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Professor of Chemistry (1966-1972)
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Prof.
Mohammed Ahmed Khan
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by Kazi Zulkader
Siddiqui, 671/Latif
Prof. Mohammed
Ahmed Khan joined Cadet College Petaro in 1966
to teach Chemistry and left in 1972 to return to
his farms at Nawabshah.
He was born on 12/2/1938, and
married Mrs. Mariam Khatoon on 1/3/1967. They have 3
sons, two of whom are Petarians, namely Muhammad
Shoaib Khan (marhum), kit no. 8482/Latif and
Muhammad Arif Khan, kit no. 93120/Q. His eldest
son Najeeb Khan is a renowned mufti in Karachi. They also have one daughter who
is married to Muhammad Yusuf Rabai, son of Mufti Zain-ul-Abedin of Faisalabad.
Ahmed Sahib is
now settled in Nawabshah and runs a charitable
school.
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Ahmed Sahib got his B.Sc. degree in Chemistry and
Microbiology from D.J. Science College Karachi in 1960,
and his M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry from Sindh University
in 1962.
His
first job was as a lecturer in Chemistry at Govt.
College Nawabshah in 1963-1964.
Ahmed Sahib was our Inorganic Chemistry teacher at Petaro from 1966-1972. He
was also the in charge of the college hockey team. He was also the Patron of the
Chemical Society
and the Educational Films Society from 1966 to 1972.
He left
Petaro early - in 1972 - due to his father's illness, and returned to Nawabshah to take care of his father's agricultural lands. He has been settled there since then.
When
the curricula for Matric and Intermediate were revamped
in the late 1960s, Ahmed Sahib attended the "In Service
Teacher Training Courses" at the University of Sindh in
1967 and 1968. The following year, he was one of the
thirteen teachers selected from all over West Pakistan
to be part of the "Advisory Committee for Revision of
Science Syllabi at Middle Stages". He was also a Teacher
Trainer for High Science Teachers of Sindh Province
during Summer Vacations of 1969 and 1970.
During
the following 20 years, while his primary business was
agriculture, he kept up his educational activities by
serving as an Honorary Visiting Professor at Sachal
Sarmast College, Govt. College and Islamia College at
Nawabshah.
During
1992-1994, he served as Professor of Chemistry and
Controller of Examinations at Sadiq Public School. This time, he had to quit his job due
to his dear mother's ill health, and the college Principal accepted his resignation
with a heavy heart.
Ahmed
Sahib always believed in serving mankind and the
community around him. His services to the city of
Nawabshah are innumerable. Over the past few years, he
set up the Uswa Educational Society and donated one acre
of his own land to build a good school there. He then
established the Uswa School, which was managed by his
son Shoaib until his death. Since then Ahmed Sahib has
been managing it himself.
He was
the Chairman of the Zakat Committee for Nawabshah from 2001-1006,
which did wonders for the poor people of the district.
He distributed Rs. 230 million to the poor and needy and was awarded an appreciation
medal from the President of Pakistn. This was the best performance by any Zakat Committee.
He was also the President of the Thinkers Forum of Nawabshah and ex-Secretary of the Nawabshah Gymkhana, and Chairman Market Committee of
Nawabshah from 1982-1991. As a result, Nawabshah was declared the best market committee
for development activities and was awarded the Pride of Performance and the Administrative
Efficiency Cup.
Over
the years, he built his farm (known as J.K. Gardens) as
a model research farm for all the progressive
orchardists of the country. Many of the national and
international organizations have carried out Research
and Development programs at J.K. Gardens since 1962. The
garden farmhouse also has a library on agriculture in
addition to books on Urdu literature, poetry and
religion. M.Phil and PhD students of universities have
benefited extensively from this library. J.K. Gardens
was also on the Host Farmers list for American farmers
families visiting Pakistan between 1972 and 1980.
Ahmed
Sahib has been in great demand as a speaker at various
conferences. He has also published articles in
newspapers like DAWN and journals on education and
agriculture. He has also been an Advisor on Education
and Agriculture since 1972. Has has also been a
president of the Rotary Club of Nawabshah.
Ahmed
Sahib was the winner of the Pride of Performance Award
in 1994-95 in recognition of his meritorious services
rendered for the glory and welfare of District
Administration of Nawabshah.
Ahmed
Sahib is one man who has always made an effort to keep up his
contacts with me and with all of his students. After I left
Petaro, I was abroad for over a decade. Upon my return to
Pakistan, I worked at Zelin Limited (Karachi) on Victoria Road
between 1980 and 1982. Ahmed Sahib found out through someone
that I was there. One day while I was in my office, he walked
in and asked me if Kazi Zulkader is around. I told him that
this is my name. He immediately blurted out, then don’t you
recognize me? I retorted, when you didn’t recognize me, how do
you expect me to recognize you? He smiled – that most
unforgettable smile. And it was obvious to me as to who he
was. He had come all the way only to meet me, not knowing how
much I may have changed.
It is rare to find your own teacher who keeps on monitoring
your movements in life and being concerned at how you are
doing. Such is Ahmed Sahib. He does not simply say that I
love you. He demonstrates it through deed. Periodically, he
calls each one of us and finds out how we are doing. He
demonstrates this care very vividly. So when he wrote “with
heaps of love” in that autograph, he was not just saying it
out of courtesy.
Many of
us do remember Ahmed Sahib in different ways. After Azim
Sahib, if there was another teacher who would talk and walk
fast, it was Ahmed Sahib. At times, it would even be difficult
to understand some of his expressions and jokes as he would
swallow words. But even if you didn’t, you would smile and
laugh with him.
We can
never forget the famous Chemical Club which he used to head.
We wouldn’t miss an opportunity to go to Hyderabad to buy “falsa”
so that we could make “sharbat” and have it preserved
through Ahmed Sahib’s concoctions. Recently, he didn’t forget
to send me 8 bottles of some other types of very healthy
sharbat - all the way from Nawabshah. That is the typical
Ahmed Sahib – always caring and loving.
Ahmed
Sahib’s life is exemplary in many ways. He has always
demonstrated a very strong character. The latest tragedy in
his life was the loss of his second son Shoaib, kit no. 8482/Latif,
who died of cancer in 2006. It is amazing how Ahmed
Sahib kept his calm and buried his own son.
Ahmed
Sahib never waited for anyone. This is reflected beautifully
in his advice to me in his autograph below. One must recognize
the realities of this life and not be lost merely in idealism.
We must take a step at a time - however imperfect it may be.
During the Golden Jubilee
celebrations of Cadet College Petaro on 24 February 2007,
Ahmed Sahib spoke to the audience and gave wonderful advice to
all amid old memories. Please
click
here to listen to his speech.
May Allah grant Ahmed Sahib a long life with vigor and health!
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