THIS is a belated but necessary appreciation of the tribute by Zubeida Mustafa to Sister Mary Emily and another by Fakir Aijazuddin to Habib Fida Ali .Sister Mary Emily firmly led St. Joseph’s College for Women in Karachi over several decades and varying conditions to make it an institution of excellence. She personally guided hundreds, if not thousands, of girls — including my wife and daughter — to become women of substance who make valuable contributions in diverse professions as also as loving homemakers and builders of their own families.

Between 1961 and 1963, during the annual St. Joseph’s College for Women vs St. Patrick’s College for Men debate, the under-signed had the privilege of a first meeting with the soft-spoken, steel-like personality of Sister Emily. Shortly thereafter, she graciously invited me to help her students stage a play called ‘The Rivals’. For a male college-university student to be allowed regular access for a few weeks to a womens college was like manna from heaven.

At her funeral service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, one wished there were more of her (former) Muslim students present to pay their respects to a great Christian.

The significance of Habib Fida Ali is manifest in the scarcity of notable edifices constructed in post-1947 Pakistan. He rectified that shortage. He evolved a distinct perspective on how structures could become accommodative sculptures, giving new forms and elegance to space and place. From private homes to public institutions, from schools, colleges, universities to restaurants, multipurpose high-rises and corporate centres , from restorations of classics to innovations in a class of their own, Habib Fida Ali imbued each design with practical functionality and subtle aesthetics. Over the years he also transformed his home in Karachi into a residence which mirrored his rich cultural and creative instincts. He kindly allowed the under-signed to use his exclusive home for intrusive filming . The Bohra community can be truly proud of having produced an individualof his calibre.

Senator(r) Javed Jabbar

Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2017