I am the kind of person who loves striking up a conversation with random strangers when traveling. It gives me the knowledge which no book, blog, or site can provide. This is pure first hand, eye witness sort of accounts which mostly brings an interesting perspective to my thought process.
When I say random people, I even speak to fruit sellers or taxi drivers for that matter. Today it was a taxi driver from Waziristan; a war-stricken area for over a decade on the borders of Pakistan & Afghanistan.
Dubai is full of Pathan, Malayalam, Sikh or Bengali drivers and every time I surprise them by speaking in Urdu or Hindi because of my looks will deceive them as if I am an Arab. Their surprise turn into happiness and lead to a conversation from expensive South Indian weddings to Haseena Wajid and how she will be punished by God.
Mostly Pathans I have spoken to in and out of Pakistan are pro-Taliban but today I got lucky.
Sadiq, hailing from a small village in South Waziristan is working as a taxi driver in Dubai for the past 6 years. His family moved out of Waziristan and settled in D.I.Khan in the late 90’s but the whole war/operation situation made them lose people, property, and above all educational resources.
According to Sadiq, only education can eliminate the root of evil called the Taliban. Even to understand the difference between heaven or hell or to read Quran in detail you require educational skills which these Taliban are taking away from us. I was shocked when he said that “Madam,brain wash unhi ka hoga jin kay dimagh main taleem naam ki cheez nahi hogi. Taleem ayegi tau soch bhi paida hogi.”
Sadiq’s family and relatives have land near Miranshah and they also work on contract for constructions yet they don’t live on that side. For the sake of children’s education, they are now living in Attock, Punjab and he sounded very proud of telling me that his son is in class II. When I asked what else he expects this education will bring to his people, he replied “Education hogi tau West ka muqabla hoga warna baatein tau Imran aur Fazlur Rahman bhi karlete hain.”
When I left his cab I was content & smiling, knowing that my countrymen are on the path for which Malala and many others fight every day.
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