’m a Grade 5 constable. I have been working as a traffic policeman for twelve years,” Ayaz says with a dreamy optimism. “I hope to become an ASI, then an SI, and eventually an SHO, ASP, SP, SSP, DIG; maybe even an IGP.” He smiles wistfully, aware that his ambitions are constrained by his limited education.

Ayaz attended a government school for a few years before continuing his studies privately, eventually passing his matric examination. “I couldn’t complete intermediate because I failed in English,” he admits modestly. After a period of unemployment, he joined the police force, carving out a steady, if challenging, career.

With his decaying, paan-stained teeth, Ayaz cuts a familiar figure on the bustling streets of Karachi. Posted on Mir Karam Ali Talpur Road in Saddar - a central and congested area of the city - his shift runs from 4.00 pm until midnight. “Controlling traffic is tough work,” he says, chewing thoughtfully on a paan leaf. “It’s my sustenance while I’m on duty.”

Saddar Town, one of Karachi’s five traffic zones, is a hotbed of vehicular chaos. “Karachi is a huge city with hundreds of thousands of vehicles. The traffic is overwhelming,” Ayaz explains, his tanned complexion and greying hair testaments to years spent under the sun.

He is aware of an ambitious plan to convert Saddar into a pedestrian-friendly zone, restricting traffic and parking while rerouting buses to its outskirts. However, Ayaz is sceptical. “If that happens, millions of rupees in bribes will dry up. I don’t see it materialising any time soon,” he says with a knowing smile.

Ayaz candidly acknowlesdges corruption in the traffic police. “It’s true - some officers turn a blind eye to violations and accept bribes. But I don’t take any myself,” he asserts. He attributes the force’s lack of authority to kum nafri - insufficient manpower.

Despite the challenges of his job, Ayaz cherishes the simplicity of his home life. “I get home around 12.30 or 1.00 am. My wife stays up to serve me dinner,” he says with a smile. Living in his own house in the Lines Area, Ayaz provides for his family, including his wife and two young daughters. It’s a modest existence, to say the least.

The writer is an author, illustrator and educator. She may be reached at husain.rumana@gmail.com