A tribute: Rear Admiral Tahir Waseem (Late)
Posted by mansoor on 22 Oct 2007 | Tagged as: heart 2 heart
There are some people who come into your life for just a fleeting moment, yet leave behind a profound impact on how the course of your life runs. Such is the story of the role Rear Admiral Tahir Waseem (late) played in my life.
He was the person who first introduced me to the world of the internet, teaching me the basics of Internet Explorer and websites like Yahoo, back when i was 13 years old. He was the one who ‘gave’ me my first modem, a 14.4 Zoltrix Internal modem costing an arm and a leg in those days. (I later found out he gave the bill to my dad after i had gleefully installed and configured it on my machine. :p)
Before he came along, my computer experience was pretty much limited to a standalone system, running a few BASIC programs and writing a few commands here and there. He somehow challenged me to be better than that, to learn, to innovate and to find solutions. His natural way of teaching and transferring the enthusiasm he had for all things technical made me decide this was the field i wanted a career in. I even recall him giving me my first lessons in FoxPro, (which wasn’t even visual in those days).
Years later, i found him once outside a computer store looking for the latest version of MS Visual Studio, so he could learn it and develop a few office applications to help at his new post at Karachi Port Trust. An office which didn’t even have a fax machine before he arrived, and had a complete internet/intranet setup before he left. He was also one of the persons instrumental in bringing a corporate intranet to Pakistan Navy, managing to convince many a senior officers to give the project a go. Later i learned, he was the project manager on one of Pakistan Navy’s biggest software project, PNS Dockyard Automation system. There are among the many feats he had in his career, feats which enabled him to rise in the ranks of the Navy and reach one of the highest ranks an officer can hold.
Even on the personal front, he was a gem of a person. Not being able to have his own children, he and his wife adopted a child and raised him as their very own. The joy the child brought to their life was unmistakable, even when he suffered from major illnesses and was in and out of the hospital alot. He was right there by his bedside the whole time. It was a joy to see the love they shared and gave me hope of a better world, had more people like that existed. He was fun loving, jovial, had a great sense of humor, and was one of the few friends of my father i could sit and talk with for hours without feeling uncomfortable.
Tahir uncle, you were an inspiration, a teacher, a motivator and a role model. If i have any place in the world today, rest assured you played a major part in it. I am sorry i couldn’t visit you much lately, and i that i missed out on the opportunity on every trip i made to Islamabad.
I will miss you terribly, and remember you always in my prayers.
May God give you your rightful place in Jannat, alongside the other greats of this world. Amen.
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Rear Admiral Tahir Waseem, Director General MTC Islamabad, died in a road accident while returning from Attock after attending the marriage ceremony of his niece on 21st October 2007. He succumbed to his injuries before reaching the hospital, while his son still remains critical condition at CMH Rawalpindi. Other members of the family in the car, including his wife, escaped unhurt.
aww..im so sorry babe…
HUG
that was beautifully written…
i know he would have loved it..
i hadnt realised this was the gentleman we were talking bout only days ago with ammi and abbu..
im sorry for your loss..
MAy his soul rest in Peace
Ameen.
He was a greaaaaaaaaaat man. Although he was a rear Admiral (equivalent to army Maj. General), he was a down to earth person.
He was also a professional soldier and a very hard worker. He used to sleep less than 3-4 hours while he was doing his course at NDC. That is why he topped among all Navy officers at NDC. I had a very long chat with him at his neice’s wedding less than 24 hours before his death. He was so looking forward to his latest assignment as DG MTC. He had brought different files with him and was preparing for his offcial presentations (supposed to be done the day his QUL was offered next week) during nights at his stay in Attock during wedding.
His death was a great loss to not only his family but also his Nation. He will be indeed missed by those who knew him in any capacity.
death always claim the best ones first~ may allah grant him eternal peace and his family the fortitude to bear this loss….
Tahir Waseem was my chacha and my father (Amjad Saeed Sheikh) passed away in the same accident. I could’nt make to the Funeral. Just pary for them and my family specially for his son Azfar. He was coming to visit me on 3rd in London but.. May their Soul Rest in Peace. Ameen
thank you for your kind words all.
muhammad ali sheikh: amen buddy! i’m sorry 4 ur loss.. you guys have the task of ensuring azfar keeps well now… the darling child needs your support more than ever.
Tahir Mamu was indeed one of the finest people I have ever met. Very kind, gentle, great sense of humor and a personality where he made every one very comfortable (kids to old people). By talking to him no one could have guessed that he was one of the top naval officers. It was a shock, great loss when Amjad mamu and Tahir mamu died. May Allah rest their souls in peace. Our prayers are with them. I still have his last 2 e-mails and its very hard to read them cause I still haven’t come to the terms that he is gone.
But I always believe Allah wants the best ones first…
khurram: Amen!
Tahir Waseem was my uncle, and I cannot possibly describe to you how terrible it felt to learn that, of all people, it was my uncle, such a successful and inspirational figure, who passed away. My prayers go to Azfar as well(Alhamdulillah I have heard through the family that he is on the road to recovery).
May Allah grant both Tahir Uncle and Amjad Uncle eternal peace in paradise…I for certain could never, and will never, forget them.
amen zahrah! amen!