Disabled ex-ANA officer says suffered a lot due to past war

NEILI (Pajhwok): Sayed Arif Musawi, a disabled young man in central Daikundi province, says he was serving in the former national army in southern Helmand province when lost one of his legs in a bomb blast seven years ago.

Hailing from Kaiti district of Daikundi, Musawi has been living with his wife and mother in a rented house in Neili, the provincial capital, for the last several years.

In addition to disability, Musawi also suffers from poverty and hardly supports his family of three.

He added: “The Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled gives me 3,000 afghanis per month, but this amount is not enough to meet my family needs.”

He wished he would not have been disabled and could walk like other healthy people and meet his family needs.

He said the past war rendered him unable to work and walk forever.

He told Pajhwok he had gone through the bitter experience of the past conflict and his only wish was lasting peace in the country so that no one like him become a victim of war.

Aqila, the wife of Musawi, said their life was very difficult because her physically-challenged husband could not travel and work.

According to her, they cannot dress well and eat proper food because she is unemployed and her husband barely supports the household expenses by receiving assistance.

She was happy that peace and security had returned to the country

Musawi said after his leg was amputated, they faced many problems and their lives had become hard.

Continuing the bitter story of his life, he said when he was lying half-dead in the hospital bed, he would think everything had ended.

He said: “I suffered a lot during the war. War is misery. I hate war. The war made me disabled, it made me and my family wretched.”

The 29-year-old Musawi says: “Anyone who has safety and peace in their country is happy, we are also very happy that our country is safe now and we are proud of our homeland and I wish we all live peacefully.”

He considers peace crucial for progress of the country and happiness of the people.

He emphatically said peace should prevail because it was in the interest of all people.

sa/ma