ISLAMABAD: We met over 64 years ago at the Civil Service Academy, Lahore. He was short in height but proved himself to be the tallest in the 1955 batch of CSP by not only becoming chief secretary, federal secretary and secretary general finance but also deputy chairman of the Planning Commission.

On return from UK after completing two years training both in and outside the country, we both were posted to the Eastern Wing and then found ourselves together at the newly transferred capital of the country at Rawalpindi. Saeed was a bachelor at the time and lived with his mother. My wife became greatly attached to her and the family grew quite close.

We lost touch as my service was mostly in NWFP when not in the Secretariat and Saeed remained in Punjab and Sindh and later joined the Economic Group and started climbing the echelons of service ladder reaching to the top most.

We again came together when I persuaded him to help me by getting associated with Rural Support Programmes at the suggestion of my friend Khalil Milan and he accepted the directorship of National Rural Support Programme and on my persuasion became adviser to Balochistan RSP. His contribution to the largest RSP used to give great comfort not only to the board of directors but to the management also. He made NRSP generally in conformance with international standards and code of ethics.

Saeed was humble but a man of principles who never allowed deviations and compromises but was most flexible in accepting management’s point of view when convinced.

Saeed brought credit and distinction not only to his assignments in the government but also to his post service honorary work, be it at Al Shifa Trust or the Red Cross (Hilal-i-Ahmer) in which he used to represent Pakistan at the international level.

RSPS will miss him and I have lost a sincere and trusted friend who never said no to any of my requests. Only last month he visited Quetta and presided over NRSP audit committee with full gusto and on 9th March he left us all. He will be greatly missed by many of his friends but especially by NRSP and BRSP.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2019