Daily Times

Abdul Qayyum, 82, is different from other octogenarian people who are mostly bedridden and only go out of their home in a case of appointment with the health counselors of their own to discuss health issues with them. Abdul Qayyum irrespective of his old age likes an active life and enjoys his life by taking a ride on his bicycle which he bought decades ago.

Qayyum who hails from Kabal, tehsil of Swat district, tells Daily Times about his passion for taking rides on bicycle, “In my childhood, I started developing passion for traveling and to feed my traveling passion, I bought my first bicycle in 1952.”

Qayymm added that since then he had gone far and wide and covered thousands of miles.

Expressing his love for cycling, Qayyum said that he was so used to taking a ride on a bicycle that hardly he had skipped a day with a ride.

“Now, I have three bicycles but I truly love the one that I bought the first in 1952,” Qayyum adds.

Qayyum got education till 12 grade and then went on to Karachi for a higher education.

“I have done my master of arts degree in geography.”

Qayyum failed to get a job in the government sector but it fuelled his cycling passion for he had lots of time.

Qayyum revealed he started a private education institute to make ends meet and educate children of the area.

Reflecting on one of his landmark visits to Karachi on bicycle, Qayyum said, in 2018, he was then 80 years of age when he set off for Karachi from his hometown of Kabal in Swat.

” The entire journey from Swat to Karachi took 18 days and cost him Rs25,000 in all,” Qayyum said, adding that he suffered a lot during that adventure and on one occasion he got hospitalized for a dog-bite treatment.

Qayuum interest has no bounds as he is also an expert of playing Banjo and has also authored four books. “Two of them are in Pashto, one each in Urdu and English.”

Qayuum has a wide circle of friends of all walks of life in Swat district. They demanded the government award Qayuum with a medal and declare him an ambassador for promoting tourism and peace.