PESHAWAR: The disturbing viral video of an extremely poor resident of the Teela Band area of Peshawar attempting to sell his children grabbed the attention of the authorities, whose prompt action prevented a tragedy in the nick of time.
The video that shocked the social media somehow ended up in the city administration’s corridors.
Zaman, who alongside his children, used to work at a brick kiln, which has been cold for the last two years, is striving to make ends meet without much success.
Neck-deep in abject poverty and faced with starvation, loss of shelter, and stripped of all hope, he somehow convinced himself to take one of the most painful measures a parent could ever take.
“My family is starving, and I can’t find any work,” lamented Sher Zaman pointing to the broken roof of his rented home, which he said collapsed after torrential rains, leaving him destitute. “I have become helpless, that’s why I’m selling my children,” he said sobbing.
The video, which left social media disturbed, caught the attention of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Peshawar who acted promptly to help the devastated father.
The DC had Zaman invited to his after the upsetting footage of him attempting to sell his children went viral on social media.
“The children will be relocated to welfare institutions for education and upbringing,” assured the DC, outlining plans to ensure the well-being of Sher Zaman’s children.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar also pledged to provide a job to the hard-pressed father, after receiving necessary documents from him.
Former provincial minister Aqil Shah has also donated Rs150,000 to the poor family to ease their financial burden.
The incident sheds light on the harsh realities faced by many underprivileged families in Peshawar, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive social welfare reforms to prevent such tragic circumstances in the future.