A man has spoken out after he was almost killed when a former friend stabbed him in an unprovoked attack.
Basil Afzaal, of Nelson, said his life and whole personality had been affected by the attack by former friend Sajid Ali who plunged a hunting knife four inches into him, missing a major artery by an inch.
And he said he wanted his experience to make people stop carrying knives.
Ali, 26, from Abel Street in Burnley, was jailed for five years this week for his "act of extreme violence" outside a Nelson takeaway, in August last year.
Mr Afzaal, 22, has been suffering from severe panic attacks and flashbacks since the attack, which left him with three perforations of the small bowel. The blade narrowly missed the aorta, which would have killed him almost instantly had it been hit.
Surgery at Burnley General Hospital, where he was kept in for 10 days, has left him with a 14-inch scar. "I can't look at the scar, and I can't show it to my family," he said.
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"Since the attack, my life has stopped. I don't like going out on my own, and when I do go out I keep thinking I see Ali.
"I get massive panic attacks if anyone comes too close. I can't be in a crowd because I don't trust anyone any more. I never used to be like that. I had a good life. I went out and enjoyed myself, and went to the gym a lot. Now I stay home most of the time."
On the night of the attack, Ali phoned Mr Afzaal and asked to meet him to talk. They met in Manchester Road and Ali asked him to go to an alley behind Kismat takeaway.
CCTV footage showed how, as soon as they were in the alley, Ali punched him. Ali's brother and Mr Afzaal's friend Asim Rahim tried break up the scuffle, but seconds later Ali sank a knife into Mr Afzaal's stomach. He collapsed and Ali kicked him in the head before running off.
Mr Afzaal, a former pupil at Marsden Community Primary, said: "I knew Ali from when we worked for Kingdom security firm.
"Nothing had happened between us, but people told me he thought I had insulted his mother, which was completely untrue.
"I went to talk about it, and he stabbed me. I just want to know why."
Mr Afzaal was working at a scrapyard at the time of the attack, but he cannot return due to his injury.
"I cannot bend over properly, and I have pain every day. I'm seeing a counsellor twice a week, and I'd like to get my life back. People tell me that I'm lucky to be alive, but I just can't feel it at the moment."
Although he would have liked a longer sentence for Ali, he said that he is happy "justice has been done".
"I am extremely grateful to the police for all their support and help since the attack," said Mr Afzaal.
"I hope that what's happened to me will make people stop carrying knives.
"Every day you hear about another incident, and it needs to stop."
this is nort a joke...stabbing inncoent...hat this people done...i save you if i was there...i sorry for you n wish you best and panchh year not good need more not happy [bold]bold[/bold] [italic]italic[/italic]
this is nort a joke...stabbing inncoent...hat this people done...i save you if i was there...i sorry for you n wish you best and panchh year not good need more not happy
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