Majyd Aziz
(Former President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
My memories of Hakim Muhammad Saeed are still etched in my mind. Although I cannot profess to boast that I knew him very closely, I can still recall some encounter moments. The very first time I heard about him was when I was a teenager, and my paternal grandfather and mentor mentioned his name. He narrated an anecdote about him. My grandfather had a huge private library, that many acknowledged was the second best private library after the library of Mumtaz Hasan who was at that time the head of National Bank of Pakistan.
My grandfather would have his volumes bound and gilded and he would often visit Mehboobia Printing in Hyderabad Colony, Karachi (opposite Central Jail). One day he was invited to attend a ceremony to launch a new printing or maybe a binding machine. Hakim Sahib was the Chief Guest. My grandfather, who rarely was impressed with others, spoke highly of Hakim Sahib to us. He even said that he would not dispense with prescriptions or attend events on Thursdays, but he made an exception, more to manifest his love for books.
My encounters with him were usually at diplomatic receptions.A few times I saw him play tennis at Cosmopolitan Club, opposite Jinnah’s Mausoleum. He had an imposing personality, always dressed in white Sherwani, white Chooridar Pajama, white shoes, and black Jinnah cap. I remember once at the Avari Hotel, at a diplomatic reception, while the local paparazzi were clicking their cameras, I tried to move away. He, however, called me back, saying “Betay, when photos are being taken, make sure you are in them.” At another such reception, I mentioned “Chicago”, and he said something that I often repeat, “Betay, never say Chicago. Always say Chicago Sharif.” We usually add Sharif after the names of holy cities (e.g., Makkah, Madinah) or cities where there are shrines of well-known saints (e.g., Ajmer). So, I asked, “Uncle, why Chicago Sharif?”. He said there were 180 or more Masjids there. I never knew that!
Another vivid memory is when he was Governor of Sindh. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, then Prime Minister was the Chief Guest at the SITE Association of Industry Award Ceremony and Grand Dinner held at Bagh-e-Jinnah. Being a Former Chairman, I asked the late Siraj Kassam Teli, who was then the Chairman, that I wanted to present a special gift to her. The pièce de resistance was that the photo (I am presenting to her with Hakim Sahib on the right and Siraj in middle) was published in The News newspaper on the top on front page in large size and in full color. It was also printed in color on the back page of Gulf News of Dubai. While I was presenting this to her, Hakim Sahib remarked, “What about one for me?” I told him, “Uncle, this one is an original only for the Prime Minister.”
My final encounter with him was at Karachi Gymkhana where he was Chief Guest at a tennis tournament hosted by Zubair Habib, who is nowadays Chief of CPLC. The three of us talked about the prevalent business and political situation and other subjects. Hakim Sahib said to us that he had led a meaningful life, but he was praying daily to Almighty Allah that he should be given few more years to live so that he could complete one major project for the youth. One week later, the tragic news was broadcast. Despicable desperadoes of the worst kind assassinated him on 17 October 1998. Pakistan has in 77 years lost icons such as Liaquat Ali Khan, Benazir Bhutto, and Hakim Muhammad Saeed, who all were assassinated by these scum of the earth. Hakim Muhammad Saeed was not a politician, bureaucrat, or a uniformed person. He was aphysician, educationist, author, travel writer, guide, social personality, and a great thinker. His words still ring true. “The nature of man is that he is glad to hear his goodness.”
