Shamim Akhtar, Pakistan’s first professional truck driver, is generating news in his home nation. Akhtar transports items across the nation with her six-wheel vehicle.
In order to “earn a living and feed my children in a dignified way,” Akhtar, a mother of four who is divorced and in her late fifties, told that she started working as a truck driver.
Although she acknowledged that it took some time for them to accept her, Akhtar is respected by her peers and is referred to as “Shamim Bhai,” or Brother Shamim. Because I’m the only woman among them, male drivers appreciate me much, she remarked.
Women are frequently observed operating automobiles on Pakistan’s busy roadways, but to the best of Akhtar’s knowledge, no other woman in the nation is qualified to operate a truck or bus. The transportation industry in the nation is predominantly male-dominated.
Akhtar resides in a slum in Rawalpindi, a military town sometimes referred to as the twin city of Islamabad. “I entered the transportation industry where I make $300 to $400 per month after my ex-husband married another woman and told me to feed my own children,” the woman stated.
Akhtar worked at a local sewing school prior to starting her career as a driver. She chose to change careers because that did not give her enough money to care for her children. “I wanted no one to beg from. I’ve always wished to make a decent and honourable living,” she remarked.
A local mechanic named Muhammad Ayaz claimed that Akhtar had demonstrated bravery by taking up driving as a means of supporting her kids. She is brave since she works in a field where women are not often accepted. Ayaz continued, “She would rather work hard and not beg on the streets.
Islamabad Police inspector Majid Iqbal declared, “Shamim has made a breakthrough.” “She is the first female licenced heavy vehicle driver.” He said that this might inspire other female drivers to look for work. He said, “More women drivers should enter the transportation sector since female passengers will probably feel safer with them.”
Akhtar stated that she wished to start a programme for the welfare of drivers, citing the difficulty of their work and the fact that they are typically underpaid. Heavy truck drivers are on the job day and night. They labour year-round, but they are paid very little. For them, I want to start a particular project,” she declared. “Travelling a big distance is not a simple task. You must drive for hours at a time without stopping. But now I’m accustomed to it.
Nasir Khan, a fellow truck driver, stated that he and his peers highly regard Akhtar. “Had my male colleagues not treated me with enough respect, I would have left the pitch,” Akhtar declared. “Some drivers did not welcome me at first because they believed I posed a threat to them.”
She did, however, claim that her ability to carry on was due to her bravery and tenacity. “I want to leave a lasting impression on the next generation of professionals by doing good work for my community,” Akhtar stated.
