Annual Course Get Together 2018 - Islamabad

The annual course get together was held at Highland Resort, some eight kilometres ahead of Monal restaurant on the Margalla Hills, Islamabad on 21st April 2018. Although the the venue was selected on a difficult route, 46 officers along with their families attended, making a total of 103.

Luckily, it was a bight sunny day as till just a day before it was all cloudy and raining heavily. The tall pine trees on the dominating Margalla Hills and a cool spring breeze made the venue very pleasant and friendly for the boys aged sixty plus to hug each other as the number increased and welcomed each others with traditional warmth of comradeship of more than four decades old. 

 Photos of the venue taken by Rashid Javeed

Herein under are some of the photos taken by me and shared by others:

Manual sharing of data

A hearty laugh by Shahid Ashraf

The usual pleasantries followed by the lunch - and it also afforded some to enter into discussions of national and international matters and listening to the views of the wise.

After a very heavy and sumptuous brunch, the boys got together for a usual course secretary's briefing on the course fund health and matter related to future get together. Rauf Khan opened the briefing session with a few verses from Holy Quran, followed by a 'dua' by Akhtar Janjua for those of us who are waiting for us in the Heaven and also for the health and recovery of those suffering from ailments, specially Tariq Qureshi who is presently admitted in hospital after a sever second heart attack.

Thereafter, Asif deliberated on course fund statement and method of donations, specially on sliding scale. The gathering was also apprised that the next get together will be held at Kalyar's farm house in Sargodha. Thereafter Ikram Kiyani put forward a group based formula to hold annuals. But to many intricacies involved, while his efforts were lauded by everyone, it was decided that the present arrangements to hold get together should continue.

 Selfie by Zaffar

 Tariq 1 boasted of its maximum strength at the get together

Khalid 4 / Tariq 1 was no less with eight members

Amanullah's Tipu Tigers
"The great tigers who always fought for last position, but their morale remained very high. At the height Tipuites"

The gathering finally came to an end with the course photograph.

No doubt it was a well arranged event as always before. The thank you note for Asif and Ikram Kiayani not be better written as under by brother Salim Nawaz from Bosnia:

Wonderful event it sure has been. Masha Allah. Untiring efforts brimming with deep sincerity of brother Asif and Ikram Kiyani and their team have to work a lot a lot I know. I am happy to see an encouraging participation by all dear brothers. It has to be a very happy recharge of our spirits. Wow!!! I missed it badly folks!!! Allah bless you all with all the health and happiness.

God willing we shall meet next year in Sargodha at farmhouse of Asghar Hayat Kalyar. Stay blessed till then everyone.

Read More

Ramli revisits friends of more than four decades

The ongoing visit of brother Mohammad Ramli bin Othman, with whom we have a an association of more than four decades is more than a home coming.  While Ramli found most of us weighty, it was a pleasant surprise to see him slim as he was four decades ago, vibrant, radiating, energetic, smiling and witty, recalling old days with such clarity as if it were just yesterday that we were together..

While Ramli had been hosting many of us visiting Malaysia, the specially arranged get together by Arjmand Iqbal of 55 Twin City Chapter, assisted by Arbab Zahid and Mohammad Asif was one of the widely participated local get together at Islamabad to welcome Ramli. Ramli is here to attend a two weeks law course at NUST.

The get together was held at the roof top of the Islamabad Club golf club and was attended by almost four dozen local course mates in addition of vising Altaf Rehman from USA and Tariq who came all the way from Lahore to grace the occasion.

 To honour the visiting brother Shoaib Mumtaz announced hosting a dinner for Ramli

 Ramli writing away his address details for Lieutenant Waheed while Tariq Sher watches

 Visiting Altaf Rehman posing with Waheed and Ramli

At the end of the dinner, a beautifully wrapped gift was presented to Ramli. Thereafter everyone joined together for a final group photo. The bad light and fragile cell phone cameras flash could not capture the group photo taken at the end of the get together. I wish I had taken along my camera as I once used.

Earlier Tipuites hosted a dinner in Ramli's honour at Rawalpindi Golf Club. Some of Ramli's platoon mates of Khalid 2 and later Tipu platoon joined and reminisced the days of some 42 years old and thence.

 

Ramli also took a time out and visited ailing Zaheer ul Islam with a few of us

On Sunday 8 October, Ramli visited Lahore on special invitation of Lahore Chapter and a large number of Lahorites hosted Ramli a wonderful brunch at Lahore Gymkhana. As reported by Tariq Fazal, Zahir Khan and Maqsood received him at the airport. After freshing up at Zahir's place he was driven to Gymkhana club where his arrival was sounded by joyful cheers of a very large number of course mates. Unspoken language of warm hugs and handshakes expressed deep sentiments oozing out  on reunion with a long lost brother after lapse of four decades . Everybody   yearned for a photo opp to preserve these precious moments and  Ramli obliged all.

In a brief speech, Zahir Khan welcomed Ramli on behalf of all of us and presented gifts not only for Ramli but also for our other Malaysian brother Ismail. Ramli with his trademark smile a cheerful demeanor and excellent sense of humor recalled our golden days. His interesting talk repeatedly provoked bursts of laughter and several rounds of applause. 

 

It was a pleasure to note that our brother has excelled enormously in business as well as intellectual pursuits. Law is his forte, that brings him to be a member of the teaching faculty of his country's National Defense university. He is expected to soon revisit Pakistan accompanying Malaysia's army chief on his visit to PMA. 

some of the photos uploaded by Ashraf and Zahir are as under:

Due to paucity of time, Ramli could not visit Karachi where another large part of the 55th family eagerly awaited to meet him. Mindful of sentiments of Karachi, Ramli has sent a message of being with them the next time he comes to his second home - Pakistan.

Shoaib Mumtaz hosted yet another dinner at the Garrison Officers' Mess, Rawalpindi (aka Artillery Mess) which was attended by more than thirty course mates. Saleem Sarwar who could not attend earlier get together at Islamabad and Lahore made it to GOM to meet brother Ramli. Mumtaz Bajwa who was earlier away from town also made his appearance.

 

Shoaib Mumtaz thanked brother Ramli for sparing time and attending the dinner, while Ramli also reciprocated with warm wishes for all of us and promised to be with us again very soon. Before dispersing, we a had a usual group photo taken at the entrance of the GOM. Some photos are slightly blurred and this could be accepted as at this age our grip on cameras is not as firm as required for clear and crisp photos !!

Ramli at the end of wrapping off his visit to Pakistan will witnessed passing out parade at PMA for which necessary coordination at PMA has been done by Mujeeb, whose cadet is now the PMA commandant and Mohammad Asif. In photo above Ramli poses in front of Khalid Coy, which was his first term company. 

Before finally departing from Pakistan, Farrukh Hayee once again hosted a dinner for Ramli - photos taken on the occasion are as under

 

Ramli left Pakistan with many good memories of most of his course mates not seen since last four decades and also retraced his footsteps at Pakistan Military Academy, which brought him in friendship with over two hundred of us many many years ago. 

Ramli at CIP Lounge, Islamabad International Airport before flying home

We wish him and Ismail and their families the very best of luck and life and hope we shall meet again - God willing.

:

Read More