Vol.19 – No.12 www.nawabbari.com December 2011
EDITORIAL
It is with a heavy heart and sadness deep within me, which is beyond expression, I write this Editorial for the last time as this will be the last issue of the Dhaka Nawab Family Newsletter which was started twenty years ago, in July1991.
I was deeply touched by the kind words of some of my near and dear ones in response to the Editorial of the November Newsletter, which, appear along with so many letters in the section: “About ourselves – from around the world.” I thank each and everyone as well as those who kindly expressed their appreciation over the telephone, and in person.
Regretfully, I did not hear from anyone, until 15th November 2011, offering to take over the responsibility of keeping the Newsletter going.
Even though there will be no Newsletter after this issue, I shall be glad to receive e-mails from whoever wishes to keep in touch with me, and I shall respond as soon as possible. In addition, if I find something interesting to contribute you will hear from me. In any case, I would request members of the family to kindly, make it a habit of visiting the Family Website – www.nawabbari.com, whenever they have some time to spare.
Life
and death are in the hands of the Lord Almighty. How, when and
where
each one of us will be called to our eternal heavenly home is
known
to Him alone. However, it is very important for us to be
prepared
for it at all times, and when the time comes we should accept
His
will with faith and fortitude.
I would like to take this opportunity to ask each and everyone in the Family and elsewhere to kindly forgive me for anything I might have written, said or done, causing pain or hurting anybody’s feelings. Do please remember me in your prayers, when the time comes, for my soul to rest in eternal heavenly peace by Allah’s grace and mercy. May God bless you all with health and happiness, and grant you all that is best in this world and in the Hereafter! Aameen!
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MERRY CHRISTMAS!
To all Christian relatives and friends, we extend greetings, and best wishes for Christmas in celebration of the birth of Prophet Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
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BANGLADESH
REMEMBERING THE LATE Mr. A.M.A. KABIR ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTHDAY 25TH NOVEMBER 1911
Centurian Alamgir Kabir
By Sigma Huda
(The writer, daughter of the late Mr. Akbar Kabir, is a niece of the late Mr. Alamgir Kabir, and has been so kind and gracious to help her first cousin NASREEN KABIR, who had broken a hand after a fall in the kitchen, and could not write herself.
My brother, the late K. M. Shahed and I, could not attend the wedding of our sister, the late TAHERA BAJI with KABIR DULHA BHAI, (Brother-in-law) in October 1938, as the Rector of St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling, the late Mr. L.G. Goddard, regretted not to grant permission for us to leave school, in reply to our father’ s request..
It was, therefore, in November of that year that I went to Kharagpur, where Dulha Bhai, who was in the prestigious Indian Police Service, was posted as S.D.P.O. and, from the moment we met, we became friends. In actual fact he was my guide in many ways throughout our lives. I am glad and grateful to Sigma Huda for her article “Centurian Alamgir Kabir” – Sayeed.)
It
was on 25th
November, 1911, a hundred years ago, that the fourth son was born to
the late Khan Bahadur A.K.Kabiruddin and the late Sajeda Khandker.
His parents or maybe his father was enamoured of the Mughal Emporers
who ruled the then India and as such named his off springs in honour
of the emperors. His elder sisters were named Dilshad Jahanara
and Rowshanara while his three brothers older to him were named
Shahjahan Nuroodin Ameer-e-Kabeer; Humayun Zaheeruddin
Ameer-e-Kabeer; Jahangir Shahabuddin Ameer-e-Kabeer. When the fourth
son was born, he was named Alamgir Mahiuddin Ameer-e-Kabeer. However
their late father did not follow the Moghul hierarchy whilst naming
his children as we can see from the names of his subsequent sons,
Akber Ameeruddin Ameer-e-Kabeer and Feroze Moslehuddin
Ameer-e-Kabeer. It will not be out of place to state here that though
their father had adopted the family name of his children by
conjoining the first portion of his father's name ( Ameeruddin) and
the first portion of his name,(Kabeeruddin), Ameer-e-Kabeer, yet his
sons, except for the youngest son, began to spell their last name as
Kabir instead of Kabeer.
Late Mr. Alamgir M. A. Kabir joined
the Indian Police Service but after the partition of India opted to
join the police service of Pakistan and rose up the ranks to become
the Inspector General of Police in the mid-sixties. He was also a
member of the first Caretaker Government after the fall of the
autocratic regime of General H.M. Ershad in 1990.
He passed away
to the Land of No Return on the tenth of January, 1996 after having
given much to the helpless, disadvantaged people of the country. As
the Inspector General of Police, he initiated the Polwell Market for
the welfare of the police force; the Family Planning Association ;
Association for the Correction and Social Rehabilitation of
Bangladesh which was founded by his late wife, Tahera
Kabir; Swarnivar Bangladesh; Lions Club; Society for the Welfare of
the Intellectually Disabled; Human Development Foundation and co-
founded the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh to name a few. It may
be noted that late Mr. Kabir was a man of high principles - so much
so that when during his tenure as the IGP, he was instructed to use
the police force during elections in favour of the ruling regime, he
refused and was therefore removed from office.
Late Mr. Kabir
was married to a renowned social worker, Tahera Kabir, eldest
daughter of the late Khwaja Shahabuddin. In her own way she founded
the Girls Guide Association in the then East Pakistan and was it's
Commissioner for long period of time till she was replaced by Ms.
Zeba Rasheed Choudhury for political reasons. The late Tahera Kabir
was the opposite of her spouse. While Mr. Kabir made witty and subtly
humorous comments and was cool, Late Tahera Kabir was fun loving and
entertaining. She loved to give surprises to her various nieces and
nephews. She really complemented her husband and we only realised the
great love Mr. Kabir had for his wife, was when we saw him after her
passing away on the 10th of October,1980.
Mr. Kabir was a very
organised person. He kept on record all his papers meticulously even
to the small chits of papers. He was also very conscious of any
outstanding obligations and would take all initiatives to see that
nothing was left incomplete or pending. At this stage, I would like
to share an incident here to show Mr. Kabir's sense of responsibility
and integrity. During his last days, when he was on life support in
the ICU of BIRDEM, he tried to tell us something. He was getting very
agitated that we could not understand his words. He then attempted to
write in the air with his fingers. We deciphered his writing and
asked him to confirm whether he wanted us to pay Taka 25.00 to the
Family Planning Association. He nodded vigorously and after he passed
away, we paid the outstanding dues of Taka 25.00 and thus he repaid
what he felt was a big burden on him.
When we were small, we
used to come to Dhaka to visit our grandmother who used to reside
with him most of the time ( when she was not visiting her other sons
and only living daughter). We also stayed with him wherever he was
posted- I specially recall Battali Hills in Chittagong and Peelkhana,
in Dhaka where we, as small children, made make believe incidents
into reality. We slept in tents in Peelkhana and dug tunnels in the
hillsides of Chittagong. We really enjoyed ourselves very much
satisfied with small gifts of God, as my very dear friend always
says. But then, he was also a disciplinarian and had certain
rules for his children and nieces and nephews. One of the rules that
we had to observe most diligently was - lights off at ten o'clock at
night when we were not allowed to read or talk but sleep. So, we used
to talk in whispers and if we remembered any funny anecdote we had a
hard time trying not to laugh out loud for fear of Mr.Kabir's anger
and once while we were in bed at ten p.m. supposedly sleeping, we
recalled something funny and his elder daughter, Nasreen, burst out
laughing which she tried desperately to hide under the bed covers and
what resulted was a very loud snort that caught the attention of her
father. Well, dear readers, I leave the rest to your
imagination.
Mr. Kabir's sense of humour is well known amongst
his friends, acquaintances and family. His humour cut across age and
class and this quality made him a loved person, to be remembered for
all times. He passed away on the 10th of January,1996 and now it is
the 25th of November, 2011- 25 years into eternity yet he remains
very close to our hearts. Yes, readers, you must have guessed by now
that Mr. Kabir is some one very close to us. He is none other than
our dear Noa
Chacha
( my father's immediate elder brother). On his 100th birth
anniversary, I pray for his soul to rest in eternal heavenlt peace.
Aameen!
BEGUM NARGIS LATIFULLAH, daughter of the late Syed Khwaja Sharfuddin, passed away in Dhaka on Saturday 19th November 2011 and was buried at the family graveyard in Begum Bazaar. May her soul rest in eternal heavenly peace.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to her son SARFARAZ LATIFULLAH (Azmi) and all members of her family. May the Lord Almighty grant them patience and courage to bear this irreparable loss, and accept His will with faith and fortitude.
In loving memory of Begum Nargis Latifullah, we have pleasure in reproducing an extract from the Editorial of the Dhaka Nawab Family Newsletter of June 2004, as follows:
Thank you. Aunty Nargis
We are deeply indebted to Aunty Nargis – BEGUM NARGIS LATIFULLAH – for her kind help and cooperation in looking after the distribution of the DNF Newsletter to subscribers in Dhaka, collecting annual subscriptions, and arranging to have them remitted to Karachi through the kind courtesy of Rafi Omar, our correspondent in Dhaka. She took over this responsibility on her own, after the passing away of uncle KHWAJA LATIFULLAH, on 11th January 1997..
Since then she has been a source of great help, and discharged her responsibility with great devotion and dedication for the benefit of the DNF Newsletter subscribers in Dhaka. It has not always been easy for her, in spite of her poor health and other responsibilities, to ensure that copies of the Newsletter are handed over to the subscribers whenever they call for them, and, at the same time, to keep following up and reminding those who keep forgetting to pay their annual subscriptions when they become due and payable at the beginning of each year.
We cannot find suitable words to express our deep sense of gratitude to Aunty Nargis for her kind help with the Newsletter, keeping up the tradition set by the late Khwaja Latifullah. We take this opportunity to thank her on behalf of all members of the Dhaka Nawab Family, and the readers of the DNF Newsletter, and pray: May the grace and mercy of the Lord Almighty, and His blessings be upon her and her family for ever and ever, with health, every happiness and all that is best in this world, and in the hereafter!
At her request Rafi Omar has very kindly agreed to take over this responsibility from her, as, due to her poor health, she is now finding it difficult to continue looking after the interest of the DNF Newsletter in Dhaka.
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R. K.G MURSHED, husband of Phool (Salima Murshed) and brother-in-law of Musa Bhai (A.M.S. Ahmad) passed away in Dhaka on Sunday 27th November 2011. May his soul rest in eternal heavenly peace.
Our heartfelt condolences to Phool, her daughter, Nabila, Musa Bhai and all members of their respective families. May the Lord Almighty grant them the courage and patience to bear this irreparable loss and accept His will with faith and fortitude.
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ABOUT OURSELVES – FROM AROUND THE WORLD
From KHWAJA MOHIUDDIN in Perth, Australia
Fond Good Bye To The
Dhaka Nawab Family Newsletter
All good things have at sometime got to come to an end. The Dhaka Nawab Family Newsletter was the result of a Herculean effort by Khwaja Sayeed Shahabuddin in the best tradition of the family and saw that the members after the Break up of Pakistan needed to be provided a focal point where the members of the family now spread in the far corners of the earth could retain the culture and traditions of the family which took birth in Dhaka.
The Dhaka Nawab Family Newsletter brilliantly kept the spirit and rich heritage of the Dhaka Nawab Family alive. Its editor, Khwaja Sayeed Shahabuddin deserves the gratitude of young and old for the wonderful role he played in the family mantaining the bonds thanks to the monthly news letter. The regularity and timely edition of the Newsletter was not an easy task and with very little help the hard working editor's selfless Labour Of Love was entirely due to his devotion to the Dhaka Nawab Family and its noble tradition of service to its people.
All good things have to come to an end. It has been a glorious innings played by Sayeed, but age takes its toll and he has the thanks and prayers of all members of the Nawab Family for helping to see the family now established in different parts of the world. With the aid of the Internet will remain in contact. I pray that Sayeed enjoys a happy fulfilling retirement and Ayesha and he will be blessed with health and happiness.
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Saudi Arabia
From SARWAT Haq in Riyadh
We
hope that you are both keeping well. It was a delight to spend
time with you both on our very short visit to Karachi.
Unfortunately due to the lack of time it is never possible for us to
stay for too long but at least I am so thankful that we get a chance
to see you all even though it is for a very short time.
Once
again we had a very enjoyable stay in Karachi, specially thanks to
you & Ayesha Chachi, Bino Chachi and of course Iqbal Khalo,
Shaheda Khala, Amr and Muiz. This time the added bonus was also
meeting Haseen Khala, Mehreen & Zahid during our stay there.
Very sadly I could not coordinate a suitable date to meet Musa Phuppa
which was very disappointing but I did speak to him over the phone.
In Islamabad we spent some time with Husmat Phuppi, Shahid, Gulraiz &
Hadia. Noor Phuppa's presence was sadly missed.
Unfortunately, Amir's mother is not at all well so in Lahore
our time was generally spent with her although we did take some time
out to visit Phool, Saad and Tasneem and their family and had a very
enjoyable tea with them.
Having now returned back to Riyadh we
are getting readjusted to our regular routine and much cooler and
pleasant weather - Winter has finally arrived in Riyadh.
December
also marks the end of the Newsletter. May I take this
opportunity to thank you in particular for the birth of the
Newsletter which has linked our family together worldwide, it has
been a spring board for the family network creating many individual
DNF websites which the family enjoys today. The beginning of
all of this was the start of the Newsletter. Thank you so much
Sayeed Chachu from both Amir & myself.
U. A. E.
From UMBEREEN RAHMAN in Dubai
Connector
If you are familiar with hollywood movies you would know the terminator,the exterminator,the interpreter,the transporter and the list goes on and on but the DNF has their very own, .a blue-eyed, quite easily mistaken for an Englishman, with a twinkle in his eyes, blueblood, known as Chachu to many otherwise known as Khawaja Sayeed Shahabuddin whom I refer to as the connector.
For the past 20 years he took up the daunting task of keeping the vast DNF connected. He got together a team of dedicated persons to assist him and started the hugely popular Dhaka Nawab Family Newsletter, a monthly publication of news, views and anecdotes of the DNFF from all over the world. It was a very difficult task but, our ‘Connector’ was determined to get it done and get it to the readers on time. To do this almost impossible task he would first gather all the news that everyone sent him, then with the help of those who had offered their valuable assistance would get it printed, complete with a title and logo, drive through the horrendous Karachi traffic cursing and exhibiting road rage at times to get to the post office and mail the letters on time that would wing its way to the hundreds of readers all over the world. When the computer was made available it went through the same painstaking process to be sent via email to the anxious readers that waited for the 30th.of each month to receive their copy via email.
no one could have done it better then our Chachu. His passion and dedication was unparallel. This was his way of keeping the family connected and he succeeded. He kept us all looking forward with great anticipation each month to receive news of the family and various family events. But even our Chachu needs to stop his tired fingers and allow himself the luxury of a well earned rest.
Our hearts are sad as we say farewell to the Newsletter, the baby of a unique person who cannot ever be replaced. we owe him a deep sense of gratitude and our sincere thanks .we wish him adieu and pray for his long life and good health. Aameen.
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U. S. A.
From K. ADNAN WASIUDDIN in Durham, North Carolina
I have been meaning to write in the Newsletter for the last 20 years, but being the ultimate procrastinator, I never do today what I can do 20 years later. I am writing today to pay homage and tribute to the most noble, kind hearted and loving gentleman I know. He just happens to be my Sayeed Chachu. Mr. K. Sayeed Shahabuddin to everyone else. He truly is one of the few persons who truly is a gentleman. He has single handedly run the Newsletter for the past 20 years. He started with a typewriter and had every copy printed, and mailed. He adapted to the internet, he had a meager subscription just to cover costs, even then he had a hard time collecting it. I am one of the deadbeats who was threatened to have his name published, but being the kind person he, he never did. During the years he took a lot of flak for the contents, but today I just want to thank him and say what it meant to me, and the silent procastinators like me, who enjoyed it for 20 long years.
In the pre-Facebook, Skype and Twitter days most people communicated by mail. Often the Newsletter brought us a little closer to the rest of the family, we all shared our joys and sorrows, births, deaths, and marriages through the Newsletter. Some people who touched me personally and did a great service are Wazir, husband of thr late Salma , daughter of the late Tahera Phupi. She (Salma) was a great person and we could all share his grief as he paid homage to her. Also Aliya Baji's family - Abeer, Nidal and Nabil - all our hearts went out to them as they coped with the passing away of one of the best persons I knew. So, as this chapter closes I just want to thank my dearest Sayeed Chachu for his years of selfless, dedicated service to the the Dhaka Nawab Family members. May God grant him a happy, healthy long life. As facebook and skype take over we will dearly miss his kind advice and editorials. .Ayesha Chachi needs to be thanked for helping and supporting him through all these years, or maybe she encouraged it so he would not bother her. So goodbye to all and lets hope we can keep in touch through facebook.
Happy holidays and a very happy New Year to all.
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Deeply touched by the following messages, from those who are so kind and gracious, in response to the announcement in the DNF November 2011, about the closing diwn of the Newsletter after December 2011.
From NAZLI SHAH in Toronto, Canada
I read this with such sadness you
cannot imagine. Had I been retired, I would have taken it on, but no
one can do it the justice you have and no one else has the same
respect of one and all as you do.
In a strange way, I do not want
anyone else to take it on as it really is your baby and I cannot
imagine it coming from anyone else.
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From QAMAR-UL- ISLAM ABBAS (Bar-at-Law), in Karachi
From Where do you expect to find another publisher who is as energetic, dedicated, selfless and active social worker not looking for reward as you are? Not to mention resourcefulness & many other advantages
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From UMBEREEN RAHMAN in Dubai
I just received the DNF Newsletter and read the contents of the Editorial with a twinge of sadness. It seems like an old friend has just bid a fond farewell. I used to look forward to it and sure enough at the end of every month it would arrive punctually via email. Even when it used to be sent by post you and only you saw to it that all the readers got their copy on time. NO ONE, AND I MEAN NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU DID FOR THE LAST 20 years. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING FEAT. True so many people contributed to make it a huge success but it was your dedication and single minded devotion to the DNF that got the job done. You are to be applauded for it's success the world over and for keeping the vast family connected. However your health comes first and it is time for you to take a bow and rest on your laurels.
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Khwaja Saifuddin in Karachi
DNF letter received. Deeply regret the announcement however, understand the reason for it.
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From AJI (Asghari Sudderuddin) and KABIR, in Virginia, U.S.A.
Congratulations! What an
extraordinary service you have rendered the Dhaka Nawab Family
through the publication of the Newsletter! How can we ever
thank you for it. You brought the whole Nawab Family together: family
members we did not know, who moved to faraway places, their children
and grandchildren. We met them through the Newsletter and connected
with them in thought and prayer.
I have been a silent member
of the family, sitting on the sidelines, sometimes even forgetting to
read the Newsletter. But let me tell you that Kabir and I have both
always admired you for getting the paper together. We have admired
how you overcame every obstacle, the challenges of getting people to
write, learning the computer, going the miles needed to bring out
each publication. We read about herculean tasks. We sing the praises
of others. But what we haven't told you is that what you did was as
herculean and as praiseworthy as the others.We respect and have
respected your courage, dedication, and single mindedness to publish
a family paper. To us and to our children you will always be an
example of commitment, courage and dedication. To the Dhaka Nawab
Family you are an outstanding member, and an integral part of its
collective consciousness and its history. Thank you.
From Dr. K. ISMAIL SUDDERUDDIN (Pai) in Singapore
This is to acknowledge receipt of your latest and last issue of the Newsletter "unless a volunteer appears from somewhere to keep it going."
As usual, I enjoyed reading it but with a tinge of sadness as it may be the last issue. I cannot imagine anyone out there with your dedication, promptitude and skill, and the huge reach among the extended Nawab Family who can fill your shoes and carry on. All your readers must acknowledge, as we do, a great sense of gratitude for your Herculean task to keep it going for so long. THANK YOU.
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From Khwaja Mohiuddin in Perth, Australia
Thanks for your email and the Newsletter. The news that December will see the end of the Newsletter, has not come as surprise.. You have done a sterling job in keeping it going all these years and deserve the thanks of the Dhaka Nawab Family. The time has come for you to put the pen down and take a well deserved rest and relaxation. The family times was an exacting job and you did it single handedly and it was an overwhelming success as all will acknowledge.
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From NISHAT and AZIZ KASHANI in Toronto, Canada
Nishat and I are sorry to learn that the Newsletter will no longer continue after December. We shall miss family news which kept us in touch with the family all over the world. Any way you do need rest after 20 years of hard work getting the news going. Allah’s blessings be on you.
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Read about your decision with mixed feelings. Masha Allah like a true soldier you single handedly published the DNF Newsletter for the last twenty years. It brought the entire DNF close and we all felt very well connected. I, for one, made use of the DNF Directory, which was due to the DNF Newsletter. We are deeply indebted to you and always pray for you and Ayesha Baji. May ALLAH maintain your SARPARASTI over us with health and high spirit. Hope someone will soon volunteer to continue the Newsletter publication. On my return I will see you to find the ways to continue the same. With best regards
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From NASREEN KABIR in Dhaka
Thanks so much for all the trouble you took to keep us all in touch with each other. sad that its going to be the last you will write. pray you stay well & we get your love & prayers
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Just wanted to let you know Nana, when I read the Newsletter this time I read it with a different perspective in mind. I thought to myself, "how does Nana keep up to date with all this information?" I also said the same thing to Lal nani, Assad and Faiza today, they agreed it was quite a remarkable thing!
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PAKISTAN
An interesting story for lovers of Golf – ‘Hole in one’ by father and son
From Wing Commander KHWAJA ARSHAD, in Karachi
It gives me immense pleasure to inform the members of the DNF that, in the last three years I have been extremely lucky to have achieved something which every GOLFER would dream of i e , hitting 'HOLE IN ONE'. I am more than lucky in many ways. Hitting 'HOLE IN ONE' once in life time is good enough, which most golfers do not achieve. By the Grace of ALLAH, I have so far, in the short period of five years of playing golf, done this three times in three years. My first was in March, 2009, in Lahore Gymkhana Golf Club. Second was in D H A Country & Golf Club, Karachi, in March, 2010. My third one (hope not the last one) was hit once again in Lahore Gymkhana Golf Club on 1st Nov, 2011. I am not hell of a player. My handicap is 18. This is a luxury of only LUCKY golfers. All praise be to ALLAH.
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From KHAWAJA KHURRAM ARSHAD son of Khawaja Arshad
Hole in one episode:
I was fortunate enough to have Abu Amii visit us in Lahore. After few days Dr. Atyab also dropped in for a dental seminar with an ulterior motive to play golf in Lahore lush green courses.
The weather during the month of April is very pleasant in Punjab and provides us with excellent golfing condition. As you know that Abu and Atyab are very big enthusiast about golf and during their stay I also caught the fever. On Sunday 24th April, 2011 Atyab and I went for a round of golf in Lahore Gymkhana. That day Abu was feeling under the weather thus he took a precautionary approach by resting at home. That day my game was normal and Atyab being more experienced than me was giving me some good golfing tips.On hole number fine which was a par 3 I teed off and was not able to follow the ball but the caddy informed me that it landed on the green.When we reached the green the ball was nowhere to be found.Atyab continued with his putt and I kept looking for my lost ball. Then Atyab informed me of the highly unlikely event that the ball I am looking for is in the hole…… thus hole in one!
I was over the moon and I called Abu right away and to my astonishment I came to know he had done the same “Hole in one” on the same course and on the same hole exactly two years ago, now that is what I call coincidence. It was no doubt one of my memorable golfing excursions……
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SOGHRA and AZIZ ALAM returned to Karachi on 19th November after spending a whole year with their children and grandchildren in the U. S. A.
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From AMR QUADIR in Karachi
Ammi’s and Abbu’s 50th Wedding Anniversary
May Allah bless my wonderful parents with many, many more happily wedded years ahead Insha Allah, Aameen!
I took parents and Muiz for dinner at the yummy Italian restaurant "La Mamma" at Sheraton Hotel, on 10th November,because La Mamma holds many grand memories for us. My late sister Naureen baji took me to La Mamma for the first time when I was 13-14 years old; so I took her son Muiz there for the first time when he is that same age too.
Alhamdulillah , we also spent a most relaxing and peaceful weekend at the Naval base Manora, just outside Karachi.
Please remember Ammi, Abbu and Muiz in your Duas.
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From KHWAJA ARSHAD in Karachi
HAIYA BOKHARI, daughter of Rummana and Iqbal Bokhari, and SHAHERYAR DOGAR son of Mr & Mrs Shabbir Dogar were married in Lahore. Ceremonies were held from 11th to 13th November.. First was mehendi, followed by Rukhsati the next day and the Valima, the day ater. Shehnaz and I had gone to Lahore specially to attend the wedding.. All occasions were well attended by relatives, friends from both sides.
One thing I would certainly like to highlight is the rule set by the Government for all functions to finish by midnight. However, the Government of Punjab further reduced the lights out time by two hour, . i e by 10 p.m. Coming from Kareachi, I was amazed to see it being followed strictly on all occasions. Not only that, all functions are s strictly, one dish parties. I wonder why the same rule cannot be followed in Karachi and elsewhere in Pakistan.
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MEHFUZ AHMED, son of Zakia Masoom and the late Masoom Barkat, was married to NIDA KANWAL daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Sameer Ahmed Khan. The wedding was held on 16th Novembe. and the Valima on the 18th..The functions were well attended by relatives and friends from the both families. .
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K KHALID IMTIAZ,son of Lt Col K Imtiaz Alam and Farzana was married to Saadia Mishaal, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Zia ul Haq from Dir, settled in Mardan. They belong to renowned Hakeem Family. The Baaraatis drove from Lahore to Mardan on 13th November. The wedding took place the next day, and the Valima Reception was held in Lahore on 16th November, which was well attended. Shehnaz and I were lucky to have made it to Lahore the same morning and were able to attend the Valima.
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SANA USMANI, youngest daughter of the late Nigar and Mazhar Usmani, was married to SHOAIB HASHMI, son of Mr & Mrs Ayub Hashmi. The Nikah was held after Juma namaz in the Masjid close to their homes.(as both families live close to each other).The rukhsati took place on 21st November, and the Valima on 23rd Nov. K M Asad with his daughter Nadia and grand daughter Yana came all the way from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to attend the wedding. My son, Khawaja Khurram, who lives in Lahore, also flew in to participate. Relatives and friends attended the functions to bless the newlyweds.
May the Lord Almighty grant all the wedded couples with the best of health, every happiness and success in a blissfully long married life. Aameen
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K M SOHAIL, son of the late K. M. Arif and the late Afshani, passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning, 20th November. His funeral prayer was performed after ‘Asr prayers the same day. He is survived by his wife Kausar, daughter of Zubaida Quraishi , two daughters, Beenish and Hena and son Nabeel. All his children are married. May his soul rest in eternal heavenly peace, and God grant patience and courage to all members of his family, and to bear this irreparable loss, accepting His will, with faith and fortitude.
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KHWAJA RIZWAN, son of Khwaja Yaseen, and his wife SANOBER, returned to Karachi on 11th November after performing Hajj.They had spent over a month in Saudi Arabia.
MAHENAZ (Mimmie) daughter of Khwaja Mashooqullah and Mumtaz, and her husband, SAJJAD ALI arrived in Karachi on Saturday 19th November after performing Hajj. They had flown direct from London to Madina Munawwara and to Makkah Muazzama.
K. M. ZUBAIR, his wife, SARA, K. M. AMER, wife ULFAT and daughter ZEHRA, Dr. SYED KHWAJA ALQAMA, wife LULU and daughter. returned to Karachi on Sunday 20th November after performing Hajj.
YASIMEEN, niece of Hushmat Husain (daughter of the late General Abrar Husain) and her husband DURRANI returned to Rawalpindi recently, after performing Hajj
We congratulate all those mentioned above, as well as other family members about whom we have no information, and pray: May Allah Ta’ala accept their performance of rituals of Hajj, prayers and meditation in a manner that pleases Him most.
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FEATURES
The End of a Legent
(Received through the kind courtesy of (Mrs.) HUSHMAT NOOR HUSAIN, sent by her son SHAHID A. HUSAIN by e-mail on 8th November 2011.He wrote: “The article COMMANDER EXTRAORDINARY was written by Major General Salim Ullah, one of the officers who served with Abbu in the same regiment and during the 1965 war. The article was published in the October issue of Hilal, the Pakistan Army journal, although he had submitted for publication in July. Following is an extract from an e-mail dated 20th October 2011, addressed to ‘Dear all’, by General Salim Ullah, with the heading THE END OF A LEGEND he wrote{: “Yes, indeed, it is the end of a legend. With the passing away of BRIG NOOR AHMED HUSAIN, an era has come to close. We all have felt woefully short of words to express our profound grief on this sad occasion, perhaps some of us shed an odd tear in our private moments too - fearing he might disapprove of it! NA, as we in the FIGHTING FIFTEEN called him fondly, led a conspicuously dignified and honourable life and gave us only the best from it. His greatness as a role-model and a mentor was shared by all of us alike, without exception. No wonder if all of us share the same awe, respect and affection for him. I might add that he extended the same love and care to our children as well.”
Commander Extraordinary
Major General Salim Ullah, Retired.
(Published in the Monthly HILAL, Pakistan Armed Forces' Magazine, October 2011)
The year was 1964; the place - Field Firing Range-4 and the occasion - the divisional anti-tank firing competition. After the prize distribution, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Major General Tikka Khan addressed the participants. Commending the champion unit and stressing the importance of leadership at the unit level, General Tikka Khan, in his proverbial soldierly style, remarked, "Good CO (commanding officer) good battalion, bum CO bum battalion".
No one put it so succinctly.
What follows is a first witness account of leadership par excellence of the commander who was the indirect recipient of this unique tribute by the GOC. It is a first witness account in that the present writer was fortunate to have 'suffered' the command of this leader for several years.
Let us keep pending naming him for the time being.
One of our major grievances or 'cribs' - to use the military parlance - was his incessant 'pushing' of his officers, in particular the young officer. He had a mistaken belief, so we assumed, that if you trained the officers hard you trained the unit well. Resultantly, the officers were required to physically participate in all training activities and perform not as well as - but better than - their men. This included firing and physical efficiency. There was no question of officers merely standing behind training squads: they were to physically participate. To this end, the officers were to dress up like the men which was mostly in Field Service Marching Order or overalls. The peak cap was a rare sight in the unit, mostly worn during visits by formation commanders or senior visitors. The sports were not to be merely attended but actively participated.
The daily tea break did not give much of a break and was equally 'dreaded' by many an officer. Earlier, as the Second-in-Command (2IC), he had introduced what was called the Tea Bar Affair during the tea break. This was in addition to the Troops Information Programme on Fridays where officers and Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) were required to address the unit on some professional subject or the other. The Tea Bar Affair was for officers only and, overtime, became a permanent feature. All officers, in rotation, were required to choose a subject - professional or otherwise - and deliver a brief 15-minute talk. Mostly subjects of general knowledge were included. A monthly roster was issued by the 2IC office for the purpose. Light topics were encouraged to keep it an 'affair' rather than a formal 'training programme'. For instance, the present writer once chose to speak on 'cribbing as an art' to settle the score. Surprisingly, the CO enjoyed the talk, often breaking into laughter. The next day a 'well done' note from him advised me to 'volunteer' for such subjects once a week!
Most of us considered the Tea Bar Affair a futile exercise. But, in later years, it stood us in good stead during Army courses where it lent us an edge in public speaking and instructional ability.
Pre-course training is usually an enjoyable furlough especially if it is held in another unit. It was not so with us. After completion of such training an officer was quizzed in detail by the CO personally and allowed to proceed to the Army course only if found satisfactory. While a satisfactory performance before the CO was rewarded with a long weekend, a weak one resulted in extra coaching under a senior officer of the unit.
The conversion to R&S (Reconnaissance and Support) role in the early 1960s was a major operation. New weapon systems and specialist trades were inducted. This called for re-organization at lower levels down to sections. New equipment had to be carried by men and vehicles according to their specific tasks. To start with, new load tables needed to be worked out for each man and vehicle before training in various roles in operations of war could commence. As the Adjutant or 2IC he had remained closely associated with the conversion process. The huge task entailed rigorous working and trials which often continued till late into the night in punishing Quetta winter. Officers carrying weighing scales or heavy wireless sets was a common sight; the unit training area presented the look of a country fair. Just as we thought it was time to call it a day he would pop out from behind a recoilles rifle (RR) and question about that one aspect that we had overlooked. He had been working in his office on the draft of the GHQ Training Note on the organization and employment of R&S battalion in all operations of war.
Tired to the bones we would finally trudge off to the Mess. Within minutes the senior Subaltern could be heard shouting in the veranda, " Hurry, get ready. We are getting late, Damn it". He had been handed over a note by the Mess Havildar which read," If the soup gets cold and ice cream melts, God help you. .....". Jumping back to our feet we would quickly wash up, change and a convoy of bicycles and scooters would soon be on its way to his residence. And the day's gruelling work and all grumbling would be history.
All specialist training cadres in the unit, be it driving, signals, pioneers, heavy weapons, et al , were required to be attended and qualified by all newly posted officers, their ranks regardless. A junior leader must know all what his men knew - and a lot more, not less. This, he insisted, was a prerequisite to leading from the front.
And lead from the front he did!
The Indo-Pak War of September 1965 saw the unit spread in four different sectors from Chhamb in the north to Kasur in the south. Earlier in August 1965, the CO had cut short his joining time after returning from Fort Leavenworth and taken over the unit practically in the train. This must be unique in military history to assume command in a moving train. The Battalion Headquarters was to be based in Kharian. The four R&S companies were operating under command of different divisions up in front. The restless CO visited each of his companies every fourth day during the war. Which is to say that he was out every day visiting one company or the other. This, again, should be a record of sorts, considering not just the distances involved but the enemy air and artillery threat, especially in the forward areas. Once he was stuck at Bedian Headworks in Kasur sector in a barrage of enemy artillery and tank fire as well as air straffing but crossed it nonetheless to reach his company then under assault. Soon the word spread from trench to trench, "Niner Niner here", referring to his call sign. The surge in confidence was conspicuous. The men's morale knew no bounds to see their CO among them and fought on valiantly. He saw the company beat back the attack inflicting heavy casualties to the enemy which has been acknowledged by Indian military writers too. His personal recommendation facilitated gallantry awards to three men; Tamgha-i- Juraat each to Sepoy Abdul Rahman, Shaheed (posthumous) and Havildar Fateh Khan and an Imtiazi Sanad to Naik Saleem Akhtar.
On the Lahore front, Commander of the 10 Division Striking Force, Brigadier Qayyum Sher, was surprised to see a 'surplus' lieutenant colonel in his Orders Group for the counter attack across the BRBL Canal. As he would later recall, he asked the 'colonel at large', " How am I going to account for you should I lose you?". The colonel insisted to be with his company which was part of the Striking Force. He was with the assaulting troops right through the counter-attack and saw them capture the objective alongwith the abandoned jeep of the commander of Indian 15 Division, Major General Niranjan Prashad.
After the cease fire and withdrawal of troops, the unit was moved to a temporary location in Lahore Cantonment. Temporary was a word not found in his dictionary: the unit got down to work right away. An exhaustive stock-taking was held within days, the unit perhaps being the first in the Army to complete it. Captured Indian equipment - RR jeeps from the Rann of Kuchh to machine guns from Kasur & Khem Karan to walkie talkies from Chhamb - were all taken on ledger charge. Training commenced soon afterwards.
A tented Officers Mess was established in the backyard of a collapsed hut. All officers, single or married, lived in tents; the CO chose a 40- pounder for himself. Formal dinner nights were started on the first four nights of the week, though in normal working dress as our Mess kits were still lying with heavy baggage back in Quetta. Gradually, married officers started shifting to family accommodation as and when it was allotted. The CO shifted only once the last married officer had moved to a house. He didn't get to live there long enough and was posted out to Command & Staff College Quetta soon thereafter.
The CO had a towering personality; a personification of command virtues. A firm commander who brooked no laxity but remained dedicated to the training and welfare of his officers and men. The consensus among the 'crowd' was that he was our Enemy No.1 during office hours but our greatest benefactor thereafter. Each officer assumed himself to be the focus of the CO's special attention, benign or otherwise - and for good reason. After a demonstration laid on by the unit for 11 Division in Lahore, the GOC, Major General K M Azhar complimented the presenting team and its leader. Addressing the CO, he remarked, "In Captain XYZ, you have a good officer". Pat came the reply," Thank you, Sir. All my officers are good like Captain XYZ".
A great teacher and mentor, he transferred the best of himself to his officers. His conduct and demeanour remained consistently dignified and officer-like, in war or peace; straight out of the text book. His personal integrity was unimpeachable and profoundly infectious, making his officers his proud disciples. To us, his officers and his battalion - the FIGHTING FIFTEEN - he remains a living legend. And why not: he is the shadow of the Great Man he served as an ADC - the Father of the Nation himself.
We have reached the end of the article but did not name him yet. But self-effacing and unassuming as he has been all through, abhorring personal glorification, would he like being named in the twilight of his life?
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In memory of my boy-hood friend, the late Commodore I. H. Mallick.
“This
message is long overdue” wrote Almas Zakiuddin, in her e-mail
from Vancouver on Monday 28th
November. She continued: “and I am really sorry for the
delay. I did not forget in fact every evening I would sit down to
write but I could not bring myself to write to you. I know how deeply
you will mourn the loss of your dear childhood friend Ikram
Mallick.”
”He passed away more than a month ago,
on October 24th. I went across to see the family at once and we all
met in the Mosque because they had bathed his body and he was lying
there, looking at peace. But I could not write to you about it all
this time. I don't know why. Yesterday I went to his Quran
Khwani and decided that I would write and
tell you. He has left behind a loving family and such wonderful
memories and the main thing is, he died peacefully, with his near and
dear ones around him.”
I am deeply grieved and pray: May the Lord Almighty grant his soul to rest in eternal heavenly peace, and grant Khadeeje and all members of his family, the patience and courage to bear this irreparable loss and accept His will with faith and fortitude. Aameen
It was in February 1937, when we were just over thirteen years old, that we met at the All India Scouts Jamboree held in New Delhi. I was in a group of Boy Scouts from various schools in Dhaka, and three Scout Masters, that proceeded to Calcutta (now Kolkata) where 400 Boy Scouts from all over Bengal got together. We left Calcutta by a special train, stopping in Lucknow for a whole day sight-seeing, and arriving in Delhi, if I remember correctly, on 7th February. On our return journey, a week later, we stopped at Agra and visited the Taj Mahal.
An
enormous area of the Old Polo ground was filled with tents to
accommodate 8000 Boy scouts from all over India. Each province of
India had its own camp. Ours had the ‘Bengal Tiger’
displayed prominently at the entrance. Each province had its own
programme of activities and, at the same time, competed against one
another at various games, including Boxing, and each province had its
own Camp fire every night. There was ‘free time’ of two
hours every afternoon when we were free to do what we wanted. I was
keen on meeting Boy Scouts from other parts of India, so, I spent my
‘free time’ visiting as many camps as I could each day.
It must have been the first day that I visited the camp of the
N.W..F.P. (Now Khyberpakhtunwa) Scouts, where I met Ikramul Haq, and
we got to like each other straight away. Since then he accompanied me
to as many camps as we could visit during the week and we exchanged
addresses with fellow Scouts from other provinces of India. On the
last night a big Camp fire was held which was attended by 8000 Boy
Scouts. The Chief Guest was Lord Baden Powell, the founder of the
Boy Scouts movement, and Lady Baden Powell. The most touching moment,
that night, was when 8000 Boy Scouts sang Rabindra Nath Tagore’s
“Jana gana mana odhinayaka joyo hei”
(Each one of us was given a copy of the song printed in ‘Roman
English”). It is now the National Anthem of the Republic of
India. Finally, the week long event came to an end and Ikramul Haq
and Sayeed, as they came to know each other, said farewell promising
to keep in touch.
In March 1937 my youngest brother, the late K. M. Shahed and I were sent as boarders to St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling. He was nine and I was thirteen and a half years old. As soon as I settled down, I started writing letters, which was like my hobby – I even had a girl pen-friend in New Zealand called June Izzard – and the only fellow Scout who responded was Ikramul Haq with his photograph which I still have somewhere in one of my photo albums. We continued to exchange letters even after I had joined the Training Ship Dufferin in January 1939, and we lost touch when the Brirtish Merchant Ship, aboard which I was serving as a cadet, still in my teens, was sunk by a Japanese submarine and I spent a little under four years as a guest of the Imperial Japanese Army.
After the end of World War II I had a chequered career which included a Five Year Short Service Commission, in what was then known as the Royal Pakistan Navy, and I was posted as Divisional Sea Transport Officer (Pakistan) in Karachi. Some time in 1953 I went to Chittagong on a tour of duty as Lieut. Commander K. S. Shahabuddin and I was received and taken care of by Commander I. H. Mallick, with whom I stayed and was taken round by him to meet various officials in the Port of Chittagong. On the third and final day of my visit to Chittagong, we were being driven in the afternoon to meet an official when, during our conversation, Commander Mallick said something about Peshawar. Suddenly I turned, and facing him asked: “Are you Ikramul Haq?” He answered by asking: “Are you Sayeed?” Just imagine, we spent three days together without knowing that we were boy-hood friends since we met at the All India Scouts Jamboree in New Delhi in February 1937, meeting for the first time as adults after sixteen years.
Many years later, one day my brother-in-law (Hamzulf) Qamar-ul-Islam Abbas (Bar-at-Law) invited me to have lunch at the Marriot to meet a friend of his. There is no prize for guessing. It was Ikramul Haq. Later he told me that Ikramul Haq had moved to the U.S.A. but there was no news where he was.
In April 2002, our daughter, Nazli, along with her husband, Taimur Shah and daughters Zeyna and Mona, migrated to Canada after spending twenty five years in the U.A.E. It was a most generous gift that my wife Ayesha, received from her brother Badar, living in Canada, that enabled us to visit Canada in the summer of 2002. En route, we stopped over in London for two weeks with Hamid and Lucy. Although the Shahs had bought a house in Mississauga, they were not settled. So we spent the first fortnight with Ayesha’s sister, Lal and her husband, the late Najmul Huq, who was loving called Ziad. While in Canada we visited Ayesha’s brother, Shams and his wife Nasreen in Seattle, and spent a week with Najma (my aunt, but younger than me by ten days and my friend since childhood) and Rahman Quader Bhaijan, in Irvine, California. With great difficulty, Commodore Syed Fazle Rab (a former officer of the Pakistan Navy, married to our cousin Shakila Salim) living in Annaheim Hills, about an hour’s drive from Irvine, managed to persuade Najma to let us spend a night with them. After breakfast the following morning, we were talking about our common acquaintances in the Navy when I asked him if he had any idea where I. H. Mallick was, as I had heard he was somewhere in the U.S.A. Fazl promptly took out his cell phone, dialed a number and handed the cell phone to me. What a pleasant surprise it was to find Ikramul Haq on the line from Vancouver. It so happened that Shams and Nasreen had arranged to take us to Vancouver on our return from California, so Ikramul Haq and I made plans to meet. He was so kind and gracious to invite Shams, Nasreen, Ayesha and myself to have lunch with him in a restaurant. Unfortunately, we could not meet his wife Khadeeje who was not well. That was the last time, in August 2002 that we met. Back in Karachi I kept in touch with him via the e-mail until he stopped responding due to ill health.
Finally, Ayesha and I were invited to lunch one day by Binoo Bhabi, wife of my eldest brother, the late Khwaja Zakiuddin, to meet a friend of her daughter Almas who had come from Vancouver. Somehow, I did not get an opportunity to talk to Almas’ friend, Mehryn, and was most disappointed and very angry with myself when I learnt later that she was the daughter of my very dear friend Ikramul Haq. I wish I had known then that Almas knew the family in Vancouver.
I am deeply indebted to Almas for keeping me informed about his health from time to time, and knowing my feelings for him, it took her a long time to get down to letting me know that he had passed away.
Our friendship will now be recorded permanently in this, the December 2011 issue, which brings to an end the publication of the DHAKA NAWAB FAMILY NEWSLETTER
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(As translated and explained by Muhammad Asad)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace.
Surah AL - BAQARAH – THE COW – Chapter2. (Verses 285 & 286 )
THE APOSTLE, and the believers with him, believe in what has been bestowed upon him from on high by his Sustainer: They all believe in God, and His angels, and His revelations, and His apostles, making no distinction among any of his apostles, and they say: “We have heard, and we pay heed. Grant us Thy forgiveness, O our Sustainer, for with Thee is all journeys’ end!
“God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear: in his favour shall be whatever good he does, and against him whatever evil he does.
“O our Sustainer! Take us not to task if we forget or unwittingly do wrong!
“O our Sustainer! Lay not upon us a burden such as Thou didst lay upon those who lived before us! O our Sustainer! Make us not bear burdens which we have no strength to bear!
“And efface Thou our sins, and grant us forgiveness, and bestow Thy mercy upon us! Thou art our Lord Supreme: succour us, then, against people who deny the truth!”
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Editor: Khwaja Sayeed Shahabuddin, sayeed425@gmail.com Tel. (92-21) 3567- 4639 & 0300-292-1903
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