HYDERABAD: Eminent educationist, scholar and recipient of presidential Pride of Performance Syed Qalandar Shah Lakhyari died of coronavirus at isolation ward set up at the Expo Centre in Karachi on Friday morning. He was 80.

Prof Lakhyari served as chairman of the English literature department at the University of Sindh.

He had been suffering from multiple diseases and receiving treatment at the Indus (Civil) Hospital, Badin, and on Nov 3, he was shifted to the isolation ward when his condition deteriorated with symptoms of Covid-19 infection.

Born on May 1, 1940 in Ahmed Khakhar village near Bulri Shah Karim town of Tando Mohammad Khan district, Prof Lakhyari was appointed as a lecturer at SU’s English department in 1970 and later headed the department.

After his retirement, he established the Qalandar Shah Institute of Education and Research in Hyderabad and organised a lecture series featuring renowned scholars of literature, history and languages.

In recognition of his academic and literary services, Prof Lakhyari was awarded Pride of Performance by the president of Pakistan. He also received several other awards from different organisations and forums.

He wrote many research articles on English language and literature and translated Allama Iqbal’s Persian poetry into Sindhi language. He also edited the Oxford Elementary English-Sindhi Dictionary.

His son, Kazim Shah, said that the funeral prayers would be held at 10am on Saturday near Al-Manzar, Jamshoro, and the burial would take place in the nearby Railo Miano graveyard, Our Correspondent in Dadu adds.

Considering his knowledge, experience and calibre, Prof Lakhyari was allowed to supervise doctoral scholars though he did not have a PhD degree at SU. A number of MPhil and PhD students who studied under his supervision are now serving at various universities across Pakistan.

In his condolence message, SU acting Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Siddique Kalhoro said that Prof Lakhyari was an institution of English education and treasure of knowledge in himself.

“He was a dedicated teacher with pragmatic approach,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2020