The year 2015 dawned with all 55 PMA back home from barracks - leaving behind Khalid Pervez and Abid Qadri still playing their innings. All three stars who had been left on the pitch in 2014, also took off their gloves and started the year 2015 comfortably perched in the civvies.
We all looked towards the 2015 get together at Nathiagali in April and enjoyed the two days stay at Hotel Greens, courtesy and relentless efforts of Asif - the course secretary. The major agenda at Nathiagali was the holding of 2016 get together - and it was the unanimous and forceful resolve of both Zahir and Javed Baloch to win Lahore as the 2016 course get together venue.
Down the timeline, we saw Ismail for the first time appearing in the photos along with Ramli, who had been hosting all coursemates visiting Malaysia since long.
Agha Umer Farooq left for his ambassadorial assignment to Nigeria in May this year and has since been very actively seen on Facebook posting about his activities in Nigeria. While Zahir is only seen in get togethers and weddings, Salim Nawaz actively participates on WhatsApp discussions, generally prompted by Durrani.
As for the cowboy Tariq Khan, he is often seen on Facebook at his farms or at his house with his family or his piece of mind is also gets transferred into reminisces of his operations and concerns for the future.
Elections home and abroad (Canada to be specific) had two of us contesting - while Raja Hasan Akhtar Kiyani won the vice chairman slot of UC Lehri in the local government elections, our friend Vincent Samuel lost his bid to be in the Canadian parliament.
Shaking hands with the chief is indeed an honour. We saw Arjumand and Shoaib proudly display their handshake with the COAS General Raheel Sharif.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Chapter is as active as always and Jamil is doing a fine job keeping everyone together. We have had seen many such functions. The one above is the last one of 2015 held on Dec 14, 2015 on the eve of Annual Get Together of PAFAC (Pakistan Armed Forces Association of Canada) Jamil and Naveed Akbar with a friend (Lt col Farooq, Arty)
As for our two Malaysian coursemates, Ramli and Ismail, 2015 was the year when we finally saw Islamil joining the course group on WhatsApp and saw his photo with Ramli after passing out from PMA.
Ramli is all out to host any of our coursemates visiting Malaysia - that started with Solehria visit to Malaysia some years back.
Altaf is in USA well settled with his family and is also actively seen on Facebook, contributing his family photographs and interacting with the coursemates intimately.
The year went along happily till the bombshell of our dearest Javed Baloch's sudden death exploded on 1 December 2015 - something that no one was expecting. Javed was seen hale and hearty (photos below) on his daughter's marriage on 8 August 2015, held just a few months before his eternal departure. Who knew he has almost ran out of his days here with us.
A lot of coursemates rushed to Javed's ancestral village near Sargodha to pay homage to one of our dearest.
And just today, on 31 December 2015, the last day of the year ended with the Chehlum of Javed Baloch, as shared by Zahir Khan on WhatsApp. One can feel the sadness on Zahir's face as he sits beside the grave of our dearest friend and comrade.
The photos are adding up on our blog header much to my agony as I add more. Tomorrow starts a new year and I pray no more add ups this coming year, oh dear God. But we all know the bitter truth of life, sadly!!
The photos are adding up on our blog header much to my agony as I add more. Tomorrow starts a new year and I pray no more add ups this coming year, oh dear God. But we all know the bitter truth of life, sadly!!
