Born in Amritsar, India on 28th August1929, Begum Qamar passed away peacefully in the serenity of her home in Lahore amid her close family members in the early hours of January 19th, 2019. She had just returned home a few hours prior to her last moments, after spending two weeks in the ICU of a reputable hospital in Lahore. The reason behind her desire and insistence to return home was unclear to the family; but as destiny has it, her soul had to depart from the place where she was most comfortable. It was in the peace and quietness of her own bedroom where she enjoyed praying and reading Quran. May Allah rest her soul in peace and give her a grand welcome in the Hereafter, Aameen
Her departure leaves behind a plethora of inspiring memories both for her family and those who knew her.
Begum Qamar was the middle of the three daughters born to her parents, Hakim Mohammed Sharif and Begum Fazal. This was a family of renowned Hakims across generations in Amritsar. Allah (SWT) had bestowed special blessings upon them by a reputation of helping patients with herbal treatments. The family valued the importance of education, particularly for their daughters witha belief that education of women was a key to a strong family. The women of this family were always looked upon with high esteem by all Hindus, Muslims and Christians in the community. The religious education started for all daughters at home by an Islamic scholar. They learned the understanding of the Quran with Tafseer. This was the beginning of an eternal love of our late mother for the Divine message of Allah, which would then be spread to others.
After partition, the family migrated to Pakistan. She completed her schooling from Peshawar Convent School and did her Bachelor of Education from Lady McLagan College, Lahore, where she was subsequently honored to Head the Board of Education to set the standards of education and teachers’ resources.
Tribute to Our Late Beloved Mother Begum Akhtar Qamar (Educationist) 1929-2019
At a very young age, Begum Qamar was offered the position of Headmistress of then a primary school, which was soon to become the Lahore’s most renowned and reputable High School under her leadership. Today, Pakistan Railways Lady Griffin High School, stands among one of the iconic schools in Lahore. From the outset her goal was to foster the growth of a generation of educated moms who would contribute not only towards the household but would also be part of nation building by raising a powerful family.
As the Principal of the school, she was deeply involved in knowing and monitoring the performance of every student. At that time in our history, there was no example of such level of interest by the Head of the school. This unique commitment could not be ignored,and this approach emerged as the best tool for student -teacher engagement that would ultimately raise the bar of performance for all teachers. This resulted in a spirit of competition. All the teachers, without persuasion, became keenly focused on the academic performance of every student registered in the school. Over time, their school became the number one school in Lahore. The students actively participated in the activities by Red Crescent Society, Girls Guide Association, Dramatics and Debating Clubs. In order to keep a strong bond with the students, she opted to continue to teach English Language in addition to her main role as the Head of the school.
The students of Begum Qamar’s school would take top honors in the Matriculation Board exam by attaining one of the top three positions year after year. These students would then excel in the College exams as well and succeed in every field of education. Many of them became doctors, engineers, lawyers, bankers, sportswomen and TV Artists, etc.
Begum Qamar was recognized as a charismatic educationist with several awards including the National Pride of Performance awarded by the late Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo in 1988. She retired in August 1989 after38 years of distinguished service.
Her spirit to serve, particularly the less privileged, continued after retirement. She believed in community development and followed in the footsteps of her mother, Begum Fazal who was an active social worker. For the residents of Model Town, Lahore, Mrs. Qamar was a household name among the women. She was the figurehead of the “Ladies Club of Model Town” until the last few years of her life. Her presence and participation in the club’s meetings was a source of learning for all participants for decades. She had a thorough understanding of the teachings of the Quran and Sunna of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and would foster the same.Career Counselling for women and the spirit of giving / philanthropy were among the notable areas where Begum Qamar always took the lead. She had an active role in adding a gym and a hospital to the club premises. The Club honored her by paying rich tributes for her selfless devotion, neighborly love and social work.
As is true, behind every successful woman there is a man and for her, it was our father, Mr. Qamar Alam. She was very fortunate to have him as her husband, an engineer and a businessman. He stood beside her all her life and supported her passion for women empowerment. As a result, she was able to help many a woman who were career oriented to achieve their dreams of becoming professionals. While our father had full confidence in her ability to handle diverse matters and provided the financial, moral and emotional support, he always left the planning and decisions for family matters up to our late Mother.
In summary, Begum Qamar lived a life full of joy and contentment in every way. She was able to fulfill every role as a woman successfully. We, her children, were a witness of how this all came about and were very fortunate to learn from her being around us. She was the best mother there ever was!
The city of Lahore has lost a great mom. She will be remembered as a model of hope, grace and dignity. She was truly a sincere person. What she said, she always meant. She had a good sense of humor, was very witty and intelligent. She possessed a superb memory in remembering names and intricate details of remote historical events. She could quote the verses of English poems as easily as she would the verses of Quran and the sayings of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during routine conversations. Her speech was fluent and full of confidence. She carried a demean or that was low key and humble, yet very graceful. Her aesthetic sense in dressing up was always noticeable and admired by her friends and colleagues. She had a style of her own in verbal expression. She would say something, smile and end her statement with a laughter. The audience would invariably join in her laughter, submit to her in respect and enjoy her themes in any given situation, be it politics, social gup shup or a teaching lesson.
Mrs. Qamar had clarity of mind and made decisions with ease. She was punctual at work and punctual at social events. She was full of love and compassion not only for her family but also for every person who came across in her life.
The glow in her eyes and the radiant brightness on her smiling face witnessed by the family moments before her departure from this world were a sign of a treasure left behind to be followed as an enlightened path of a purposeful life.
Although she is not with us any more, her inspiring memories will live forever.
May Allah grant her the highest level in Jannah and give us the guidance to follow her good attributes.
Below is a special tribute as a short poem by one of her nieces, Saira Mufti currently residing in the UK.
As I reflect on old times, I can’t help but smile
Spate of fond memories penetrate my mind, personality so unique I shall not find
Her gentle voice and laughter echo in my ears, her sincerity and love never faltered in years
Relationships built and maintained, in a world where little is sustained
Educationist by profession, she led a disciplined and fulfilled life
Always stood strong and wise
Dulhan Aunty to some, Qamar Aunty to others, shining like a bride under a moonlit sky
To my Uncle she was always a darling, a cute address and somewhat charming
Always steadfast in her Deen with Salat paramount to her routine
She will live in our hearts and of those she touched, she was loved ever so much
Begum Akhtar Qamar is survived by her husband, 3 daughters, 1 son, and 10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.
Submitted by the Family of Mrs. Qamar
Published in Daily Times, March 24th 2019.
