Yes, he is a proud Pakistani; the winner of Dubai Excellence
Award. His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice
President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, recently
recognized 29 years of his dedicated and unprecedented service
to keep the community green.
A young heart in his sixties, Nazir has been working eight
hours a day regularly; be it the scorching sun, intense humidity
or the freezing cold. This iron man has always been there on
duty with his ever-pleasant smile that he steals from the flowers
he nourishes.
Throughout the interview, there was a
smile full of contentment and joy that no words can describe.
He is a proud Pakistani
and a reason for Pakistani community in the UAE to be proud
of. We met in his room at the Municipality’s labor accommodation
in Dubai; very neat and clean; a true reflection of a simple
and disciplined life.
When asked how he felt about this prestigious
award, he gave credit to Allah SWT and was thankful to the
government who recognized his efforts.
Boota came to the UAE in 1974 and has been associated with
Dubai Municipality for the last 30 years. He hails from Panjgaran,
a village near Islamabad.
According to him, apart from the appreciation of people in
Dubai, there are bigger awards in his life. One of which is
his three daughters and two sons to whom he and his wife provided
the best possible education and manners.
Both his sons and one daughter hold master’s
degrees from reputable universities in Pakistan. His sons
are associated
with a government office in Islamabad. His younger daughter
is studying and he has the same ambition for her as well.
He was, however, a little sad while mentioning
one of his daughters, who had gotten married just after graduation
and could not complete her master’s degree because her
in-laws did not allow her to do so. Continuing
with his story, Nazir revealed that he and his wife did
not have any formal schooling, but both |
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understood the
value of education and how much pain and effort is required
to achieve such goals. For him, his life savings are
his educated children serving the nation.
During one of his vacations back home,
he saw to it that his children studied at night. One
day Nazir noticed that his children had to be involved
in the routine care for the cows in the afternoon. He
then decided to sell the cattle; since he wanted his
children to focus exclusively on their education.
If all Pakistani’s followed this
simple man’s example, there would hardly be anyone
left whose face isn’t lit with contentment and
pride like one witnessed on Nazir’s face.
The life of Nazir Boota Khan is not only
worth being proud of, but there is also a lesson to be
learnt and an example to be followed. If one has a vision
and believes in himself, he gets what he desires, nothing
stops him; be it the scorching sun, intense humidity
or the freezing cold. |
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