The moment his telephone rings, forty-year-old Mohammad Dawood makes sure that he closes the ‘phathak’ at Golra on time and blocks the traffic so that the train passes through safely.

He once used to be a ‘gangman’ in Pakistan Railways and his duty was to ensure that railway tracks in and around Rawalpindi are in tip-top condition. "I worked as a ‘gangman’ for thirteen years, but for the last five years I have been posted at Golra railway gate," Dawood said.

He used to earn Rs2,000 as a ‘gangman,’ but now he gets a salary of Rs4,500 which he thinks is still not enough. "I have three sons and a daughter and with prices skyrocketing these days, it’s getting tougher for me to look after my family," he said.

Whether trains are on time or not, Dawood has to be on his duty for eight hours. Once he gets a telephone call from either Golra Railway Station or from Madina Railway Station, his work starts. First he ensures that he locks the two gates and makes sure that nobody crosses the railway track on foot or in his car. Then he stands next to his small room with a green flag in his hand, which gives a signal to the train driver that the spot is clear for crossing.

The Awam Express, Quetta Express, Passenger Train, Mehr Express and the Rail Car are the well-known trains that pass through Dawood’s ‘phathak.’ Besides these passenger trains, quite a few goods train and those which transport oil also pass through Golra. "It’s quite a demanding job because one has to be alert all the time," he said.

What if the telephone is not working? "That has not happened so far in my five years of duty and I always get information well in time when the trains are coming," he said.

Dawood loves to listen to Madam Noor Jehan’s songs and also running commentary on cricket matches while he waits for trains to pass through.

"I am a fan of Noor Jehan," he said as the Radio Pakistan started airing one of her popular numbers. Dawood stopped the conversation until he listened the whole song.

The man never went to school, and says it was his good luck that he got a job in Pakistan Railways some eighteen years ago. "At that time, there were quite a number of jobs available, but now I think it’s difficult to even get the job of a ‘gangman’," he said.

He also closely follows the performance of Pakistan cricket team as he is a regular listener of running commentary on radio. "My favourite player is Inzamamul Haq and I hope he continues to lead the side until the next World Cup," he said.

Listening to radio is the only pastime of Dawood as the poor man thinks he can’t afford to think about anything else. "Hopefully if I go abroad my fortune would change," he said.

"Until then, I think I have to do this job because at least I earn something for my family," he said as he left to close the ‘phathak’ after he received a call from Madina Railway Station that Awam Express is about to cross Golra.

Source: THE NEWS Lahore