Syed Wali who lost limbs saving people leads miserable life

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Syed Wali, a 40-year-old resident of Sararud district of eastern Nangarhar province, saved thousands of lives by detecting and destroying landmines. He lost his limbs to a blast and now leads a life full of miseries.

Sergeant Syed Wali was working in the demining engineering team of the previous regime’s police. About two years ago, he was seriously injured in an explosion that occurred while he was removing a landmine placed in front of a school.

His both hands were amputated in the blast and he completely lost one eye and got his second eye 40 percent damaged.

Father of three children (one son and two daughters), Wali has no one to support his family.

The former police officer told Pajhwok Afghan News he had served in the engineering team of Nangarhar Police Headquarters and saved thousands of lives by destroying thousands of improvised explosive devices.

About two years ago, he defused a landmine buried in front of a school building which caused another landmine to explode, amputating his both hands.

“I detonated a landmine in front of a school here in Nangarhar that caused another landmine to explode. In that incident, I lost both hands and one eye”

The government first sent him to India for treatment. He received treatment in India for six months, but then the regime fell and his treatment remained incomplete and he returned to a life of helplessness.

“I have detected and destroyed thousands of landmines. I served my country for 18 years in different provinces.”

Now disheartened, Wali said he was concerned about the future of his children as his life was difficult and there was no one to support his family. “My eldest son is only four years old.”

He said his hands could be treated in India but it required four million afghanis which was beyond his reach. He hardly finds food for his children.

Wali said after the collapse of the previous government, his treatment could not be completed and the current government had not helped him.

He said he should be treated like soldiers of the current government because he sacrificed his body parts for the people and the country.

Meanwhile, Nangarhar officials say they are working on a mechanism to help the disabled soldiers of the previous system and privilege cards will be issued to them soon.

Qureshi Badlon, head of the media coordination at the information and culture department, told Pajhwok Afghan News in the previous government, there were many people who were not military personnel but had registered themselves as military disabled.

According to his information, currently 25,000 civil and military disabled people of the Islamic Emirate are being given privileges.

ma