I have known Manzar Khurshid for the past three or four years. Although I have thousands of acquaintances, Manzar Khurshid is different. He is a beacon of hope for millions of people. His special qualities have inspired this column today. I hope that after reading this column, like me, you would also become his fan.

I always see Manzar Khurshid in a wheel chair; he is disabled. His disability notwithstanding, I have always seen him working. In the early days in New York, he worked for a local community newspaper. Today he works for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Manzar, who lives in New Jersey, commutes daily to New York by train or ferry. Manzar solved his commuting difficulties by informing the city and state transportation departments of his problems. He succeeded in persuading the authorities to set up facilities not only for himself but all the disabled people. In the process of pleading the case for wheelchair-bound people, Manzar managed to impress the authorities, prompting the governor of New Jersey to give him a special award.

Manzar’s services for the disabled do not end here. He has organized getting wheelchairs and educational programs for the disabled in Pakistan as well. In the same manner that he helped authorities shape policies for the disabled in New Jersey, he is now working on a special project for the disabled in Pakistan. He established an organization for the disabled, which arranges treatment for people with spinal injuries and fractures and rehabilitation for the disabled. Manzar has also authored a book titled So It Was Meant to Test You. It is definitely the first book in Urdu to discuss the problems facing the disabled in great detail.

This story is not meant to elicit pity or request help for Manzar. Rather, it is meant to show that we too have young and determined men in our nation who have accepted their disability and learned lessons from it.

Last week, Dr. Mohammad Khalid, president of Pakistan Civic Association, announced a fundraising event in collaboration with the U.S. Wheelchair Foundation of United States to raise $100,000 to donate 1,000 wheelchairs for the disabled in Pakistan. This noble effort, he said, was in line with the Islamic injunctions of charity.

The reason I chose to write these two stories was to show that many good things are also happening in the Pakistani community. Some people are trying to defame the Pakistani community by magnifying examples of some negative trends, forgetting that there are always both good and bad people in every community. Ours is certainly no exception.

These two gentlemen are not the only ones carrying out some noble task. There are many other Pakistanis who are quietly rendering invaluable services to the community. Unfortunately, we Pakistanis are wasting our energies on exposing the misdeeds of a few, instead of recognizing and highlighting the good work of noble men in our midst. Why don’t we devote our energy to support those who are working hard for the good of humanity. Manzar Khurshid and Dr. Mohammad Khalid deserve acknowledgement and appreciation for their services for the disabled so they can live an honorable and comfortable life.

You can contact Manzar Khurshid at mkhurshid@dot.nyc.gov. If you need more information or want to make a donation, you can contact Dr. Khalid at (718) 948-7000.