49 years old, Bakht Iqbal belongs to village Bandi in Tehsil Kabal, District Swat. Sheer hard work over the years has earned him a honorable reputation in his village. Having no formal education, he started his career as a laborer in a silk mill back in the 90’s. The mill unfortunately closed down and Bakht was left unemployed overnight. He tried to find a job but to no avail. Eventually he left for Dubai with the help of his maternal uncle. After a couple of stints as a laborer he got his driving license and started to earn his livelihood by driving a taxi.
During this time he got married and had three children, due to high living expenses in Dubai, his family stayed back in Pakistan. He missed them immensely but had no choice. Years passed by and Bakht’s health started to deteriorate. He was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure.
Then one day while driving he felt that he was unable to see clearly from his right eye, he went for a checkup and was prescribed glasses. However, diminishing vision made driving difficult for him and he decided to leave for his home country. Here he opened a small merchandise store and for almost two years he was managing with glasses. Till one day he was unable to see at all from his right eye.
One of his customers referred him to LRBT Kalakalay for examination. Upon his visit he was thoroughly examined and diagnosed with cataract in his right eye. He was worried about the cost since he had almost no savings but he was assured that treatment is free for those who cannot afford it.
A week later he had a successful surgery. Upon leaving the hospital he expressed his satisfaction and gratitude to the staff and donors of LRBT for restoring his vision.
