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Express Tribune
21-04-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Roadside masseurs: A challenging profession
The city's itinerant masseurs see a surge in demand as summer heat takes its toll, offering relief from physical exhaustion and stress to a growing number of clients. PHOTO: express With the arrival of summer in the metropolis, the demand for massage services has increased as people seek relief from physical and mental fatigue. Many people turn to masseurs to alleviate stress, leading to a rise in massage services across the metropolitan city. Various green belts and intersections transform into makeshift massage stations at night, where masseurs offer their services through two primary methods: roadside massage and itinerant massage. Amid rising inflation, masseurs have adjusted their service charges, increasing charges by Rs200 to Rs500. Despite the steady demand, the younger generation is increasingly moving away from this ancestral profession, viewing it as financially unstable. Experts within the field advise that while massage therapy has benefits, excessive reliance on it can create dependency, and it is best received once a week for optimal results. Muhammad Bilal, a seasoned masseur based in the Guru Mandir area, says that modern lifestyles, financial stress, and daily worries contribute to widespread physical exhaustion. While some people turn to exercise - such as jogging, cycling, or swimming - others opt for massages as a means of relaxation and rejuvenation. According to Bilal, most masseurs in Karachi hail from Punjab, particularly from cities such as Bahawalpur, Sadiqabad, Rahim Yar Khan, and Lodhran. They are drawn to Karachi due to better earning opportunities. The massage profession has been practiced for centuries and is traditionally passed down through generations via an apprentice-master learning system. It typically takes six months to a year to learn basic massage techniques, while true mastery can take up to three years. Bilal himself has been practicing massage therapy for over 30 years and is now passing his knowledge to his children. He says that while massage services are in demand throughout the year, they see a surge during the summer months. Working hours for masseurs usually begin around 8pm and extend until 3am. Some of the most popular massage locations in Karachi include Netty Jetty Bridge, Clifton, Korangi Dhayee Number, Guru Mandir, Pyala Hotel, and various chowrangis, footpaths, and green belts. Masseurs generally focus on 15 key areas of the body, with head, hands, back, and feet being the most commonly treated parts. Their clientele primarily consists of people suffering from joint pain, physical exhaustion, or a lack of time for regular exercise. Customers range from young adults in their 20s to middle-aged people in their 50s, with younger clients typically preferring head and leg massages, while older customers opt for full-body therapy. According to masseurs, four types of oils are commonly used in massage therapy. Mustard oil is the most widely used lubricant, while olive oil is preferred for joint pain relief. Apart from these, coconut oil and a blended mix of different oil is also used for different purposes. Masseurs typically provide their services through two distinct approaches: Roadside massage, where clients visit designated locations; and Itinerant massage, where masseurs travel to various areas in search of customers. Most masseurs reside in shared rented accommodations, pooling resources for food and living expenses. Some live with their families, while others work in more affluent areas where they establish a regular clientele. Those providing home-service massages generally earn more, as customers pre-book their appointments and receive services in private residences. Home-service masseurs can earn over Rs2,000 per day, while roadside masseurs typically make between Rs1,000 to Rs1,500 daily. However, weekend earnings (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) are generally the highest. A basic massage costs between Rs300 to Rs700, while a full-body massage starts at Rs1,000 or more, with tips sometimes exceeding the fixed rate. A full-body massage session lasts around one hour, whereas a standard massage takes around 30 minutes. Bilal pointed out that while massage services remain an essential aspect of relaxation and therapy, younger generations are increasingly reluctant to adopt this profession due to financial uncertainty. Many are seeking alternative employment opportunities. Women also engage in massage services, though their role is largely limited to head massages. Professional female masseuses are rare in Karachi, and most women prefer receiving head massages from domestic workers rather than dedicated professionals. A customer, Shahzaib, shared his experience, stating that after days of body pain, a single massage session helped relieve his discomfort completely. Masseur Sadiq Ahmed added that, traditionally, masseurs work continuously for 11 months and take a break during Eidul Fitr or Eidul Azha, returning to their hometowns for rest. However, rising inflation has impacted their ability to take extended breaks. Bilal advises that a normal person should ideally receive a massage four times a month (once a week). Excessive massage therapy can lead to dependency, much like an addiction, making it important to maintain moderation.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
At least 100 passengers freed from Pakistan train siege
Armed militants in Pakistan's Balochistan region have attacked a train carrying more than 400 passengers and taken a number of them hostage, military sources told the BBC on Tuesday. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) fired at the Jaffar Express Train as it travelled from Quetta to Peshawar. The separatist group said it had bombed the track before storming the train in the remote Sibi district, claiming the train was under its control. At least 16 militants have been killed and 100 passengers were freed as of Wednesday morning, local media reported. The BBC has not been able to independently verify those figures. Among those released are 17 injured passengers, who have been admitted to hospital for treatment. The militants had threatened to kill hostages if authorities did not release Baloch political prisoners within 48 hours, according to local reports. The rescue operation is ongoing. There were reports of "intense firing" at the train, a Balochistan government spokesman told local newspaper Dawn on Tuesday. A senior police official said it "remains stuck just before a tunnel surrounded by mountains", AFP news agency reports. A senior army official confirmed to the BBC that there were more than 100 army personnel travelling from Quetta on the train. The Pakistani authorities - as well as several Western countries, including the UK and US - have designated the BLA as a terrorist organisation. It has waged a decades-long insurgency to gain independence and has launched numerous deadly attacks, often targeting police stations, railway lines and highways. On Tuesday, the group warned of "severe consequences" if an attempt was made to rescue those it is holding. "I can't find the words to describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying," Muhammad Bilal, one of the freed hostages, told AFP news agency. Allahditta, another passenger, said he was allowed to go because of his heart condition. The 49-year-old recalled how people "began hiding under the seats in panic" when the attackers stormed the train. A local railway official in Quetta earlier told the BBC that a group of 86 passengers - including women and children - had managed to disembark the train and walk to the nearest railway station, Panir. The official said the group was made up of locals from the province of Balochistan. One man, whose brother-in-law was still being held on the train, described an agonising wait. He said he had tried to drive to the area, but many of the roads were closed. Meanwhile, anxious families of passengers were trying to get information about their loved ones from the counter at Quetta railway station. The son of one passenger, Muhammad Ashraf, who left Quetta for Lahore on Tuesday morning, told BBC Urdu he had not been able to contact his father. Another relative said he was "frantic with worry" about his cousin and her small child, who were travelling from Quetta to Multan to pick up a family member. "No one is telling me what's happening or if they're safe," Imran Khan told Reuters news agency. Officials say they are yet to communicate with anyone on the train. The area has no internet and mobile network coverage, officials told the BBC. Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province and the richest in terms of natural resources, but it is the least developed. Additional reporting by Usman Zahid and BBC Urdu
Khaleej Times
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan's train hostage survivors say blasts were 'terrifying'
Hostages freed from a train siege in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday said they walked for hours through mountainous terrain to reach safety, forced to leave behind relatives from whom they were separated. Militants waging a war of independence against the Pakistani state set off explosions on the railway track in a remote area of Balochistan, forcing the train to a halt and taking more than 450 passengers hostage. "I can't find the words to describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying," Muhammad Bilal told AFP. Bilal had been traveling with his mother on the Jafar Express train when it was caught in the explosive crossfire, leaving at least three dead, according to a railway official. More than 100 hostages have been freed from the train, which remains held up by rebel forces. "I heard an explosion followed by gunfire as militants boarded the train," passenger Allahditta told AFP at the train station in Mach, where the waiting area has been transformed into a makeshift hospital to treat the wounded. "People began hiding under the seats in panic. The militants separated the men from the women. They allowed me and my family to go because I told them I'm a heart patient," the 49-year-old said. ID checks "We walked for a long time through the mountains to reach the nearest station. I haven't eaten since I began fasting this morning, but I still can't bring myself to eat," Allahditta added, in reference to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. One passenger described gunmen sorting through identity cards to confirm who was from outside of the province, similar to a spate of recent attacks carried out by the Baloch Liberation Army, which has claimed credit for the seige. "They came and checked IDs and service cards and shot two soldiers in front of me and took the other four to, I don't know where," said one passenger who asked not to be named, after walking four hours to the nearest train station. "They checked IDs and those who were Punjabis were taken away by the terrorists," he added. The BLA claim the region's natural resources are being exploited by outsiders and has increased attacks targeting Pakistanis from other regions. Late on Tuesday, survivors walked through rugged terrain to the nearest train station and travelled to Mach, about 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the Iran border. The first trains carrying survivors arrived late on Tuesday evening to be met by paramilitary forces and doctors. "I am treating two (police) officers, one was shot five times, while the other was wounded in his knee," said paramedic Qazim Farooq.
Saudi Gazette
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
More than 100 passengers rescued from Pakistan train attack
ISLAMABAD — Armed militants in Pakistan's Balochistan region have attacked a train carrying more than 400 passengers and taken a number of them hostage, military sources told the BBC on Tuesday. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) fired at the Jaffar Express Train as it traveled from Quetta to Peshawar. The separatist group said it had bombed the track before storming the train in the remote Sibi district, claiming the train was under its control. At least 16 militants have been killed and 104 passengers rescued as of Wednesday morning, local media reported. Among those rescued are 17 injured passengers, who have been hospitalized for treatment. The militants had threatened to kill hostages if authorities did not release Baloch political prisoners within 48 hours, according to local reports. The rescue operation is ongoing. There were reports of "intense firing" at the train, a Balochistan government spokesman told local newspaper Dawn on Tuesday. A senior police official said it "remains stuck just before a tunnel surrounded by mountains", AFP news agency reports. A senior army official confirmed to the BBC that there were more than 100 army personnel traveling from Quetta on the train. The Pakistani authorities - as well as several Western countries, including the UK and US - have designated the BLA as a terrorist organization. It has waged a decades-long insurgency to gain independence and has launched numerous deadly attacks, often targeting police stations, railway lines and highways. On Tuesday, the group warned of "severe consequences" if an attempt was made to rescue those it is holding. Map shows location of attack in Pakistan on map with neighboring Afghanistan and India "I can't find the words to describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying," Muhammad Bilal, one of the freed hostages, told AFP news agency. Allahditta, another passenger, said he was allowed to go because of his heart condition. The 49-year-old recalled how people "began hiding under the seats in panic" when the attackers stormed the train. A local railway official in Quetta earlier told the BBC that a group of 80 passengers - 11 children, 26 women and 43 men - had managed to disembark the train and walk to the nearest railway station, Panir. The official said the group was made up of locals from the province of Balochistan. One man, whose brother-in-law was still being held on the train, described an agonising wait. He said he had tried to drive to the area, but many of the roads were closed. Meanwhile, anxious families of passengers were trying to get information about their loved ones from the counter at Quetta railway station. The son of one passenger, Muhammad Ashraf, who left Quetta for Lahore on Tuesday morning, told BBC Urdu he had not been able to contact his father. Another relative said he was "frantic with worry" about his cousin and her small child, who were traveling from Quetta to Multan to pick up a family member. "No one is telling me what's happening or if they're safe," Imran Khan told Reuters news agency. Officials say they are yet to communicate with anyone on the train. The area has no internet and mobile network coverage, officials told the BBC. Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province and the richest in terms of natural resources, but it is the least developed. — BBC
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Train hostage survivors in Pakistan recount 'panic' amid blasts
Hostages freed from a train siege in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday said they walked for hours through mountainous terrain to reach safety, forced to leave behind relatives from whom they were separated. Militants waging a war of independence against the Pakistani state set off explosions on the railway track in a remote area of Balochistan, forcing the train to a halt and taking more than 450 passengers hostage. "I can't find the words to describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying," Muhammad Bilal told AFP. Bilal had been traveling with his mother on the Jafar Express train when it was caught in the explosive crossfire, leaving at least three dead, according to a railway official. More than 100 hostages have been freed from the train, which remains held up by rebel forces. "I heard an explosion followed by gunfire as militants boarded the train," passenger Allahditta told AFP at the train station in Mach, where the waiting area has been transformed into a makeshift hospital to treat the wounded. "People began hiding under the seats in panic. The militants separated the men from the women. They allowed me and my family to go because I told them I'm a heart patient," the 49-year-old said. - ID checks - "We walked for a long time through the mountains to reach the nearest station. I haven't eaten since I began fasting this morning, but I still can't bring myself to eat," Allahditta added, in reference to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. One passenger described gunmen sorting through identity cards to confirm who was from outside of the province, similar to a spate of recent attacks carried out by the Baloch Liberation Army, which has claimed credit for the seige. "They came and checked IDs and service cards and shot two soldiers in front of me and took the other four to, I don't know where," said one passenger who asked not to be named, after walking four hours to the nearest train station. "They checked IDs and those who were Punjabis were taken away by the terrorists," he added. The BLA claim the region's natural resources are being exploited by outsiders and has increased attacks targeting Pakistanis from other regions. Late on Tuesday, survivors walked through rugged terrain to the nearest train station and travelled to Mach, about 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the Iran border. The first trains carrying survivors arrived late on Tuesday evening to be met by paramilitary forces and doctors. "I am treating two (police) officers, one was shot five times, while the other was wounded in his knee," said paramedic Qazim Farooq. mak-stm/sbh/ecl/jgc
