Lost and Found Over the Decades

12th May 1975 was the day in our lives when we entered Pakistan Military en masse with one aim: To pass out from this prestigious military academy and join Pakistan Army as commissioned officers. Although, the dreams of most of us were realized, the destiny of some laid  somewhere else. This post is being specially written for those some who left the academy at various stages of the training and yet became something to be proud of.

This post has two portions: The Part I is about those of us who after commissioning vanished from the mainstream and were found many decades later. The Second Portion is about those few who could not join Pakistan Army and got lost in the crowd. But by and by some have been found and are now part of our ambit.

As for the officers whose photos appear above, I have already written two separate posts; Asif Amin and Waheed Ahmad. Though it is a sad coincidence that within a year of their find, the hurriedly took their Heavenly flights, joining those who had already left us midway. The third photo is that of Syed Mukhtar Haider, who has just been discovered yesterday, 20 September 2020 by Azhar Butt. 

Today, 21 September 2020, I interacted with Agha Mukhtar Haider and he very kindly and promptly responded. He left army in 1984 due to death of his father and has since then taking care of his lands in  village name Chak Haiderabad Distt / Thasil Nankana Sahib and is a successful landlord of the area.

 

Recently, there has been an another find: Nasir Khan. He left army as captain and went to USA / Canada. Just last week Jamil found him out and has since been added to the Brothers55 group. He is living presently in Montreal, Canada for the last thirty years.

Nasir Khan attending a conference in New Jersey USA

Now coming over to the second group, those who left the academy for various reasons and got settled in their lives in the "civil." It is but a coincidence that five out of the ones so discovered are from Khalid-4 Platoon of our course, a platoon to which I belong too.

• Starting from the left, the first comrade that was temporarily found was Tahir. Tahir was boarded out in the very first term. It was but a pleasant surprise in 1984 when on secondment to Saudi Arabia, one day I spotted Tahir in busy streets of Khobar. I literary ran out to him lest he disappeared in the crowd. He too was delighted to see me after almost nine years. I took him to my office which was though quite far away and had lunch together. He was in high spirits and working with some Saudi outfit. I gave him my number and asked him to comeback again. He though promised but that was the last time I saw him. He was found after being lost, but sadly lost again.
• Khurshid was a towering figure three to four inches above six feet ground level. He had to leave the academy in the second term and at that time he was very perturbed for he did not have a sound background to support him. But as I said before, everyone has a destiny and he too had one brightly shining in Saudi Arabia. He stayed there for almost 17-18 years and came back to open a thriving tanker business in Karachi. He was picked by Karachi Chapter and was a permanent member. I too met him in year 2000 when I was raising a unit in Malir cantonment. It was a a tragedy that he succumbed to some pressing family problems and left for his Heavenly abode in early 2000s. 
• Javed Manzoor Ghori, Arbab Zahid Pervez and Sajjad Ahmed Shigri almost together joined the fraternity in the 90s and have since been very active attendees of every get together. Arbab Zahid has helped arranging many a gettogether at Islamabad Club where he as been the Captain of the Golf Club.
• Waqar Aslam left the academy rather too early on medical grounds, joined Commoners 10th course and rose to the rank of DIG in police. Now he is practicing law in Lahore. He was found by Jamil and has been on the rolls of Lahore Chapter.
• Through Waqar Aslam, I got in contact with Jamal Mahmud, who lives in Chaklala Rawalpindi and runs a security company in Islamabad.
• Dr Sheikh Amer Mansoor bade goodbye to the academy early in first term as he had got admission in King Edward Medical College of Lahore. He became a heart surgeon. One day he came across the course website run by me and got in contact with Asif and joined the Lahore Chapter where he was warmly welcomed. However, he had just one year to live after his discovery and boarded his Heavenly flight on 2nd November 2016.

The latest find is that of Muhammad Shakil Nasir, who has just a few weeks ago found by Farrukh Hayee and was hurriedly invited on a lunch on 20th September by Lahore Chapter to take him into the folds of the fraternity. 

How was Shakil Nasir found, I inquired Farrukh Hayee who broke the news of his find. Here is what Farrukh told me: "He was at Askari- X Lahore facilitation centre in connection with some concern of his relatives. There once he was chatting  with officer In charge Maj Sultan (r) who is from my unit 102 EB then Shakil communicated him his connection with 55. Maj Sultan took my name to him and Shakil desired to put him through with me. With a call from my unit officer I was narrated that a judge wants to talk to me being guy of 55. We exchanged love and I sent his cell to admin for getting in loop honouring his desire. This wat was all. "

After leaving the PMA, Shakil graduated in Law and later qualified the examination of PCS ( Provincial Civil Service).  After a self proclaimed per mature retirement, he is managing a Legal firm. 

Knowing of his presence, Lahore Chapter hurriedly arranged a luncheon for him at DeSom, Lahore. The group photo at the occasion tells all who were there.

Updated: 8 October 2020:

While the search for the lost comrades continues, the latest find is that of Tariq Mumtaz (GC 14851), who left us after the first term. 

Now he has been found after almost 45 years and he writes:

I wish I could have continued my passion as a army men along with you lovely peoples but was not that lucky, and circumstances took me to other battle fields, I had tried different trades, from supplying material to pharmaceutical companies to DP navy for some time, but there were few matters in this game which were not of my kind hope you all know what I mean, then I left for abroad stayed in England for sometime, than came my very dear relations in play, back in Pakistan my mother who was constantly not well after death of my father in 1977, oh yes the year when our wonderful 55th long course passed out, my mother health was constantly falling down, so I have to come back to look after here, she lived with me till 1999 and slept for eternity in my hands in PNS Shifa Karachi. In between that I got married in 1985, by the grace of Almighty I have got family of wife two sons and daughter one granddaughter and grandson till date by the grace of Almighty Allah. In 2005 I had an heart attack Allhamdolillah survived with stent in my heart. Now living in Malir can't Askri -V.  I cannot be more brief then that, dear Tahir cause you asked for it.

The story of Lost and Found would not end here as there are many to be found: 

Left to right: Azhar, Nasir (updated: found) and Akhtar Zaman

Of the officers, we still need to track Muhammad Azhar, Nasir Mahmood Ahmed and Akhtar Zaman Khan (though he has been found but has not made his public appearance as yet). 

Following relgated to 56 PMA also needed to be found out:

Likewise there are a lot who left PMA and are yet to be found. May be Google and Facebook someday help to fill in the void. Do keep trying to look around for some familiar faces. May be behind a wrinkled face or a beard, one can find their youth as of 1975 onward.