A young man in Pakistan’s capital lost both legs in a road accident five years ago, but he refused to let that define his future.
Today, 28-year-old Hamza Ali delivers meals across Islamabad, riding a modified motorcycle fitted with hand-operated controls.
Ali appeared cheerful under the scorching sun as he told The Associated Press that he had worked for foodpanda, a delivery platform, before the accident. Then a bus he was riding collided with a truck.
“After that accident, the first six months of my life were extremely difficult,” he said. “Then I told myself, ‘Ali, you have to do something on your own.’”
After nearly three years of job hunting in his hometown of Multan, where employers turned him away because of his disability, Ali moved to Islamabad in 2023 on a friend’s advice that the capital’s wider roads make it easier to ride a modified motorcycle.
Using his savings, he adapted his bike and asked foodpanda to reactivate his rider account. The company asked one question: whether he was confident he could do the job. He said yes.
Since returning to work, he has become one of the top-performing delivery riders, according to colleagues.
Ali rejects the sympathy often directed toward people with disabilities.
“I never ask for money. I can earn my own living,” he said. “People just think that because you are disabled, you are no good.” He said his greatest source of strength has been his mother, who encouraged him to focus on what remained possible.
Millions of Pakistanis live with disabilities and often face barriers to employment, mobility and social inclusion. While a 2023 national census reported that 3.1% of the population has a disability, human rights advocates say the true figure is likely much higher.
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