By Kazi Zulkader Siddiqui, 671/Latif

Cdre. Qamar Hashim, kit no. 211/Latif House joined Cadet College Petaro in 1961 and passed out in 1965 after completing his Intermediate.

He was born on 25 October 1947 and was married to Mrs. Laila. They have 2 children - Sarah and Asad.

Qamar Hashim died of cancer on 18 August 1999 at Karachi, while he was still in service with the Pakistan Navy.

During his days at Petaro, he was the Captain of the College Basketball team.

Qamar Hashim joined the Pakistan Navy soon after he passed out from Petaro. He participated in the 1971 War against India and became a prisoner of war.

He was a graduate of the Royal Naval Staff College, UK, and he obtained an M.Sc. in War Studies from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad. Later on he also graduated from the National Defence College (NDC), Islamabad as well.

His services to the Petarians are also well remembered. He was the First President of the Petarian Association 1981-82. Besides, he has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Association in different capacities for most of the period since its inception.

He was fluent in Urdu and English.

Qamar Hashim at JSSC, Chaklala, February 1^st, 1986

Memories of Qamar Hashim – by Cdre. (R) Mirza Ashfaq Beg, SI(M), 69/L

Commodore Qamar Hashim is indeed probably one of the finest of human beings produced by Cadet College Petaro. It is so painful to write that Qamar is no more with us, but his memory will live on forever.

As Commanding Officer of PNS Siqqat with his family

Qamar was born on 25^th of October 1947 at Karachi (just after the birth of Pakistan). My earliest memory of Qamar Hashim takes me back to Cadet College Petaro, where he joined 9^th Class in the late summer of 1961 and was housed in Jinnah House.

The most remarkable thing about this 14-year old lad was his tall frame and a very pleasant smiling face. During his years at Petaro, he excelled in many fields including basketball – taking full advantage of his height.

He was proficient in the English language, and was well known for being a pioneer member of the military band at Petaro. He passed out with flying colours in 1965. Shortly thereafter, he was selected to join the Pakistan Navy as a cadet in 1966. Finally, in October 1969 he was commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant.

Our Petarian fraternity was further cemented during our joint tenure in the Pakistan Navy. I saw him often on board naval ships and establishments. Whenever we met, we would chat about old times and happy days at Petaro. We would chat about our teachers and friends, and Qamar would always create ripples of laughter with his subtle sense of humour on such occasions.

Soon after his commissioning and completion of training, he was transferred to serve in East Pakistan which landed him into Indian POW camps at the end of the 1971 war. Qamar Hashim stood tall, and was an inspiring influence during this period of great hardships. Brigadier Yasub Ali Dogar’s excellent article (reproduced below) is a tribute to Qamar Hashim’s demonstration of responsibilities during this period.

During the course of his commission in the Navy, he served numerous fleets and units in key positions. He was posted to PNS Mardan, PNS Larkana, PNS Haider, PNS Himalaya, PNS Siqqat and as Commander of 10^th Patrol Squadron. He also served at the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad as Director Personnel Services, Director Naval Operations, and Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Operations). At one point, he was also posted as DS at the Joint Services Staff College.

During his service as a Lieutenant, Qamar Hashim was sent on deputation to the Oman Navy from 1976 to 1979. During this period, he established a record performance in that navy, and was selected to command the Royal Omani Yacht – a privilege that had hitherto been reserved only for the ‘gora babu’, i.e. officers belonging to the Royal British Navy. In recognition of his outstanding performance in Oman, he was awarded the Omani medal and the “Mentioned in Dispatches” clasp.

My association with Qamar Hashim grew closer while he was serving as the Commanding Officer of PNS Siqqat and the Commander of Patrol Craft Squadron in the early 1990s. During that period, I was serving as the Fleet Engineer Officer to the Commander Pakistan Fleet. We had very pleasant times together at sea during both of his command appointments. Qamar would always find a reason to laugh and smile whatever be the odds.

In 1983, Cdre. Qamar Hashim was sent to the UK to attend the Royal Naval Staff Course. A decade later, he was chosen to complete the Armed Forces War Course from the National Defence College in Islamabad. As a result, he was also awarded an M.Sc. in War Studies from the Quaid-e-Azam University.

Before his retirement in July 1999, Commodore Qamar Hashim was awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military) for his exceptional services to the Pakistan Navy.

Qamar Hashim’s dynamism can be gauged from the fact the he was not only one of the founding members of the Petarian Association, he was also the Founding President of the Association from January 1981 to November 1982. The association has come a long way since then. However, one must recognize the vision of Qamar Hashim and his painstaking efforts in nursing the newborn association, which allowed it to grow as it has.

Qamar Hashim was a man of tremendous determination. He had a very strong faith in Almighty Allah. Without a doubt, it was these two qualities that allowed him to excel amongst his colleagues, and to be looked upon as a fatherly figure by subordinates and contemporaries alike.

Qamar Hashim’s battle with cancer is the most glorious chapter of his life. It fills one with inspiration, while it depicts his nerves of steel. He refused to bow down to the deadly disease by attending to his normal duties until 6 days before his retirement on medical grounds. Unfortunately, he lived only 35 days after his retirement, and proceeded on his eternal journey into the Afterlife on August 17^th, 1999. My last meeting with Qamar was merely 4 days before his death at PNS Shifa. He was pleasant as ever and talked about Petaro, Petarians, the Navy, my health and our children. Little did I know that this would be our last encounter on Earth. May Allah give his family perseverance to bear this great loss.

With his wife Leila, daughter Sara, and son Asad in 1999.

Farewell to a Friend – “My Friend Qamar Hashim”

by Col.(R) Sohail Qureshi, 175/Liaquat House

(A letter written on 19^th August, 1999 – 2 days after Qamar Hashim’s expiry)

The year 1961 seems only yesterday. We were in the playing fields of Petaro and I remember the days gone by. We were all in our early teens then with a whole life ahead of us.

I remember the pranks in Mr. Maqsood’s English class and the laughter that came easily to you. There was no doubt about it. You stood tall and well above the rest of us. I remember your presence on the basketball court when you played for your house team and the cheering as you made it look easy and kept the scoreboard moving. Your relaxed and easy going style, friendly disposition, politeness, spirit of comradeship and warmth that was felt by all who knew you and had the good fortune to be your friends.

It became clear after our trips to the Naval Establishments in Karachi to play with the Navy that this was where you wanted to be and you talked about it enthusiastically with our classmates. Babar, Karsaz, Korangi became very close to your heart even in those early years. Our time in Petaro came to an end in 1965 and we all went our separate ways, and you joined the service you loved to be in.

We met briefly on a few occasions during the service years and it was always a pleasure to meet you and to catch up on the latest. It was a surprise to get a call from you not too long ago in Washington, and to know that you were here on medical grounds. When we met, you were undergoing treatment – perhaps experimental – at the Georgetown Hospital on your third visit to the USA. During this time in Washington, we met almost on all weekends. However, it slowly dawned on me that this was giong to be more serious than you made it out to be. I salute your quiet dignity, grace, fearlessness and courage under heavy odds. Knowing the circumstances under which you were battling this terrible disease would have broken down a lesser man. But you had nerves of steel, and I was struck by your inner strength. It was heart breaking to see you leave for the last time and with a promise to continue the struggle, although the results of the last treatment were far from encouraging. My friend you put up a hell of a fight and we are all proud of you and honoured to have been in the same class as you at school.

Farewell, Dear Friend! You will always live in our hearts forever. May Allah Bless you and grant you a place in Heaven. Ameen!

Comrades in Captivity – by Brig.(retd.) Yasub Ali Dogar

Commodore Qamar Hashim died recently of cancer of the kidneys. With his going, the nation has lost a gentleman, the Navy lost a thoroughly professional sailor, and I lost a personal friends of bitter hard days.

I had gotten to know him as a POW during our incarceration in India after the 1971 war. We were caught digging a tunnel from our rooms at the Ramgarh POW Camp, and were taken and sentenced to 30 days in cells. The first three days were without food, when we were given only water to drink. On the third day, our captors stopped our drinking water as well. It was under such intense conditions that I began to admire Qamar Hashim’s abilities to inspire the people around him. He was the one who was able to keep up the spirits of his comrades in arms with his sense of humour under those adverse conditions. It seemed as if the hardships dissipated when he was around. The 30 days on half rations in those cells seemed light in his presence, and the days passed quickly – as if they were normal days. Both Qamar Hashim and Ehsan (a flyer who is also no more with us after he sacrificed his life in a helicopter crash) passed the tests with flying colours. The rest of us in that group – namely Afzal, Rashidullah, Shahid and I – were pulled along by these two remarkable people.

From Ramgarh, we were taken to the Agra Central Jail, where we were incarcerated for the remaining two years. This was the jail where most of the officers and men caught trying to make an escapade were located. Among this larger group of adventurers, again the man who stood tall above all was none other than Qamar Hashim. Throughout, he kept up our spirits and united us in our outlook with his charm, dynamism and personality. He cheered us when we felt psychologically defeated, and looked after our needs like a fatherly figure. His entire attitude spoke volumes about his early upbringing at Cadet College Petaro. As an Alamgirian, I have always regarded the graduates of Military College to stand head and shoulders above those from the other cadet colleges. However, Qamar Hashim came out as a true example of cadets with sterling qualities that Petaro did produce.

Our period in captivity gave us the opportunity to study human character. There is probably no place better than jail to understand human behaviour. When we returned after the two-year bitter captivity to our homes and units, our regular contact between us was broken. He was in Karachi, while I was at Jamrud, Azad Kashmir, Siachin or Dadu. Despite this, we stayed in touch through an occasional letter or a meeting whenever I went to Karachi or vice versa.

Two years ago, Qamar Hashim started the last battle of his life – against cancer. This battle was as vociferous as the war fought by the sailor at sea. He made sure that his suffering did not create panic and despondency among those who were around him. He suffered alone. Around a year ago when I last met him, he appeared to be on the rebound. His suffering was not apparent. However, Allah Almighty has His own ways. Qamar Hashim left us for his permanent abode on 17^th of August 1999. We have been left behind to cherish his memories, to pray for his soul, and to ensure that his family gets their due. I trust that the Pakistan Navy rises to the task and keeps on producing leaders like Qamar.