Knife sharpener leads a dull life

By: Fahad Bin Ameer

ISLAMABAD, NOVEMBER 1, 2010: When price hike and boosting prices of petroleum products have made the life of common man depressed and wretched in the country, the people, at the same time, who earn on daily basis like vendors, laborers and daily-wagers, are also striving to live in this frustrated situation. Riaz Baig, a knife sharpener, hails from this hard slog who steps out daily from the door of his house with the hope to earn enough money to run his house.

Riaz Ahmad runs his minor business along road side near Purana Qila. He sharpens the knives, daggers, and scissors. He has been doing the same work for the last ten years. He said “I am doing the same business because I have no other skill beside the expertise of sharpening”.

He told INFN that he was living hand to mouth as his daily income was not so enough. He further told that the business of sharpening had no worth now -a-days as people preferred to buy new knife instead of sharpening the old one.

Repenting to quit study in his early age, when he was in eighth class, Riaz Baigh said, “I got interest in working instead of pursuing further my study, which does not reward me enough to live a good life”. He told this agency his life had become had become miserable.

He said his father had passed away ten years ago and he had to do this work to earn money as his old mother is a patient and for her treatment he had to save some money. “I feel difficulty when I have no money to buy medicine for my mother’s treatments then I have to borrow which is embarrassment for me”

He said in the month of Moharram and on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, he earns a good amount as people come toward him to sharpen the knives. He said, “Now-a-days he is earning good amount which he will use to give those whom he has borrowed”.

As Eid-ul-Azha is near and people will offer sacrifices, they should keep in mind the living conditions of these people like Riaz who even cannot think to eat chicken as the prices of chicken and meat have boosted. By helping the poor people on this holy occasion, rich can take a good step to eradicate the sense of inferiority among the poor which they feel especially on these occasions.