewife and a mother of three

"In my opinion, this is 'enlightenment' in its truest sense. Mahatir Muhammad said, 'fanaticism' is, in fact 'enlightenment', though I don't mean to label this particular act as 'fanaticism'. I think this was a fairly brave, bold and logical decision these women made and I am proud of them. Right or wrong are relatively defined terms, depending upon who is the judge, so is the word 'extreme'. You might consider the Bosnians taking aggressive measures, trying to reclaim their land as being justified, and someone else might think its terrorism. From my lens, this act was done from a religious sentiment, and not for personal or political gain, and hence, is justified. I'm not in favor of judging them on if this was the best thing to do (you may find ten other things in the world which would have been better than dismantling the neighborhood brothel), but I do think the key here is that they did the 'right' thing which should be understood and replicated. Every revolution which you may consider noble today, started as perhaps unjustifiable set of acts. What matters ultimately is 'why' they did it and if it wasn't for personal/political reasons and done with a noble intention, I am supportive of it." – Shahjahan Larik is a computer science professional

"I believe what has happened is completely wrong. It is the government's job to intervene if something that is against the Shariah happens in society. According to Islam, no individual has the right or authority to interfere in another person's life like this. I am particularly amazed that none of our religious political parties have condemned the incident, because it shows that they actually support something like this which might have been small in impact right now, but could be something much bigger in the future - these people have promised to take much more extreme actions in their interviews on television. I would also like to add here that these people are a small extremist minority and they do not represent the rest of us. The majority of us do not want people taking the law into our hands, breaking and entering people's homes and kidnapping. What's next on their agenda, suicide bombing?" – Sidra is a graduate from a university in Karachi

"I think incidents like these will encourage people with self serving motives to take the law in their hands for the wrong reasons. I do believe though that we need controls on questionable activities such as those being carried on in that resident area, as I can understand why the residents wanted those women out. But the government needs to provide the controls, not people. I think the Jama'a Hafsa incident should be condemned on a national level and the government should make sure this doesn't happen again." – Sana Jawwad is a 26-year-old MBA working in a local private organization

"If seen in light of Islamic teachings, we wouldn't find a single example in which our Holy Prophet (peace be on him) spread Islam by force or even appreciated spreading it by force. In an interview these women said that the Quran tells us to respond with harm if anyone does harm to us. I wonder where this came from since our religion clearly states that one should respond in a manner such that the perpetrator of harm gets inspired by your faith and attitude. Also, asked what the funding source of the two seminaries and the Lal Masjid was, their leader said: "Whenever we are short of essential items we close our eyes and demand the goods from Allah. Within a few minutes, we find the desired things in our kitchens." What baloney!" – Hussain Abbas is a Software Developer

"I actually don't have a strong opinion for or against the students of Jama'a Hafsa. I believe in political and social movements arising out of common people and I feel that if they feel so strongly about something, they just might be justified in taking action against it given the alleged mute response of the police to their protests. I realize that taking the law into one's own hands can be chaotic but at the same time, that's how all people's movements are launched and if they have popular support, they can bring about popular change. If they don't have popular support of the masses, nobody should be worried about their becoming a coup. They will die down themselves." – Moneeza Ahmed works in a local non profit organization and is an activist

Recent incidents of fires breaking out in commercial centres, godowns and offices in a metropolis like Karachi are enough to worry the citizens of Hyderabad where fire-fighting facilities are extremely inadequate.

Disaster management has never been a top priority for policy makers - even though preventive measures can go a long way in ensuring public safety in cases of fires, floods or other natural disasters. But normally we wake up after something happens and leaves us with irrecoverable human and material loss.

An efficient and well-equipped fire-fighting department is a necessity for any city. In Hyderabad there are not enough vehicles available with the fire brigade to cope up with an emergency lest one arises. Hyderabad presently is a city with a population of more than 1.7 million citizens but the available facilities for the fire-fighting department are poor and the equipment in bad condition.

The worst problem is that usually most vehicles are not available with the district government - as these vehicles are used for VIP duties when the President, Prime Minister and Chief Minister or Governor or Senate Chairman arrive in nearby areas or districts.

According to world standards, a separate fire station with proper equipment and vehicles is required for a population of 50,000 people. Five fire stations and four or five vehicles for all of Hyderabad are simply insufficient to meet emergency situations. In rural Taluka of Hyderabad, there isn't a single fire station except one located at Latifabad.

One such situation rose recently when the city witnessed an incredible fire that turned more than 50 rickshaws and mini taxis into ashes within an hour. The fire fighting staff and their equipment were unable to control the fire as it occurred in the wee hours in Noorani Basti.

The rickshaw drivers demanded compensation for damages but the actual reason the fire became so costly was the late arrival of the fire brigade vehicles and non-availability of water tanks at many locations in the city. Had the job was done properly; the fire would not have spread as it did and destruction would have been minimal.

The available fire brigade vehicles are in a terrible condition and need to be replaced immediately with newer better-equipped vehicles. The wireless system that was available sometime ago is also missing in the fire stations of the district as there are on the record only five fire stations in working condition including three in Hyderabad City Taluka at Market, Faqir Ka Pir and Paretabad. Surprisingly, none of them have overhead tanks to re-fill the fire fighting vehicles. As a result, these vehicles have to collect water from distant places thus posing threats during emergencies.

Even if they are few and in terrible condition one wished that they were only used for fire fighting. It is the new district government that stopped these vehicles being used for supply of drinking water to areas with water shortage.

According to fire fighting department employees, the phone and communication system is not in a good condition and the fire station in Qasimabad doesn't even have a phone connection. The only way one can have that station's help is if one physically alarms the personnel at the station. Realistically speaking, if one's house is on fire, he is hardly expected to run down to the station and report it.

The city also lacks a snorkel, which is used for getting into high-rise buildings, as authorities are yet to pay attention to this important firefighting necessity.

These fire stations also lack fire extinguishers, gas masks and proper uniforms as per the employees. Jalal, an employee at one of the fire station tells Kolachi that the last three fire fighting trucks that arrived in the city were some ten years ago and the city requires more vehicles and fire stations keeping in view the increase in Hyderabad's population. "These four or five vehicles are being used to control fires all over the city and even in nearby districts. Refilling is another problem. Water tanks need to be established in the city so that vehicles can refill soon and be ready for emergencies," he adds.

It is learnt that the District Government has approached the Sindh Government for purchase of new fire fighting vehicles and more fire stations are being planned for the District but the timeframe is not yet announced.

Sabir Kaimkhani, Taluka Nazim Latifabad told Kolachi that the Taluka administration acquired two vehicles with only one fire station and these two vehicles are functional and another is being repaired after a longtime.

He says that there is a shortage of hydrants and equipment but his administration is making efforts to provide fireproof clothes and other things to the city's firemen. He was of the view that the meager resources of Taluka administration are not allowing them to purchase those equipments.

Referring to firefighting vehicles being used during VIP movements, he said that one fire brigade vehicle is always available at the fire station even when another was provided for security duty because of VIP arrival.

The government should take measures through seeking funds from the federal as well as provincial government incase the district government doesn't have sufficient funds for purchasing latest equipment and fire fighting vehicles before a major emergency hits Hyderabad.

And above all the federal government that is pursuing a disaster management plan should actually start its implementation as the policy was devised after the deadly October 2005 earthquake and disaster management authorities should be established without further delay.

The staff of fire stations at Hyderabad should also be provided with good salaries and their grade should be upgraded like other big cities of the country so that they continue to work for the betterment of citizens even in meager resources and shortage of equipment. They put their lives in jeopardy to save those of their fellow citizens.

Last but not the least authorities should make a workable plan and purchase some new fire vehicles for VIP duties as non-availability of vehicles could lead to major damage.

The self-employed are an optimistic lot. They are the people who don't want to spend their lives complaining about their grievances in exchange for pity. There are people in the society who still want to live their lives according to their terms and conditions and Khair Bibi is one of them.

Women, not encouraged to manage their own affairs are at a loss when their male bread earner, whether it's a father or a husband dies. With their husbands or fathers their source of income dies too. The only choices they have then are to either depend upon the mercy of their relatives, beg or earn money themselves, something still frowned upon by society.

Not one of those women who let their life dominated by norms of the patriarchal society we live in, Khair Bibi chose a mode of living and found a solution to her problems.Khair Bibi talks to Kolachi of her experiences and her living standard...

Kolachi: Tell us something about yourself.

Khair Bibi: I am a resident of Lyari, and I am a Baloch by origin. I'm a widow for the last six years. My husband was murdered by our own relatives and the culprit has not been caught as yet. He ran away from Karachi. I have eight children, four sons and four daughters. My eldest daughter is 18. My sons are younger than my daughters. Three of my younger children go to school as well.

Kolachi: What do you do?

Khair Bibi: I've got a small stall at the doorstep of Hanif Baloch Pansar (Herbal Medicines) shop at Kundan Street in Khajoor Bazaar. I sell herbal medicines and other herbal items. Most of the medicines I sell are maternity herbal medicines. I also sell loose henna powder, loban, meswak, surma, herbal wax, soft thread for facial threading and other homemade remedies for different things.

Kolachi: What is your daily income?

Khair Bibi: My sales vary and my daily earning ranges between 250 rupees to 400 rupees.

Kolachi: How long have you been doing this?

Khair Bibi: I've been selling home-made remedies for more than 15 years but never came to the market to sell my products. But after my husband died I had no choice. I'm doing this business for more than five years now and every day I come at 10 in the morning and go back home at 6 in the evening.

Kolachi: Who helped you setting up this stall and providing you the space in this busy Bazaar?

Khair Bibi: Brother Hanif, the owner of the Hanif Baloch Pansar (Herbal Medicines) Shop, helped me and lent me some money to begin my small business and allowed me to set up my stall in front of his doorstep. I returned his money in installments and he didn't even take any interest and he has not charged any rent from me for so many years. I'm thankful to Allah and after that to this brother who helped me.

Kolachi: How do you know about herbs and their usage?

Khair Bibi: My family knew all about herbs. One of my aunties was a midwife and she knew all about herbal medicines and homemade remedies. I have learnt about most of the herbal medicines from her and their use in maternity problems. I'm also a midwife but I prefer my small business.

Kolachi: Are your relatives supportive?

Khair Bibi: No, people talk and my relatives have also said some weird things about me being a woman and selling things in the market but I don't care because they just talk. Nobody comes to help you. I don't believe in bottling up my emotions. I tried to support myself and my family and I decided to do the herbal business even if it is on a small scale and I'm happy. I've learnt one thing from life that never give up hope even if you are drowning in a river. One should never give up their efforts to earn a respectful living.

Kolachi: Why did you choose to run a business? Why not employment or working as a maid?

Khair Bibi: I don't like to work as a maid doing home chores for people. Because these Seth log insult you, humiliate you on small mistakes and treat you as if you are not a human being and give their leftover food to their servants. I can't take all this. I'm a human being too – so what if I'm poor? It's my right that I should be respected and treated as any other rich person. So I don't have a temperament to tolerate Seth log and their attitudes just because I'm working at their homes. I'm happy and living life according to my terms and conditions and I don't have to depend upon anyone.

Kolachi: What do you like about Karachi?

Khair Bibi: Karachi is a big-hearted city. It welcomes everyone and I like everything about Karachi though our part of Karachi that is Lyari has been neglected quite a lot. The recent gang war in our area is another problem but still I love it. I belong to Karachi and I was born and brought up here. Our whole community is here in Lyari and in different parts of Karachi. My grand parents are from Iranian Balochistan and we do have Sejal to visit Iran. But we are Pakistanis and particularly Karachiites.

Kolachi: Has your stall ever removed by the municipal department?

Khair Bibi: Several times. These people come to remove all the encroachment and stalls of all vendors but I'm at the doorstep to this shop so I'm saved and these Bazaar people are very cooperative. I have never had any problems. As long as this shop is here I'll be sitting here and selling my goods. I don't know about the future but at present I am happy.

Kolachi: What about the future of your children? What have you thought about them?

Khair Bibi: I'm doing my best to have a better standard of living but I cannot expand my business and as you know in our country the government doesn't support people to improve their standard of living. They just take financial aid from foreign countries in the name of the poor people to improve their lives and help them but poor never really benefit from that aid. Where does that aid go? It surely does not reach the poor.

With that Khair Bibi resumed work. Focused, determined and strong-willed, Khair Bibi is one of the leading female entrepreneurs of the area. Giving its residents ample opportunities to prove themselves and pushing them forward in life – such is Karachi's character.

– Photos by the writer