Remembering Saadia Khan

It is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since Saadia Khan passed away, especially since her memory remains so vivid in my mind. Some of us were lucky enough to know Saadia as a fellow student, as a family member, or as a friend. Aside from the active pursuit of her studies, she was also a regular staff member at the United Nations Information Centre, Islamabad.

Saadia Khan came to work with us in the spring of 1999, she was only 20 years old, and had not quite finished her college degree when we selected her. As such, she became the youngest employee of the Centre in its 50 years of existence. I even remember that one of our colleagues argued that she might be too young for a position with the United Nations. Yet her selection had been made solely on merit and I easily defended the fact that she was the best candidate for the position. Her university background was impeccable and she looked more qualified than most of the 150 other people who had applied. During the tests and interview process, she eventually proved to be superior to the other candidates and it was only logical to offer her the post.

Not only was Saadia the youngest employee at UNIC, but she was also the first woman ever employed by our Centre. As surprising as it may seem, we had never had a female employee and Saadia had to lead the way and prove to our male colleagues that she could hold her place just like the rest of them. She did so with discretion but increasing assurance over the months, in a way that I know made her father very proud.

Saadia was appointed to reinforce our capacity in the field of information technology, and the position that she held was a new one. There again, she was the first one and provided much needed leadership in an area which necessitates being constantly aware of new developments and techniques.

Throughout her employment at the United Nations Information Centre, Saadia was respected by everyone for her quiet perseverance and a very kind attitude. Progressively, she had also grown into a confident professional. She was always modest, even though we heard indirectly from time to time of her achievements in sports (especially skiing) and other fields.

I knew that she had higher ambitions and that she would eventually leave us. In a November 2000 letter recommending her for a Rhodes scholarship, I wrote: “Ms. Khan has always demonstrated high professional standards and commitment. She is versatile and hardworking. It is quite apparent that she has a bright career ahead of her and that her future involves better positions and more responsibilities.”

Her loss left all of us at the Centre truly devastated. As I told her parents, Saadia had really blossomed of late and seemed really serene, happy. She had many plans, and her joy reverberated throughout the office - where we all had pleasure to hear her laugh while she was working.

The United Nations represents a large family, and many of our colleagues called to express their sorrow or written to convey their grief, from Islamabad but also from New York and other places. Like us at UNIC, they could not comprehend how Saadia’s young and promising life could be cut short so brutally, so unfairly.

We will always remember Saadia and cherish her memory.

May Saadia rest in eternal peace.

Eric Falt

UNESCO Office

Rabat, Morocco