It has been 17 years since our father, Anwar Saleem Ahmad, passed away from cancer. And it has been 16 years since we - his daughters - have been writing this note for him on the anniversary of his death, in remembrance of a wonderful father gone much too soon. For several years now, we have considered ending this annual tradition of writing a memorial note. After all, the facts of his life remain unchanged, and are well-known now to those who have followed his life through our words all these years. But grief is not bound by facts or time. As the world moves on, as we get to different stages of our lives, we find ourselves missing Aba in new and different ways. And so, we find ourselves back here, on the pages of the newspaper that was a significant part of his life, sharing our beloved father with the world, in the hope that his life will continue to inspire and impact others.
Our father’s life was not an easy one. After losing his mother at the age of two, he was raised by his indomitable elder sisters, who undoubtedly prepared him for the many challenges life would continue to throw at him. He graduated at the top of his class in the first batch of students to receive a Masters in International Relations from Quaid-e-Azam University, and went on to top the CSS examination and join the DMG. He rapidly rose through the ranks, but in 1992, while posted in Sargodha as the Deputy Commissioner, a car accident left him permanently paralyzed from the waist down and restricted to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. After months of extensive physical therapy, with our mother’s unshakable support, he resumed his career in the civil service, and for the next decade, became a powerful example of what people with disabilities can achieve if only society affords them space to flourish.
In September 1993, he started writing for ‘The News’, becoming a weekly contributor in 1994. He remained a regular columnist for the next ten years, continuing to write up to a year before his death.
Aba was a man of principle, and he believed very strongly in the imperative to work towards a more just world. Perhaps because of life and circumstances, he was also a pragmatist. He recognized that “Most of us do not have the influence to cast a shadow over the whole society, or even a small part of it. But each one of us has the power to control and change themselves.” (Anwar Saleem Ahmad, August 14th, 1995, The News). He lived much of his short life on this principle, constantly working for the betterment of others. Even now, so long after his passing, he is remembered as a man of integrity, honor, and kindness.
In 2000, he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgins’s Lymphoma - a cancer of the lymph nodes. He fought bravely, but it was this dreaded disease that finally took our father away from us, on 18 April 2005, at the age of 52.
Our grief took on a new dimension this year, when we unexpectedly lost our beloved khala, Dr. Farzana Dil in January. She was a brave and brilliant pillar of strength for all around her, and especially for our mother throughout our father’s illness and death. In the worst moments of our lives, her expertise as a doctor and her kindness as a khala held us together. Much like our father, she will be forever loved, forever missed.
— By Suraya, Saman, Maheen and Mariam Saleem Farooqi