human angle
Slavery in a free land
Mannu Bheel's fight for justice
Kolachi takes a closer look at the tragic life of Mannu Bheel that has made headlines and reminded people in urban centers of the harsh reality of bonded labour that carries on unabated in the country's rural lands. 
By Adeel Pathan
Photos by
Mohammed Rehan
On April 2,1998 nine members of Mannu Bheel's family were kidnapped, and have not been found to date.

citycalling
Soak up the sun... with a glass!
The vibrant culture of Karachi's fresh organic juice supplying rehriwalas  should not be underrated.
By Muhammad Shahbaz Zahid
Scorching sun, high noon, unannounced never ending power breakdowns and unbearable perspiration in return. For most Karachiites, the city takes a heavy toll during summers. Especially, due to persistent power break downs, the business class suffers the most . However, there are a few exceptional businessmen in the city for whom there can be no season as profitable as summers and who, contrary to most Karachiites, literally wait for the mercury to rise. These are our very own vendors selling homemade desi beverages. In summer it is to these foot soldiers bearing thanda that people throng to beat the heat.

citycalling
Total recall: Looking back at the MQM-PTI saga
The MQM – PTI dispute started with a series of accusations from both sides after Black Saturday amnd ended with the whitewashing of walls full of obscene graffiti. The whole saga has introduced Karachi to a new face of dirty politics. Kolachi comments.
By Sabe
en Jamil
As you read these lines, Imran Khan, the former captain of Pakistan cricket team and the chief of Pakistan Tehrike Insaaf (PTI) after spending a chaotic week in the country, will have already flown to London to register a case against Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain for his alleged involvement in the violence on Black Saturday.

karachicharacter
Have a paan please!
By Nabeel Naqvi
45-year-old Muhammad Muttalib has his paan shop in the heart of Karachi at I.I Chundrigar Road, the commercial hub of the city. Muttalib is a Bengali migrant who came to Pakistan during General Zia-ul-Haq's reign. He is quite satisfied with living in Karachi and has adapted to living in the concrete jungle quite nicely. Muttalib has some issues of his own that he needs the authorities concerned to look at. He can speak Urdu with a Bengali accent but cannot read Urdu properly because of the fact that he lived his childhood in the dense neighbourhoods of Dhaka.

 

human
angle

Slavery in a free land
Mannu Bheel's fight for justice
Kolachi takes a closer look at the tragic life of Mannu Bheel that has made headlines and reminded people in urban centers of the harsh reality of bonded labour that carries on unabated in the country's rural lands. 

On April 2,1998 nine members of Mannu Bheel's family were kidnapped, and have not been found to date.

Mannu Bheel was born in a village that falls in the desert zone of Sindh known as Tharparkar. After he got married, Mannu moved to irrigated areas after a drought and in the 1980s started working with a landlord Hayat Rind as a working partner near Naukot, in Mithi District along with his family members. Rind claimed that Mannu had taken an advance from him and refused him wages for his work. Eventually in order to pay the price of rain affected crops he sold Mannu, three of his brothers, and two of his in-laws to Abdul Rehman Mari , a landlord in Sanghar District. Mannu recalling his tale told Kolachi that Mari did not pay him wages for his work.

The peasants at Mari's farm made plans to escape and arranged the escape of Krishan Kolhi who then met several political, social and human rights activists, convincing them to work towards the freedom of the other bonded labourers on the farm. Finally the district administration and the then coordinator of HRCP Shakeel Pathan released 71 bonded labourers which included members of Mannu's family in a raid along with a foreign media team. However, at that time Mannu was working on another farm of Mari's and was not released. He was later tortured by the landlord for his assumed involvement with the raid, but was released after some time.

After living in a peasant camp for six months, Mannu decided to move back in with his other family members in Thar. It was then that the landlord Abdul Rehman Mari with armed men kidnapped his family members while Mannu was away attending a marriage ceremony in 1998.It was only five days later when he returned from the marriage ceremony that a case was lodged for the recovery of his nine kidnapped family members including his wife, daughters, son, brother, father and a close relative.

Although Mannu observed a token hunger strike outside the Hyderabad Press Club for more than 1,100 days since January 2003 in protest of the abduction of his family, no progress was made on his case till 2006, till  Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudry took notice of his case while considering the application of a Swedish human rights activist Torborg Isakssa . Sindh Police was unable to succeed in producing Mannu's family and were given till April 14, 2007 to recover the missing persons.However,the Chief Justice was suspended on the March 9, 2007 and no further action could be taken against police officials. Mannu says that his hopes for justice were shattered with the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudry and senior police official Salimullah Khan.

 Mannu now lives in Shakeel Nagar, a freed peasants' camp named after the former coordinator of the HRCP the late Shakeel Pathan in Jamshoro District. He has not really observed the hunger strike since Mari was arrested in July 2006 as he fears for his life, and stays mostly within the camp. He tells Kolachi that his brothers support him financially and adds that he wants to work but does not feel comfortable working without his family members. Mannu  says that the camp is not aware of the whereabouts or condition of his missing family but that he will not quit his struggle to find them.

When asked what he does the whole day, he says that he listens to the complaints of peasants and freed labourers who are living in the camp: "Because of my high profile case the police and other authorities know me respond to people who have my reference." He insists that he is not involved in any corrupt activities and neither does he take bribe for helping his fellow camp dwellers or labourers still in captivity. Mannu says that he is not sure how long he himself has to wait for justice to be served.

Bonded labour is not Pakistan's, especially Sindh's best kept secret, but whilst millions toil away under forced agricultural bonded labour, efforts to release them from their captivity by influential landlords are on the decline. More and more captive peasants are escaping through their own devices rather than with the help of government and non governmental organizations.

Some critics suggest that the decline is due to the waning interest of NGOs who had initially led the movement for freeing bonded labourers for reasons better known to themselves, and a lack of seriousness of authorities on the matter. According to the estimates of independent analysts and NGOs, bonded labour is still prevalent in the province and another reason cited for this was inadequate rehabilitation facilities for escaped labourers in the peasant camps.

Mannu Bheel, who is at present given 1500 rupees as meal allowance illustrates this point well. That  the organization doesn't have 'enough' funding to feed a person who has brought a lot of attention to it with his case  being highlighted in the  international media and attracting donors who pumped  in more money to support awareness and human rights activities in the country , is surprising.

Abbas Kassar, a local journalist associated with a news agency and also honorary coordinator of the Peace and Human Rights Trust (PHRT) says that his organization works for the liberation of bonded peasants/labourers from the private jails of landlords and brick kiln owners. He said that after the Trust held an international conference in Hyderabad in April 2006 it has stepped up its struggle to liberate bonded peasants and so far has freed more than 3000 bonded peasants from the private jails of various landlords in Hyderabad, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar and Tando Allahyar, which are the districts of Sindh worst affected with the bonded labour system.

He also tells Kolachi that PHRT has a team of free legal aid lawyers including ex-Justice Rashid A. Rizvi who with advocate Taj Kaimkhani had landlord Abdul Rehman Mari's bail in the case of the kidnapping of 9 family members of peasant Mannu Bheel rejected by the Sindh High Court on April 25, 2006. Mari was arrested on July 26, 2006 and has since then been in  Hyderabad Central Jail.

According to the information available with the Human Rights Commission as many as 1055 bonded laborers had escaped from the captivity of landlords during the year 2006. However the response to the complaints sent to the authorities was very poor, as only 18 out of 141 complaints of bonded labour got any sort of response and the administration was able to release only 12 peasants.

Talking about the current situation of bonded labor in the agricultural sector, Gull Sadia Altaf, who has taken charge as coordinator of the Human Rights Commission at Hyderabad a month and half ago tells Kolachi that while thousands of people are still suffering under bonded labour, the cases being reported with her office are fewer in number because of the lack of awareness.

She feels that creating awareness of the problem is essential however she did not elaborate on the ways and means to create awareness among bonded peasants who are in the captivity of landlords in exchange for meager sums of money borrowed.

She said that police is supporting the landlords and added that solid steps need to be taken to check the complaints of bonded labourers. She observes that the government should do something for the provision of government land to those who have been freed from the landlord's captivity, as these are skilled laborers and their potential should not be wasted. "The situation can only see a turn around once the political system changes in our society," says Gull Sadia Altaf. She states that " the situation is pathetic," but also says that she is hoping for a revolution to change the present system and felt a change for the better was coming as she observed the protest movement of the lawyers' fraternity.

The perpetuation of this awful system is ensured by the inefficiency of the local officials including the police and the courts of law. The feudal lords are far too influential for the police and the district administration to interfere with and it is not considered judicious to try to disrupt the mainsprings of the local political order.

The feudal lords brush aside criticism of their system and its pitfalls, including bonded labour, as a matter of no consequence or an eccentricity of the city liberals.

Most of us erroneously assume that slavery has never existed in Pakistan and bonded labour ended 13 years ago when the National Assembly adopted the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992 but the fact is that this law abolished bonded labour only on paper, and not in theory.

While the media has played a key role in creating awareness, more needs to be done particularly in sensitizing the public to the issue and above all, the landlords need to learn that workers are not abusable commodities. Political parties need to be taken on board over this issue and asked to emphasize on abolishing bonded labour as this practice is earning nothing more than a worse name for a country that is already facing chaos on many fronts.

 

citycalling
Soak up the sun... with a glass!
The vibrant culture of Karachi's fresh organic juice supplying rehriwalas  should not be underrated.

Scorching sun, high noon, unannounced never ending power breakdowns and unbearable perspiration in return. For most Karachiites, the city takes a heavy toll during summers. Especially, due to persistent power break downs, the business class suffers the most . However, there are a few exceptional businessmen in the city for whom there can be no season as profitable as summers and who, contrary to most Karachiites, literally wait for the mercury to rise. These are our very own vendors selling homemade desi beverages. In summer it is to these foot soldiers bearing thanda that people throng to beat the heat.

Once the temperature crosses mid 30s in the city, a number of teenagers and others can be seen drinking lassi ( a drink made from yoghurt), limboo pani, (lemonade), gannay ka rus (sugar cane juice), water melon juice and other fresh juices from the rerhi walas (push carts) on the roadside. This is refreshment for the people, as opposed to the ice cream parlours and marts which cater to the elite. Summer allows rehriwalas to make a killing during summer.

Kolachi spoke to some of those vendors and shops who sell these beverages and make summers profitable for them.

Abdullah has been working at the United Milk Shop in Saddar since eight years. And regards the summer season to be fruitful for his business. Though it is a milk shop that sells yoghurt, milk   and every day essentials throughout the year, but make special dairy products for summer that they regard as their "speciality". Lassi and milk top the menu at his shop.

Abdullah says: "Summer season is very busy for us. Though we are in the scene for the whole year, this season turns out to be very hectic for us. But we don't mind that at all."

Though the shop is mostly known for lassi, they serve other 'specialities' for a loyal clientele.  Abdullah says: "Although most people come here for a drink of lassi in summer, there are other drinks as well who do a good business for our shop. 'United Surprise', the shop's speciality, is quite refreshing for the consumers and is asked for in big numbers. 'Engineer Shake' among other milk shakes is more delicious and 'most wanted' in our list."

Kashif, a teenager is a regular consumer at this shop. When asked by Kolachi that  why he comes here so often he told: "In summers, there is no drink better than a glass of lassi, and here its the best! "

Apart from these shops, summers makes the business of vendors and small cabin owners profitable too.

Mohammad Nawaz, 40,  is one such owner of a small cabin where he has been selling fresh fruit juices since 17 years. "I trade in juices only. And the good thing about selling juices is that you can keep up your business running for the whole year whether its summer or winter. But summer goes far better for us than winter does. People demand juices quite regularly when the heat soars up."

Popularly known as Falsay wala (the said juice is his speciality), Nawaz sells other juices like mango, apple and grape fruit too.

"Apple and grape fruit juices are mostly available in winters and mango and falsa juices in summers." he tells Kolachi about his seasonal operation. These drinks vary in price; one glass can cost anywhere between 10 to 30 rupees depending on the prices of the fruits.

Other than fresh juices and yoghurt drinks, another local juice quite popular in the city is Lemonade. The 'Leemo paani wala' (lemon water) pushing his cart on the roads and throngs of people buying the fresh lemonade from his stall is  a common sight these days in the city.  The drink, which is a mixture of black salt (and black pepper sometimes) and lemon juice along with water,  turns out to be a most refreshing drink in summers as it is believed to cool down the heat in our bodies.

Gulzaar, 24, has been selling leemo pani for the past six years. Stationed on a vendor along with small water tanks, glasses and heaps of lemons, Gulzaar has always had a good summer season and as he says, he is never low on consumers as he does not only sell leemo paani but another beverage to drink as well which is called sattu.

Sattu, a  typical Pakistani drink, is made from grains or sometimes maize with some input of sugar.

Gulzaar says: "Along side selling leemo paani, which is the main business booster for me, sattu earns good money for me too. Leemo paani is a lighter drink as compared to sattu." He continues about his trade: "I sell drinks' glasses at 5 to 10 rupees, which is quite reasonable. I have all sorts of people coming here to have a drink such as students, office people, workers etc".

People like lassi wala, leemo paani wala and juice wala are regulars on Karachi's streets but there is one person who is quite unique when it comes to selling juices and drinks on vendors and small carts.

Malik Wazeer and his son Wazeer Zahid sell ghota on  a cart  on the streets of Saddar. Their small sit-out is known as 'Punjab ka mashour ghota' (Punjab's famous crusher, you might say). This unique drink is a mixture of eight ingredients that includes sugar, almonds, chaar magaz (four naturally extracted ingredients), elaichi (cardamom), misri (small hard piece of sugar), black pepper, gulab ki patti (rose petal) and khopra (coconut extract). And this drink sure is very refreshing though it might not taste that good to many initially. Ghota is an acquired taste.

Both father and son, have been selling this unique speciality for the last four years and have become so famous that they even have visiting cards and also parcel the drink if they are called to do so on their cell phone. Wazeer tells Kolachi about his day at the office: "We have quite a busy schedule actually. We come here early in the morning because our work takes a lot of time and is very time consuming. We have to grind and crush all the ingredients together to make up a mixture and then present it in a liquified form. Our drink is very good for health as well as it includes almonds and coconut extracts which are good for mind and body. It (the drink) gives a very different taste because of the essence of all the ingredients and some people might not like it. The thing is that when you are presenting a solution which includes totally natural ingredients and doesn't involve any sort of artificial stuff, which are used for enhancing the taste of the drink, the raw form sometimes is hard to consume".

The unique mixture of eight ingredients converted into a drink is surely a heat killer. But what happens when the summer season goes away and winter comes? What does the father-son duo do then. They tell: "We go back to our village and look after our crops there."

Working hard and dedicatedly doesn't always mean that you can earn more than you expect. In case of these people, who work as vendors, on their carts and small cabins, expenses often go out of reach creating numerous problems for them. This is the case with Rehmat, who sells refreshing sugar cane juice and has to spend the most of his earnings in order to buy sugar canes.

Rehmat continues: "A few years back, we used to buy sugar canes from puraani Sabzi Mandi, which wasn't far away from here. But now things have changed. As the market has been shifted (the new market is located at Super Highway), we have to spend a lot of money on transportation and it is time consuming as well. We sell the juices in the range of 5 to 10 rupees and because of our low-budget business, we are not able to save much for ourselves."

No matter how much money they make and whatever the season is, these people work their heart out. They provide their consumers with fresh juice for the fraction of the price of various packaged brands. People who don't earn much can't spend heavily on summer refreshments.  These drinks and the salesmen are famous in their own way and are surely a part of Karachi's business.

 

– Photographs by Athar Khan and Muhammad Zahid


citycalling
Total recall: Looking back at the MQM-PTI saga
The MQM – PTI dispute started with a series of accusations from both sides after Black Saturday amnd ended with the whitewashing of walls full of obscene graffiti. The whole saga has introduced Karachi to a new face of dirty politics. Kolachi comments.

As you read these lines, Imran Khan, the former captain of Pakistan cricket team and the chief of Pakistan Tehrike Insaaf (PTI) after spending a chaotic week in the country, will have already flown to London to register a case against Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain for his alleged involvement in the violence on Black Saturday.

It is too early to predict what the final outcome of this Imran-Altaf match will be. However the initial innings of this match that were played on the grounds of Karachi during the last few days have raised enough questions and concerns among Karachiites about the kind of politics emerging in the city.

Though politics in Pakistan has rarely been civilized, it has never been as scandalous as it was these past two weeks. Wall chalking and graffiti is not a new concept for Karachiites but a politician cum national hero being bashed and abused in public through wall chalking in the entire city is what Karachiites never expected nor welcomed. The graffiti campaign initiated by MQM was an attack on the personal life of the star cricketer who is equally loved by Mohajirs, Punjabis, Pathans, Sindhis and other ethnicities in Pakistan for winning the Cricket World Cup in 1992. The former captain of the Pakistan cricket team is the darling of every teenager for his contributions in cricket and his services to humanity via the Shaukat Khanam Cancer Hospital. Therefore, the walls bearing questions to him about his past affairs or scandals (already known by the public) were in bad taste.

The MQM-PTI row could have ended in another series of strikes and violent demonstrations but thankfully, better sense prevailed – on both sides.

Though the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf cancelled the plan to hold the proposed rally on Friday after their demands to remove the disgraceful graffiti from the walls were met by the MQM leadership. The PTI chief Zubair Khan while canceling their protest rally regarded Muttahida Qaumi Movement's efforts to resolve the issue and said "When Muttahida took a democratic step, there is no need for taking out a rally against them. We welcome their goodwill gesture."

This single gesture of goodwill might be enough for both political parties to settle issues between them, but not for the rest of the Karachiites who need explanations for the incidents that stirred the city after Black Saturday.

The story goes like this. Mayhem prevails on May 12. Political parties, government, police and other law enforcement agencies start blaming each other for the violent incidents and then all of a sudden PTI President and the captain of the winner team of world cup 1992 Imran Khan explodes that he is all set to go to the British courts to hold MQM chief Altaf Hussain accountable for his involvement in the violence on May 12 in Karachi. And with this starts up a series of allegations and accusations from both sides. PTI charges MQM with being a "terrorist" organization and MQM retaliates.  Vulgarity drips from the walls in Karachi and not a single place is left that does not bear abusive language or the hints of the scandals raised against the PTI chief. The PTI takes notice and gives the government an ultimatum of three days to remove the graffiti and threatens protest demonstrations if their demands are not met. MQM activists hold protest demonstrations against Imran Khan and call him a "womanizer" and a "fascist" Meanwhile, Imran Khan plans to visit Karachi to meet the family of the deceased of May 12. However he is not even allowed to leave from the Lahore airport for Karachi as The Sindh Home Department, under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO), has banned his entry to Karachi out of the fear that just like the CJP's arrival to Karachi sparked violence in the city, the same scenario is replayed.

Though the PTI chief is not allowed to enter Sindh, the Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan issues directives for the removal of all graffiti in the city. Within no time the graffiti is removed and the PTI withdraws its protest plans.

Things seem to be unruffled for the time being but for how long? According to MQM spokesperson Farooq Sattar MQM is collecting evidence against Imran Khan to prove that he is a man of loose morals, and as such they want him to vacate his MNA seat under article 62 and 63 of the constitution.

The proof so far collected in this regard are the facts that Imran Khan indulged in match fixing practices during his cricketing career; he was  accused by famous cricketer Qasim Umar of indulging in smuggling, and that he was called to give a paternity test to prove that he was not the father of Sita White's daughter in a court in Los Angeles. In a recent development former fast bowler and chief of PML's Central Sports Wing Sarfraz Nawaz have provided MQM with "documentary evidence" against Imran Khan.

Working as a politician obviously is an expensive job and can cost one his public image. Using personal life scandals too to harm the reputation of the opposition is not an extraordinary concept. But doing that through public walls and calling the opposition a "dog," and an "adulterer" and that too through a forum open to all in a conservative society like Pakistan has left a bad taste in the mouth of most Karachiites.

It is worth mentioning here that whatever accusations have been raised or whatever "evidences" of Imran's corruption being put forward by the MQM are of a more personal nature. Try finding any connection between them and Imran's political career and you feel lost.

The removal of graffiti and PTIs withdrawal from protest is not the end of mayhem. A lot depends on the developments of the Imran-Altaf saga. As far as the citizens of Karachi are concerned, it's the responsibility of the government to make sure that the rights of every citizen are protected regardless of whether he is ideologically affiliated with the government or not.

karachicharacter
Have a paan please!
By Nabeel Naqvi

45-year-old Muhammad Muttalib has his paan shop in the heart of Karachi at I.I Chundrigar Road, the commercial hub of the city. Muttalib is a Bengali migrant who came to Pakistan during General Zia-ul-Haq's reign. He is quite satisfied with living in Karachi and has adapted to living in the concrete jungle quite nicely. Muttalib has some issues of his own that he needs the authorities concerned to look at. He can speak Urdu with a Bengali accent but cannot read Urdu properly because of the fact that he lived his childhood in the dense neighbourhoods of Dhaka.

 Kolachi: Where in Karachi do you live?

Muttalib: I live in Saddar because the area is near to my workplace.

Kolachi: How long have you been in this business?

Muttalib: I have been in this business for the past 10 years. But, the business has been in my family for the past 40 years or so. My relative had a paan shop in Karachi and he invited my brother to become a partner in the business. From my brother the business came into my hands.

Kolachi: Are you married? Do you have kids?

Muttalib: Yes I have two kids, my daughter is married and my son is just 8 years old. He lives with us and is studying. Kolachi: How much revenue do you generate from selling betel leaf (paan)?

Muttalib: My daily revenue is around 4000 rupees. That accounts for the 250 grams of betel leaf that I sell daily and of course other eatables available at my shop. Cigarettes play a major role in this daily revenue.

Kolachi: What is the wholesale rate for the betel leaf in Karachi?

Muttalib: Actually there are different kinds of betel leaves available in the city; the Ceylon betel leaf is of a good quality and the price per Kg is as high as  700 rupees. On the other hand the local betel leaf cost around 200 rupees per Kg in the wholesale markets.

Kolachi: Which one do you have at your shop? Ceylon or local?

Muttalib: I buy Ceylon  because people can identify the difference in taste. So, to maintain goodwill I prefer Ceylon, just like my customers.

Kolachi: What kind of paans do people prefer in Karachi?

Muttalib: Most of the people in Karachi prefer tobacco paans. There are other kinds available as well: meetha paan, sounf khusbu, saada khushbu, double saada khushbu and Zahoor raja jaani to name a few.

Kolachi: What kind of customers come at your shop?

Muttalib: Most of my customers are adults, as most of them work in different offices in the area. But then again, kids from nearby towns also come to my shop.

Kolachi: How do you deal with the kids who come to buy cigarettes?

Muttalib: Well, as I said kids don't come that often, but, if they come, then for the sake of my own satisfaction I ask them if they are buying it for themselves; and I only sell them cigarettes if they want it for their elders. Actually women who smoke send their kids to buy cigarettes.

Kolachi: How do you manage to run your family with the profit you earn? Do you feel you earn enough?

Muttalib: My daily profit is around 250 rupees. And I think I am doing a good job. A couple of months ago the betel leaf price in the wholesale market increased and my profits decreased significantly; that's because retailers throughout Karachi decided to maintain the old price level. But, that's the way the ball bounces. I would like to highlight a very important issue here, through your newspaper, that May 12 had a pretty bad impact on small businesses. My business suffered a lot because of that chaotic day.

Kolachi: You said you migrated from Bangladesh. Did you have anyone living here in Pakistan, who asked you to shift here?

Muttalib: Yes, my brother came here in 1971 around 10 years before me. So, when he had settled in Karachi he asked me to join him.

Kolachi: Did your parents not stop you?

Muttalib: I came here during General Zia's era. Bangladesh was badly affected by floods those days; so, hundreds of thousands like me migrated to Pakistan via India. My parents didn't stop me because my brother was already living here. General Zia had announced that Pakistan would welcome people coming from Bangladesh with open arms.

Kolachi: What problems do you face in Pakistan?

Muttalib: First of all, I am not yet a Pakistani national, although I am living here for more than 20 years now. I have a family here but still I am not yet a Pakistan national. So, I have to face numerous problems because of this.

Kolachi: What about your schooling?

Muttalib: I completed my 12th grade in Bangladesh but then I had to quit studies. I do regret sometimes about quitting my studies.

Kolachi: So you and one of your brothers live here in Pakistan?

Muttalib: No, my brother who came here before me has returned to Bangladesh. My eldest brother never came to Pakistan he lives there with his family and our mother. Now they want me to return to Bangladesh but it's not that easy for me now that my daughter is married here.

My brothers have shops in Dhaka, I regularly call them and even send them money from Pakistan. Through huundi of course!

 

About the people of Karachi Muttalib says that people here are good. "Of course you get to meet all kinds of people everywhere, so, Karachi is no different. But during the last decade I have realised that self-respect is losing it's worth now. People are getting self-centred to a huge extent and that is pretty depressing to see. Karachi I must say is a very good place to live, it is the last hope of low earners in the country, a heaven I say!"

Muttalib, has been doing a good job one has to say. The fact that he is a Bengali aboriginal; language was a major hindrance when he came to Pakistan, but, living here in Karachi among millions like himself has taught Muttalib the technique of surviving and earning a respectable living; such is the life of a Karachi character…

– Photographs by

Athar Khan

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