Begum Riaz Fatima , daughter of Molvi Muhammad Saeed and sister of Dr Taskhir Ahmed , from Zainpur , Bhera passed away on 15 Feburary 2022 in Lahore . She turned 100 on 19 September 2021, her birthday was celebrated . I recorded her memoirs in her own words in 2012 .Given below , may be of interest to some.
I am daughter of Molvi Muhammad Saeed. I was born on 19 September 1921 in Zainpur , Bhera. My father was born around 1880, in Bhera . He had his early education from Bhera. Later served in different schools in Lahore. He finally retired from Central Model School Lahore in 1940, and settled permanently in Zainpur . He was a religious scholar and a man of vision . He wrote an Arabic grammar book, Al-Raheem ul Attique , which was taught even in schools. He had flair for Arabic, Persian and Punjabi poetry . His book Jazbat – e – Saeed was published in his life time. Now it is not available in the market, may be in the library of Sial Sharif. He was a great educationist , besides religious education, gave emphasis on modern quality education . What his children became later in life is an ample proof of his perception . He had four sons and four daughters .
Dr Taskhir Ahmed, his eldest son was born on 3 March 1905, in Bhera . He did matriculation from Government High School, Bhera around 1920 and BSc from Agricultural College , Lyallpur (now Faisalabad). He remained lecturer in the college for number of years. In 1933 he got scholarship and went to Cambridge University, UK . After completion of PhD in Agriculture in 1935, he joined as senior Entomologist at Imperial Agriculture Research Institute ( IARI ), Pusa , Bihar, India . In 1936, the institute was shifted to New Delhi. For sometime, I lived with my brother in New Delhi and studied there. I did Adeeb Fazal. We lived in Bungalow No. 10 , IARI residential area, Karol Bagh, New Delhi. I wonder, if that house is still there. My brother remained at IARI, till 1947 (after partition IARI was named as Indian Agriculture Research Institute). When Pakistan came into being my brother was appointed as the first Director of Plant Protection of Pakistan . In recognition of his meritorious services, apart from many other awards, he was awarded Taghma – i – Pakistan in 1960 and Sitara – i – Kidmat in 1964. After retirement he became Director Darul Aloom , Sial Sharif. When Dr Taskhir retired , his younger brother, Hafiz Manzoor Abbas , was appointed Director Plant Protection . He had studied at Imperial College , UK.
Another brother of mine, Khurshid Nauman , was an Electrical Engineer from Leads University, UK. He was a bomber pilot in the Royal Indian Air Force during the World War II . Unfortunately, died in an air crash near Madras in August 1942. My forth brother, Ghulam Moin ud Din, did his Chartered Accountancy before 1947. He joined the government service. He died on 11January 2009 .One of my sisters, Bashir-un-Nisa, wife of Ghulam Nizamuddin Jami, did Munshi Fazal after marriage, settled in Karachi. Another sister of mine Khurshid Salika was married to Sheikh Muhammad Yousaf , son of Sheikh Alamdin , tehsildar from mohalla Sheikhanwala , Bhera . My eldest sister, Fakhar-un-Nisa , wife of Anwaar Ghani, was blessed with two sons – Brigadier Najeeb Ahmed and Sajjad Ahmed . Najeeb died on 17August 1988 , along with General Ziaul Haq and other senior officers in a tragic air crash near Bahawalpur , on 17 August 1988 . Sajaad Ahmed is settled in Dubai .
Mian Molvi Fazal Hameed was my real uncle. He was teacher in Islamia Primary School , mohalla Khawajagan . The famous poet, Hafeez Jalandhari when visited Bhera came to see my father. ( Hafeez Jalandhari has the honour of writing the lyrics of the national anthem of Pakistan). My father- in- law Sultan Mehmood was basically from Kariwala, near Jhung . He was Imam Masjid. People used to tell us that at the time of Fajr prayers Muslim and Hindu women used to stand outside the mosque. They had a belief the day they saw the face of Mian Jee they would get more butter from milk. It was just a myth.
Zahid showed me the pictures of mohalla Sahnianwala , it reminded me of a Hindu friend of mine, Kamla . She did not migrate at the time of partition. I often met her after 1947. Her family had lands in Salam , near Phularwan. Fazal Ellahi Piracha was a renowned personality of Bhera, his daughter, Musarat Piracha, who was in Education Department was a close friend of mine.
Our ancestral graveyard is in Zainpur. There are two long graves, which according to a “Rawait” are of some Sahabies (R.A). My father- in – law is buried in the same graveyard . Molvi Muhammad Saeed, passed away in 1964, and Dr Taskhir in 1991 , both were followers ( murids ) of Pir Khawaja Zia Uddin and Pir Khawaja Qamar Uddin Sialvi of Sial Sharif. They are buried in Sial Sharif as per their wills.
I got married in 1940 to a close relation of mine, Dr Fakhar Uddin Khalid, who was a humane person. He had his early education form Bhera. Lived with his uncle, Mian Molvi Fazal Hameed. As a student he walked to Government High School , Bhera from Zainpur everyday . When my husband went to Egypt during World War II, for about four years, I came back to Zainpur and stayed with my father- in- law and sometime with my elder brother in New Delhi. My husband retired as DMS from Mayo Hospital Lahore in 1975, he died in 1995.
In the end, I would say my father , Molvi Muhammad Saeed and elder bother, Dr Taskhir Ahmed never interfered in the personal believes of anyone. Though firm religious persons, but strongly believed in quality education, tolerance , mutual respect and welfare of relatives and needy people. That is the reason they are remembered with good words, even after so many years of their death. Their lives should be a role model for the youth of Bhera.
To be continued……………
Notes :
- Fakhar- un – Nisa, wife of Anwaar Ghani passed away on 5 May 2014.
- Bashir -un – Nisa, wife of Ghulam Nizamuddin Jami died on 18 May 2021.
- Youngest son of Riaz Fatima , Hamid Mehmood died on 28 January 2022, in Karachi due to sudden heart attack . He was 68 . Mother after 18 days. What a tragedy ! May Allah Almighty bless the souls of both ! Ameen . My heartfelt condolences to remaining sons – Yamin Khalid and Major Zaheer Tariq ( Retd ). Earlier their bother , Major Najam ul Hassan, died on 18 Mar 1998, in Rawalpindi.
Zahid Mumtaz, سانحہ ارتحال ۔۔۔۔زین پور میانی (بھیرہ) کے ممتاز عالم،استاد اور نغز گو شاعر مولوی محمد سعید زین پوری (رح) کی صاحبزادی اور ڈاکٹر فخر الدین مرحوم میڈیکل سپرنٹینڈنٹ میو ہسپتال لاہور کی اہلیہ محترمہ بیگم ریاض فاطمہ 15 فروری 2022 ع کولاہور میں سکون کے ساتھ اور اپنے اہل خانہ کے درمیان انتقال کر گئیں ۔انا للہ و انا الیہ راجعون ۔ مرحومہ کی عمر ایک سو سال سے زاید تھی ۔ 19 ستمبر 2021 ع کو انہوں نے اپنی فیملی کے یک صد سالہ سالگرہ منائی تھی۔ مرحومہ پاکستان کے مایہ ناز ماہر زراعت ڈاکٹر تسخیر احمد تمغہ خدمت،ستارہ امتیاز کی چھوٹی ہمشیرہ تھیں ۔محترمہ ریاض فاطمہ کے والد مولوی محمد سعید زین پوری ممتاز عالم اور پیر طریقت مولانا محمد ذاکر بگوی (رح) کے خاص شاگرد اور مرید تھے۔ مولوی صاحب کو اپنے استاد گرامی اور مرشد کامل کے ساتھ والہانہ محبت اور عقیدت تھی۔ اس حوالے سےوہ خاندان بگویہ کے زبردست قدردان اور معترف تھے۔ مولوی صاحب مرحوم نے اپنے منظوم کلام “جزبات سعید” میں خاندان بگویہ کے بارے میں اردو،فارسی،پنجابی تینوں زبانوں میں خوبصورت نظمیں،غزلیں،سہرے،رباعیات اور قطعات قلم بند کئے ہیں۔۔ محترمہ ریاض فاطمہ مرحومہ کے بیٹے طارق خالد اور یامین خالد، امیر حزب الانصار صاحبزادہ ابرار احمد صاحب کی مرحومہ ہمشیرہ انیسہ خانم اور بھائی محمد ابوبکر بگوی صاحب کے رضاعی بھائی تھے اور یوں انکے دو بیٹے صاحبزادہ صاحب کے رضاعی بھائی ہیں ۔
