SAIDU SHARIF: Like many Swatis, Khursheed Alam lovingly called Spin Dada by his relatives is getting on with his life with a smile but his left arm hanging down uselessly is a constant reminder of the horrific event that changed his life forever.

He lost not only his arm but also 18 of his relatives as he along with other elders gathered in a mosque were attacked by militants in 2008 when militancy was at its peak in Swat valley.

“We had just gathered in a mosque to form a peace committee when a militant came in to inform us that his commander wanted to talk to us. Next thing we know was a militant barging in and firing at us indiscriminately,” said Khursheed Alam hailing from Biha village of Matta tehsil, which remained a stronghold of the banned militant outfit, Tehreek-i-Taliban Swat.

The injured were not allowed to leave for around two hours despite severe injuries. The militants killed 14 people, while eight people, including Khursheed, were injured in the attack.

“When militants left taking some people as hostage, I came out and what I saw was so horrible that I cannot forget it till this day.

“I saw some bodies were hanging from the trees. Some were beheaded. Eyes were gouged out of some,” said Khursheed Alam as his face grew ruddier and tears welled up in his hazel eyes that have the witnesses’ horror. He quickly camouflaged it with a smile.

The world knows about Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban militants in the head for raising voice for the girls’ education, but there are many resilient Swatis, who are a living example of resilience and bravery and are striving to live a normal life and earn livelihood for their children.

“The day I was shot I was taken to a Peshawar hospital for treatment. I have spent Rs2,000,000 on my treatment and have undergone several operations,” he said sharing his ordeal.

Khursheed Alam left the valley as the militancy reached the point where the government had to launch an operation, Rah-i-Rast, against militants.

He and his family stayed away from the valley for 13 months and stayed in Peshawar and Charsadda as a displaced family, while militants had a hay day eating away all the fish from his farm. He lost fish worth around Rs3,000,000 as militants liked to have trout fish for free.

“Militants ate all the fish as trout is very tasty you know. They called it war booty and destroyed my farm completely,” he said smilingly who left around more than 20,000 fish but found only 85 when he returned to a destroyed trout fish hatchery after 13 months.

But the big-hearted man said he didn’t care for that financial loss but it was the health one should value more.

His paralysed arm is the reason he cannot work as a seaman like many other Swatis anymore. Many Swatis are working on ships and earn handsome amount from this occupation.

“I had been a seaman all my life earning around $1,200-$1,300 a month and traveling around the world but I cannot do that with my one arm useless now,” he said yet without any bitterness.

Khursheed Alam said he was a fighter and life went on.

He was happy that the USAID helped him rehabilitate and reconstruct his fish farm and hatchery, which is the source of his livelihood.

The militancy may have made part of his life and body paralysed but he has his smile and his fish back now. All he wants is more support from the government so he could expand his farm and hatchery.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2017