KARACHI: Friends and admirers of Sabeen Mahmud came together on her mother Mahenaz Mahmud’s call at TDF’s MagnifiScience Centre to observe her 10th death anniversary on Thursday.

A very special portrait that pays tribute to Sabeen’s fearless spirit was also unveiled on the occasion.

Among Sabeen’s close friends who spoke on the occasion were author Bina Shah, entrepreneur Syed Ommer Amer, actor and director Khalid Ahmad, academic Amima Sayeed, artist and sculptor Amin Gulgee, school friend Tanya Mirza, Nasra Omar, Hajra Ahmed and Afia Aslam.

Bina Shah said that she felt her loss every day. “She was very precious to all of us,” she said before reading an essay she wrote and dedicated to Sabeen. Syed Ommer Amer also spoke about T2F, saying that it was not an exclusive space. “It was a place that included everyone,” he said. Khalid Ahmad read a few of Nasir Kazmi verses to remember Sabeen.

Amima Sayeed remembered how well Sabeen managed T2F despite its dwindling accounts. “She would be worrying about paying the various bills and we would be reminding her to include her salary when preparing proposals,” she said.

She also said that recently when she was telling her students at the Indus Valley School about great women of Pakistan, one of them pointed out that none of them were alive. “Well, we don’t let them live,” she sighed before adding that having said that there are also miracles of life here like Malala Yousafzai.

Tania Mirza, who was two years junior to Sabeen in Karachi Grammar School, remembered her lively spirit and sports skills. “If I had a fairy godsister, it would be Sabeen,” she said.

Amin Gulgee remembered Sabeen as an incredible human being. He hoped that someone would put together a book about her. “She deserves it and Pakistan deserves it,” he said.

Nasra Omar, Hajra Ahmed and Afia Aslam also paid rich tributes to Sabeen.

Earlier, CEO of Dawood Foundation, Favad Soomro said that they were glad to be honouring Sabeen at another place like the one she had created, which also focuses on interaction and learning.

The highlight of the evening was the unveiling of a unique portrait on the third floor of the MagnifiScience Centre created by 14 girl students of Fine Arts from the Department of Visual Studies at the University of Karachi under the guidance of artist and teacher Durriya Kazi.

Mahenaz Mahmud, Sabeen’s mother, said that Sabeen as a child was always playing with her father’s toolbox. She knew the name and use of each tool in that box. “Growing up she had collected all kinds of knick-knacks, including electronic junk such as pieces of the hardware from her old personal computers, which she had dismantled. There were also mouses, keyboard pieces, wires, CDs, plugs, sockets, etc, in several boxes. After her passing I just delivered all those boxes to Durriya, who got the students started on this project,” she explained.

Maida Siddiqui, one of the 14 students, said that their main concern when working on the portrait was capturing Sabeen’s essence. “We also wanted to make a very special piece for her while including all the little things which mattered to her. It took a while to figure things out and we were glad that we were finally able to put together a piece that truly does capture her spirit,” she concluded.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2025