Remembering Saadia Khan

For many years I have been waiting to write on Saadia Khan, the most brilliant student of our MBA class at NUST. It was the 1st MBA class at newly established Business School and the classes were run in the evening. This was to enable those students who had jobs and worked during the daytime to join classes in the evening. Saadia was working in Islamabad at United Nation Information Centre (UNIC), she would straight come to Rawalpindi where NUST Campus was located during those days. She was never late nor looked fatigued from 9-5 work hours at her office which she had joined on completion of studies at Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute. She possessed amazing energy, exceptional determination and always appeared calm and composed in the class. Personally I was greatly impressed the way she carried herself with incredible grace and extra-ordinary calm. In group assignments her contribution and inputs were always more than anyone but she would give the credit for good work to others. She was adjudged the best student at end of the 1st semester and she maintained that position in others semesters as well. She stood out from the rest of the class and was declared the best student of the course.

It was Saturday afternoon and I was at home, just cannot forget the dreadful call that I got from a former course-mate. He said if I had heard that Saadia died in road accident.

Phone fell from my hand, was stunned instantly, overwhelmed with emotions rushed out of my house barefooted and started running towards Saadia’s house which was only a street away from where our house was. I could see few cars parked outside, people going and coming out of her house. Did not have the strength to go further near the house nor asked anyone what and how happened? Stood there motionless for a while then walked back slowly trying to hold back my tears. The same evening I attended her Nimaz-e-Janaza and was present at the burial at Army Graveyard. Couldn’t sleep that night and kept reflecting why we humans were unable to see the logic behind the designs of nature and decision of Almighty.

I also cannot forget the day when NUST held a Condolence Reference after a few days of Saadia’s passing. Huma Beg and Dr. Farooq her husband had made a short video documentary on her life. They had done an excellent work in such a short time, covered her life right from childhood till the last days of her life. It covered all aspects of life and showed that Saadia was indeed a highly talented girl and a woman of exceptional elegance with diverse talents. This was followed by speeches by her school and college teachers, friends and class-fellows, colleagues, uncles and aunts. They went up the stage one after the other, some remained composed but other broke down before finishing their speeches. Mehwish Mehmood went up to represent her MBA course-mates and expressed the feelings of us all with most profound compassion, love and fondness that we all had for Saadia. The tributes paid to her were many, all glowing and many tearful speakers after speakers mentioned the memories of an amiable child, exceptionally talented student, extra-ordinary colleague and adorable friend. Words fail me to describe the somber and poignant atmosphere which prevailed in the hall which was packed to fill its full capacity. Finally Professor Qayum led a very heartrending prayer for the departed soul and ended it by saying:

“God! Fill her grave with light, the sights, the sounds the scent, the breeze of Heaven! God keep her ever in your care”

Time passes, life goes on but memories and reflections stay on. Saadia stays, in heart and mind of many who were her friends, relatives, class-fellows, colleagues and in even those whom she met only once. Some remember her for extra-ordinary talents, others for remarkable humane attributes, some for the concern she showed on their distressed and yet a large number of them who did not get the chance to meet her when she was alive. Today is her nineteenth death anniversary, may her soul is ever in peace in Heaven.

— Zarar A. Khan

zarar_22@hotmail.com