English & Urdu Text : Presentation : Khalid Iqbal Shoaib Sobani
Mohammad Husain Azad was his forebear. He was a theorist by birth and a genuine connoisseur of literature. He had very special knowledge about the personal lives of the celebrities and men of letter. He knew what Sir Syed Ahmed Khan wanted to hide behind his long beard? Che Guevara, while in Karachi stayed in Lalukhetetc etc.
Nayyer remained in a state of contemplation most of the times. Perhaps this was a way of life for him. Mischievous and naughty elements exploited this situation for their delight and amusement. They would take Nayyer with the intent of crossing the busy Bunder Road. They would remove his spectacles; leave him alone in the middle of the road alone to laugh by witnessing the acrobatics exhibited by the stranded and strayed Nayyer.
Nayyer had only a few friends who were all very loyal to him. Sometimes he displayed his professor like art of discussion and deductive reasoning. His arguments were full of wittiness and so well founded that many would believe that the shape of the world was indeed square and not round. Comparisons between Islam and socialism were his favourite subject.
After the Dow days Nayyer joined Pakistan Air force and trained as an Aviation Medicine specialist in Pakistan and also obtained advanced training with Royal Air Force in UK. For a while he remained incognito. As if he was cloistered somewhere in hibernation. No body knew much about his welfare for so many years.
We are in such a state of forgetfulness that we ourselves hardly hear any news about us Search and research revealed that he is still working with the Pakistan Air Force but now in a reincarnated role as a Civilian Aviation Medicine consultant. Had he continued in uniform in the PAF, the class of seventy-nine might have earned the distinction of having the first ever Air Marshal Nayyer Husain Naqvi belonging to their batch.
PERSONALITY UPLOADED ON 24TH JULY 2010 Dear Nayyar and Bashir I think, Bashir, you did not answer Nayyar's question right about the most embarrassing moment during DJ admission. It was clearly the MEDICAL EXAMINATION. After doing thousands of medical examinations during Army service and practicing medicine for so many years I still wonder about the doctor who was doing the medical exmination and his sexual preference and for the purpose of the kind of examination he was doing on all the teenager boys for admission to a pre-professional college. If any one of you have any thougts please let me know. Nayyar it is really good to know you as a friend and please remind me if you were in Saudi Arabia on secondment during early 80's because that is what I remember. Yar zinda suhbat baqi Anwar Nayyer, Thanks for the write-up. Now you know it is not as difficult as it is purported to be. Are you trying to say that the early influence with Saad Salman and Sadiq has something to do with shaping the interesting personality of yours. The most difficult part of DJ admissions was the anxiety to find out if you made it to that elite list outside the Principal's office. I think all of us made it to Dow except Bengali friends who left for Bangladesh. Knowing so many people from a batch ahead at Dow from DJ relationship was also a big plus. Coming to Dow seemed like a natural progression. Every day at Dow seemed like an adventure. It is indeed commendable that so many of our classmates illuminate the horizon. I am jealous that you are retired already. I don't know when my weary bones will get some reprieve. I did aviation medicine as well. To be able to join the air force, you have to go through the regular recruitment process...bootcamp and all, not my cup of tea...only Jawan Jungee like Arshad can do it. I stuck to the civilian side of it. Having a base in my town offers me fair relationship with some of the air force pilots who like to fly privately. Good luck to you. Be careful while crossing the road. Peace. Bashir
PERSONALITY UPLOADED ON 24TH JULY 2010 My Auto-Biography) Dear Friends, Most difficult thing to write is to write about one's ownself and time is also very short because today is the last day of the week Bak Rag hoon Junnonmain kia kuch so please forgive me and just laugh after reading this monograph I was born in karachi(cmh Malir Cantt) and as a toddler one of my friend was Saad Salman.I think now a days he is in Manchester UK and he will not be having memory of those days started my schooling from Public School Kohat,Presentation Convent School Hasan Abdal and Cantt Public School Peshawer,where Sadiq was a Headboy of Red House and My class mate.finally i matriculated from PAF model School Shahrae Faisal and landed finally in DJ science college,quiz for old DJians "what was the most embarrasing event during Admission process at DJ?" Methi memories of old Metharam Hostel of Dj will keep bringing smile on my face.here i found a great friend Arshad Saeed and also Khalid Rasheed.I think 80% of our DJ class was shifted to Dow medical college Seven,Eight years in Dow remains the crux of life,everyday was a new day with new stories.we were lucky to be students of very eminent professors but our class fellow kept the becon enlighted and most of them are very well known personalities in all walks of life in the world "Aen Hama khana Aftab Aist After graduation,i joined AIr force and did Diploma in Aerospace medicine in 1981 and completed my post graduation in Aviation medicine from ROyal Medical College of Psychians London in July 1985. I served as Flight Surgeon in different fighter and operational squardons of PAF and army aviation.i remained a Instructor at"institute of air saftey PAF and Army School of aviation Rahwali and as Cheif instructor of Aeromedical Institute PAF for eight years.i also had a experience of staff work at head quarters and senior medical officer at different bases. After retirement,i was lucky to re employed in PAF and now practising Avaition medicine in PAF Base Korangi Creek,which is a beautiful sea side resort. Ata Hai Yaad Mujhko Guzra Hoa Zamana!! Nayyar
PERSONALITY UPLOADED ON 24TH JULY 2010 Dear Bashir, "Dekhnaay walaay bhe qayamat ke nazaar rakhtay hain".friend,you are still same observant i.e. "taroo".naye Sadee main bhe nahee badlay WIth Best Reagrds Nayyer. Hi folks I have known Nayyar since primary class at cantt public school peshawar,he has always been a brutally honest person,i being the class monitor frequently had to seek his help when things went missing,although initially i had some misgivings when he told me about his ancestors like maulana azad,who had refused to accept Pakistan and that had been exploited by authors of our school text books,i was very young and could not distinguish black from white in literature. Any how we separated after a couple of years then we met again in college days,he had not changed,same studious and straight forward,wiity person,occasionally taken advantage by certain characters in the college.,and we are still in touch occasionally He has done very well in his chosen field of aviation medicine,i wish him all the best for future Sadiq Hasan,Commander
PERSONALITY UPLOADED ON 24TH JULY 2010 Dear Sadiq, It is unbelivable that all of you still remember me with such love and fondness.it has brougt tears in my eyes,delay in my response is due to my illiteracy in cyber sciences.well,a saying in Persian is "Dair Ayad,Duarast Ayad" and probably "Jaldi ka kaam Shaitaan ka My dear friend,i still remember,while going back to Air headquarters bus stop from school,i use to stop at your house to have a glass of chilled water(38years back).last month,i visited Peshawer and refreshed old memories. You were the capatain of Red house and we use to visit a haunted church,which was at backyard of the school.shahid Dad(yellow house) and Junaid Dani,son of Professor Hasan Dani(famous Archeologist)were our class mates. My great grandfather was Maulana Muhammad Hussain Azad,who was an Urdu author and not Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,an Congress leader(for correction,please).thankyou for your remarks and regards. Nayyer. It seems that dulha of the week is having some performance issues. Valima as you know is due within 3 days. Nayyer, a friend in need is a friend indeed. Use 'good offices' of macho man Arshad kanadvi...reportedly have many satisfied customers. Bashir Dear brother in arms, So good to hear from you. Yeh silsila jaari rehna chaaye. I know you can enrich this list by your regular contribution. You have the perfect pedigree and DNA (Maula Muhammad Hussain Azad) to write volumes. Nayyer dear, Yaar, yeh one liner se kaam nahin chalay ga. We need to hear a detailed account of your personal and professional anecdotes. Aaj ki raat suhaag raat ka aakhri din hai. Arshad
PERSONALITY UPLOADED ON 24TH JULY 2010 THANKS SHOAIB FOR NAYAR NAQVI----THE GREAT we were in 2nd year and a debating contest was on at arag auditorium nayyar came and tried to give a fiery speech but people were not in mode to listen they hooted and hooted till he left the stage i was in front and i have listened to all his speech it was great lot of iqbals and ghalibs SHAIER it was just bad day--he was disappointed i went to him and talked to him----from that day we were good friends we talked off and on.i tried to convince him that marxism is the only solution. he was not traditional islamic but he was against socialism.some time he talked about islami socialism with refernce to hasrat mohani but in the end he was a religious person and i was told that he is still a religiuos person and is involve in some kind of sofi ism--------i will live with it and only hope that he will not turn in to fundamentilism,become a pro taliban or al qaida and become fundamentalist pro iranian shia it was great to sit with him in canteen.he will listen carefully and than make some comments and the discussion will start again. a very good reader from poetry to novels and other things reads english and urdu both and hav a very good analytical appraoch in every thing exc in CROSSING THE ROAD.WE HAD GREAT TIME TO GETHER AND I WISH WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE LIKE HIM IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBOUR HOOD.EDUCATED PEOPLE ARE LEAVING PAKSITAN AND PEOPLE LIKE HIM ARE GREAT SILENT CONTRIBUTORS TO INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY i have some secrets to share about him but not on online we need an extended llpl party SO WAIT NAYYAR IT WAS GREAT TO HAVE YOU IN OUR CLASS TAKE CARE AND HAVE A VERY VERY VERY BIG LAOUGH EVERY DAY shershah
PERSONALITY UPLOADED ON 24TH JULY 2010 Shoaib, thank you for posting yet another good one. Nayyer is one those guys who gives the impression which is totally different to what he really is. Quite, but not shy. Rarely speaks, but when he does, watch out. Always with a smile on his face. On our non-tour in fourth year, we visited Badaber, courtesy of Nayyer (rather his father). It was an eye opener. We all knew the level of US involvement in Pakistan, but to actually see a town, with driving on the right side of the road, voltage 110v and so on, was something else. Nayyer thank you for that. Have a good week as dulha. Hasan PS: Is Nayyer tuned into this group, if not, could somebody please give him a nudge. Hi folk's Thank you Shoaib for presenting our friend Nayyer Hussain Naqvi. We all know Nayyer as a very intelligent, sharp and a very well read person. His sense of humor was original and par excellence. He had many many strengths but yet he was a very unassuming and humble individual. I would like to relate a surprise encounter with him many years ago and many many years after we all parted our ways. In 1997 or 98 cannot remember, Dr. Mushtaq who was then my Chair at AKU one day asked me if I could go to PAF Base Masroor Karachi to give a talk on Trauma. He said he will forward the Dean's and the Base Commander's letter, but asked me to find out from them what they want as he was not sure. I said fine I will do that. I asked my secretary to call PAF Base Masroor and find out the contact person. I will like to talk to him. It was my theater day and when I returned my secretary told me the in-charge doctor knows you very well and he said he was your class fellow. He said, "jub Raja Sahib ayian to meri un say baat karain." But he did not give his name. I was soon connected and there was a gentleman on the other side who kept asking me Raja Sahib pehchanain. I must say it took me a while to recognise him and that too solely because of his familiar laughter. I was really delighted to hear his vioce after a long time. After some catching up and getting details I asked him where should I come? He said PAF Base Masroor. I told him I know that, but it is a big place and he kept insisting to just come to the main gate. Eventually I gave up saying, "Bloody Nayyer, this guy has not changed."
PERSONALITY UPLOADED ON 24TH JULY 2010 I arrived on the day well before time as I thought it would be difficult to find the place. To my surprise there was a full Military Police escort waiting for me at the main gate which was quite embarrassing. I don't know what he had told them, everybody was just saluting me and I did not know how to respond and what to do. After a long drive when I arrived at their offices there was a welcome party lined up of officers in uniform, lead by Nayyer to greet me. First time I saw Nayyer in uniform and after our graduation. He introduced me to everybody and everyone would salute first before shaking hands...it was just a nightmare situation (Arshad will be able to relate to this). Surely he was a different Nayyer we all knew. Was very happy to see him though; despite the paraphernalia. After waiting for a while in office when the class was ready I was escorted by an entourage to the seminar room. Nayyer gave a very fiery motivational speech to his officers, introducing me literally as if I was some God's gift to this earth...which made me laugh especially on his selection of words...! I tried to spend few minutes to dispel that ludicurous misconception but without much success. It seemed the dumb and straight faced men in uniform were only programmed to believe their Commander. I tried to soften the stiff atmosphere by cracking some jokes but it seemed only Nayyer was allowed to give a very officiating smile. Where the hell I had come? I finished my talk which was followed by some very ceremonial questions...starting and ending with a loud "Sir". I just wanted to get out of there. But there was yet another ceremony; a snack party in my honor and now the bosses of Nayyer had joined as well to thank me. After all the fanfare, Nayyer was understandably desperate to catch up on many things. We sat down in his office and now we were alone. Just as I thought we had finished catching up on almost everything. Nayyer took a deep breath and courage to ask me the welfare of a girl in our class. I looked and smiled at poor Nayyer. It seemed the flame in his heart had never died even after so many years... Dil to pagal hai... I could see him visibily disappointed when I told him I had no idea. I added though that, if I knew you were interested in somebody I could have done some research before coming here. He quickly checked himself by saying, "No no it was nothing special it was like inquiring about everybody else." I told him yes I understand...we are all human beings and we all have this damn heart in us, over which we have very little control...and it only goes to show that you are no different...! We smiled and said good bye after finishing a very informative and illuminating tour of his establishment. Unfortunately I had to painfully go through all the ceremonies again in reverse order...till the main gate...nevertheless thank you very much Nayyer for organising that wonderful day. It was good to see you, in uniform, in action and in control of things. Nayyer is a great guy and as Ifti says, he has always had the last laugh...and so he did... in my encounter with him many years ago...! Best wishes Nayyer to you, your family and your new endeavors in Aviation Medicine. Asad
PERSONALITY UPLOADED ON 24TH JULY 2010 Nayyer has been duly informed of being the dulha of the week and requested to write his swaneh hayat in his own words and...with his his own keyboard. Hasan: I remember the Badaber camp visit well. I think we visited together. Hum bhi wahin maujood thay hum se bhi log poocha kiyay Hum chup rahay hum hans diyay manzoor tha parda tera Kal chaudween ki raat thi shab bhar raha charcha tera... Arshad Dear Shoaib Many thanks for placing Nayyer in the limelight. I got to know him at DJ college where he lived in the hostel opposite the college. He behaved like a simpleton but was far from it. He was as intelligent as any and usually had the last laugh. I met him again after a long long time on our silver jubilee celebration and enjoyed my time with him. Now the onus is upon him to enlighten us with his time in the Airforce. Ifti