Waqar Chishti: A Lamp Lit in the Darkness of Migration — One Officer, One Community, Countless Stories !
By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
In foreign lands, some people do more than merely survive. They give others the courage to survive. Some faces, whether in uniform or without it, become a form of protection simply by being present. In Dallas’s South Asian community, Waqar Chishti is one such name a name not only recognized, but respected. He is not seen merely as a security officer; he is regarded as support, as guidance, as a quiet savior in unfamiliar territory.
Few truly understand that for immigrants arriving in a new country, the first and most difficult test is employment. The language is unfamiliar, the system is alien, and one’s identity feels reduced to zero. In such moments, when someone extends a hand, opens a door, or simply says, “Don’t worry, I’m here,” that person is not offering a job alone he is restoring a life. Waqar Chishti has been doing exactly that for years. Quietly. Consistently. Without expectation of reward.
Recently, I wrote a column following the passing of Grace Berman, CEO of Quality Security, highlighting her role in supporting immigrant communities. Within that piece, I also mentioned Waqar Chishti. The article may have been written in words, but the response came in emotions messages, voice notes, prayers, and testimonies. While many paid tribute to Grace Berman’s generosity, an even greater outpouring of affection and gratitude was directed toward Waqar Chishti. It felt as though years of unspoken appreciation had finally found a voice.
Some wrote that if Grace Berman’s name were replaced with Waqar Chishti’s, nothing in the tribute would feel out of place. Others observed that true familial and cultural honor lies in gratitude that if one cannot repay a favor, the least one can do is offer sincere words. On that day, the community showered Waqar Chishti with precisely those words.
I know personally that senior officials from Pakistan DIGs, SPs, DSPs, military officers, civil servants along with educated professionals, actors, and women from various fields, struggled to find white collar jobs upon arriving in the United States. For many of them, work in the security sector became nothing short of a blessing. Waqar Chishti did more than introduce them to this field; he guided them through training, licensing, and ultimately employment, standing by them at every step.
There are individuals who have never even met him in person they spoke only by phone, reached out through references, or sought advice at a distance. Yet Waqar Chishti used his relationships and credibility to connect them with people who opened doors ahead. Grace Berman was among them, as were several other well-known security company owners who know Waqar Chishti by name and regard his recommendations with respect.
Waqar Chishti’s own life has never been a tale of ease. For the past fourteen years, he has served with leading security companies across Texas. In Pakistan, he worked in the Department of Communications. After immigrating, he pursued professional security training certified by TOPS, earning qualifications including Non-Commissioned Security Officer Level II, Commissioned Security Officer Level III, and Personal Protection Officer Level IV. Today, he works with New Jersey based security company “Quality Security” as an escort security officer.
Beyond the field, Waqar Chishti is also a familiar presence in the world of entertainment. Through Vicky Entertainment, he has consistently taken responsibility for the security and hospitality of visiting Pakistani singers and drama artists. Names such as Arshad Mahmood, Jamal Akbar, Naeem Abbas Rufi, Amjad Rana, and comedian Kashif Khan many others stand as witnesses to his reliability. Even back in Pakistan, he continues to support those in need among his acquaintances.
Recently, a video of Waqar Chishti in conversation with Erma Hila circulated on social media, quietly revealing everything words often fail to capture. At seventy-two years of age, he works sixteen hours a day without breaks, without days off. From six in the morning until midnight, he remains on duty, a steady smile on his face. “In America,” he says, “you must not waste time, because time is money.” This is not merely a phrase or advice; it is the distilled essence of his life.
As I read through the comments left by those he has helped, one phrase echoed repeatedly in my mind: This is worship. To help someone selflessly, without expectation, with sincerity and compassion that, indeed, is worship. One immigrant wrote that he had been well-employed in Pakistan, yet upon arriving here, he felt completely lost. The system was unfamiliar, emails and paperwork overwhelming, the mind constantly spinning. In such a state, to encounter someone like Waqar Chishti someone who takes your hand, shows you the path, and sometimes completes the work for you leaves one without words of gratitude.
Others wrote that Waqar Chishti does more than help; he provides guidance beyond expectation. Some recalled how he played the same role even back in Pakistan. A few expressed sorrow that certain people failed to value him as they should have, yet despite this, his resolve never weakened. He absorbed losses with grace and continued to rebuild the lives of others.
I reflected that such columns are usually written after people pass away. Yet I wanted to honor Waqar Chishti during his lifetime because true recognition is that which reaches people while they are still here, so they may know the meaning of their existence.
A former General Manager of Pakistan Television wrote that the piece was heartfelt, the language refined, the emotion sincere. Another senior broadcaster echoed the same sentiment. A newly arrived immigrant wrote in English that Waqar Chishti became a source of hope when he was physically and emotionally broken. “He listened to me,” he wrote. “He helped me step by step and made me feel that I was not alone.”
People like Waqar Chishti are assets to a community. Their presence does not depend on institutions, organizations, or official seals. They become systems unto themselves. Waqar Chishti has built a quiet paradise in his life one made of prayers, gratitude, affection, and the lives he has helped stabilize.
In the end, one can only say this: the world is indeed a rented house, and everyone must eventually leave. True success is not measured by how much one earns, but by the words with which one is remembered. Waqar Chishti is among those rare individuals who have received this wealth in their own lifetime.
May God grant him health, peace, long life, and serenity and may we all be granted the ability to become a Waqar Chishti for someone else, even once.
