Ushna Shah Instagram – إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون
Because this man meant so much to me, because he gave so much to this country and sacrificed so much, I ask you to take a moment to read about him and recite a prayer for him.
“I’ll call him back.”
A thought that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I can’t call him back now, but I can tell whoever will listen about him.
Retired Col. Qazi Zahid Ullah Khan was one of the most remarkable men I have ever known. A man of grace, charm, and effortless style. Handsome as they come, always in a new car that smelled of cologne and his cigar-like cigarettes. He had a brilliant sense of humor, a sharp comeback for everything, and always had a great story to tell. A prankster at heart, never missing a chance to pull someone’s leg. He was always on my side, especially when it came to teasing my mother. To us, he was more than family. He was our Qazi Uncle, our favorite, our self-proclaimed mamu, the one who filled every room with warmth and laughter.
He dedicated his life to the Pakistan Army. In 1996, during a mission in Kashmir, he survived a helicopter crash that left him with severe nerve damage which developed into Parkinson’s, a battle he fought with resilience. Though he didn’t lose his life in battle, he lost so much of it because of his injuries. In my heart, he will always be a shaheed.
He passed away after Iftar, after Wudhu, from cardiac arrest, just hours before his 75th birthday. To meet his Creator in a state of purity says everything about the life he lived.
He always showed up. No matter how much Parkinson’s had taken from him, no matter how hard it was for him to move or speak, he still made the effort. He stood tall at our wedding, walking with a cane, barely able to stand, but there with all the class in the world. He gifted me the most precious gold earrings, a token of love that will stay with me forever, passed down to my children and theirs.
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