By: KAmran Khamiso Khowaja
SUJAWAL:It is almost impossible to survive when you have all your hopes shattered but if you have the courage to keep the hopes alive you can survive even in the worst possible circumstance and Dr Aslam Azad knows this art of keeping the hope alive. Today marks the 55th birthday of Dr. Aslam Azad who has been putting up with his disability with a smiling face to keep hope alive for the past 30 years. Despite disability the bedridden doctor has made all possible efforts to transform his weakness into his strength. Dr. Aslam Khowaja, popularly known as Dr. Azlam Azad who met a tragic road mishap on the 29th of December 1991 that crippled his body forever.
On that day he was on his way back to Sujawal after attending a medical when he met with a road accident near Sakhi Badshah and got his spinal cord badly damaged. He was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Karachi where doctors gave their hearts out to restore his physical ability but at the end of the day, he was declared paralyzed. .
“That incident rammed my life into darkness and it took a long time to recover from that trauma but in the end accepted the reality , ” said Dr. Azad with a beaming face. Before that incident, Azad lived an active social and political life.
He completed his MBBS from Liaquat College Jamshoro in 1991 and during the academic years actively participated in student politics. He served as President of Sindh Sujag Bar Therik, a student wing of Rasool Bux Palijo,s Awami Taherikh. Later he was elevated as the secretary-general of Awami Tehreek LMC chapter. Azad was also a dynamic journalist during that period and worked with different Sindhi and Urdu dailies as a correspondent that included Daily Jung, Daily Jago, and Daily Awaz that was founded by him.
His social work also remained the hallmark of his career that gave him province-wide recognition. He was among the founders of the Jamshoro press club, an active member of Chandoki welfare Trust and Aga Khan Social Welfare Board.
I think during that brief period I have contributed a lot.; he said
Sharing the experience of his life Dr. Azad said; “I have been bedridden for the past 30 years but my family members, particularly my elder sister who relinquished all her wishes for my welfare and my friends who keep visiting me to make me realize that I still exist”.
His colleagues, friends, and people from different walks of life include Sassui Palijo, Dr. Mohammad Ali Manjhi, Mohammad Ali Malkani, Nisar Khurrro, Dr. Akash Ansari kept visiting him to append his courage. Qazi Asif Colleague and cordial friend of Dr. Aslam Azad said; Dr. Aslam was more of a mentor for me; he had always personified what we called courage.
Poet Ayaz Ammar Sheikh said that For those who had lost hope Dr. Aslam was a beacon of hope.
“When we are exhausted from our life we look to our friend Azad for inspiration, he is an ideal for this generation as well as for the generations to come”. said Zahiq Ishaque Soomro.
In his message to the young generation, he said positivity along with a smile would help them surpass the bad phases of life.
