Mirza Muhammad Bashir went to perform Hajj and his prayers included one that his son would be a doctor and serve the suffering humanity. Ijaz Bashir got admission in Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore in 1981.
During his third year at the medical college, his room mate fell ill and was diagnosed with blood cancer. Ijaz Bashir led a fund raising campaign for his friend, funds were collected, but his friend met the sad demise. This was his first activity outside the walls and on the road for a humanitarian cause. Subsequently, he actively participated in Patient Welfare Society at Allama Iqbal Medical College. He arranged a medical camp in his home town, Gujrat City. Finally, he graduated and achieved the official status of a doctor.
After Graduation.
After graduation, Dr. Ijaz was made two offers by the family, to join the family business of furniture manufacturing for which, family elders planned to establish / handover one of the factories to him or run a hospital. Dr. Ijaz chose none of the options completely, but he showed his intentions towards running a hospital on welfare basis where treatment cost must be very low and absolutely free for the poor.
The idea was approved by the family and Bashir hospital was put in construction/renovation at railway road, Gujrat on a family donated complex. While the hospital was under construction, Dr. Ijaz did not wait for his mission; he put the medicine in one of the family vehicles, hired three paramedical members and started visiting remote villages. Needy and neglected people in far off areas started getting affection as well as medicine from Dr. Ijaz and his team members who visited the places. Bashir family was enjoying a successful and financially strong business, so Dr. Ijaz received all the support as finances were required to fund the vehicle and to buy medicine.
While Dr. Ijaz got his feet moving, and Bashir Hospital was getting more bricks and clay on the building site, it was felt by him and the family friends that there was a strong need of a team with good strings of service and capacity to manage the puzzle. Doctor Ijaz came to know that one person Brig(r), Ch. Muhammad Sharif, former Chairman, State Cement Corporation of Pakistan, Chairman Ghee Corporation of Pakistan was enjoying retired life….such a person could not be let to sit silent. Big(r), Ch. Muhammad Sharif was contacted, he agreed in principle but first he would have a deep look at what was going on, what was the potential of work and people involved…..after going through the procedures and people, Ch. Sharif joined Dr. Ijaz on his welfare program.
Decent Welfare Society. Initially all the welfare work was funded entirely by the family business and treated as a youthful activity of the beloved son. But the youthful activity was giving more maturity and increased humbleness to Dr. Ijaz, who made the decision to form Decent Welfare Society (DWS) with a vision to improve the declining conditions of health and education, and human development in the community. So in 1991, Decent Welfare Society was registered by Social welfare Department of the Government.