A story published in Gulf News on December 4, 2017 showed that “At least 20 million people in pakistan are disabled (having some sort of disabilities). In 2020 a report submitted to Supreme Court by NADRA showed that around 116,491 are differently abled people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Mr Asad Khan is one of them.
The 35-years-old lives in Mardan, Hoti. He is supporting his family by doing a job. He doesn’t raise his hands for begging.
Asad loves cricket along with other games like badminton, basketball, swimming, and bodybuilding etc. His inspiration are Mr Shafiqur Rehman and Mr Naveed Butt, who are also disabled .
Asad said, “I was enthusiastic about playing cricket and other games too but one day I went to a play ground with my disabled friends. Some people there taunted and laughed at me. I came back home teary eyed. I realized that I should make my self relevant to those people who were laughing at me which was discouraging. However, I tried to fight back and thrive, despite all those obstacles. Then, I committed with myself that I will never stop and started practicing different games notably cricket and badminton.”
“In 2003 I participated in all Pakistan sports festival Abottabad for the first time but unfortunately I lost all the cricket matches. I was coming home without any trophy with a happy thought that I am not a single person who is disabled and that was the turning point in my life. I pledged to myself that I will gather all my friends and will impower and motivate them to live a beautiful life,” Asad said.
He added that in 2015 he participated in an international cricket tournament in Nepal representing Pakistan and was player of the tournament. He represented Pakistan in Malaysia too.
Mr Khan is a versatile person who remained the wheel chair champion from 2004 to 2014 in 200, 400 and 800 meters and one time in mini marathon of six kms. He has three gold medals in National Paralympic Games in 2008, 2009 and 2014. Asad grabbed one gold medal in 2013.
“I participated in international tournament held in Tajikistan some years back, I had represented the Pakistani team Zurkhwnay and our team got second position in the tournament among twelve other teams of different countries,” Asad said.
He is also running an office to help other disabled people.
He said that he has distributed more than one thousand wheelchairs among disabled people from different areas. He wants government to work on Disabled People (Employment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance 1981 which was the first constitutional effort for them. Under this ordinance, two percent quota was reserved for disabled people but according to him this has not proved fruitful for these people yet.
People like Asad Khan are our national heroes. Government and individuals should respect them and their rights and the government should take steps for the betterment of their future.
