English & Urdu Text : Khalid IqbalPresentation : Shoaib Sobani

Raja was a sturdy and an elegant man. While riding his rusty Honda 50 with abecoming smile he looked like a real macho. In third year he was elected as the classrepresentative and everybody reckoned the leadership quality hidden in his guise. Histhunderous voice, a speedy good humored style of conversation was reflective of thefaith he had within himself. Nobody foresaw what future lay ahead of thishardworking and pragmatic man? He took serious interest in studies from the startof final year onwards…

Away from Dow his aptitude for the medical profession came to the limelight.While in England he found a genuine mentor who transformed him into a surgeonpar excellence. Back in Pakistan he had some bitter and pungent experiences ofworking in a private and public sector Medical Colleges. A classmate psychiatristtold Raja one day that he was an angry, frustrated and a depressed man and mayneed Samina's treatment soon if I do not learn to adapt.

His soul returned to himself once he joined Aga Khan where bountiful opportunitieswere waiting for him to show his mettle and class. His popularity as a professionaland guru to young doctors reached its zenith. He won the most coveted award ofAKU the 'Outstanding Teacher Award'. In due course a sabbatical helped him to doMasters in Health Sciences in Bioethics from the University of Toronto.

Raja rose to the position Mohammed Bhai Professor of Surgery in 2003. He was giventhe position of Program Director of Surgery Residency program and FellowshipPrograms in Surgery for 7 years. Later he became the founder Chair of Surgerythrough an international search at the Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya in 2003.Raja recalls in his rejoinder “After finishing my first 5 year term as a Chair of Surgeryat AKU, Nairobi, I resigned very sadly due to financial pressures of supporting twokids education in UK.

I belonged to a very humble background and our parents could only give us goodeducation and we are proud of that asset. I had the duty to my parents of giving mychildren good education too”. Raja with wife Rehana joined here at King KhalidUniversity in Abha, Saudi Arabia in 2008. He took the assignment of a Professor ofSurgery practiced Hepatobiliary pancreatic and upper GI/Esophageal surgicaloncology.

The son Omair is a medical graduate from Queen Mary University in London. Thedaughter Zahra went to University of Jordan in Amman to do her bachelors in Islamicstudies and to learn Arabic. Then she got herself a position at Oxford to do herMasters in comparative religion in 2011. She went to University of Cardiff doing aqualitative research project which is a fully funded scholarship by Fulbright.

In the later years Raja with Rehana took another herculean task of building a state ofthe art Masjid near Nairobi in Kenya. They generated all the financial resources ontheir own pocket. This Masjid was designed, built and decorated very uniquely andis an awesome personal example of “sadqa-e-jaaria”

Asad Raja is an individual, very upfront, undiplomatic and had never minced wordsin speaking his mind. A paragon of virtue, a hard-hitting steadfast critique of goodand bad and is genuine asset to the Batch of `79.

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How apt to start Asad's introduction with his bike. I can attest to Asad's proficiency with Honda 50 having being the passenger on numerous occassions! Once whilst riding on the honda we were stopped by a policeman hoping to extract some money only to find that both of our fathers were senior police officers! We left him cursing his kismet.Asif

Raja that was greatRakla

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Dear Shoaib and all class mates, Thank you for the write up. I could not beleive that you remembered allthat after 37 years. It is very kind of you to write all good things but certainly I have lots of weaknessess andshort commings as well. The major being that I am very upfront, undiplomatic and don't mince words insaying what I want to say or what ever is on my mind. The trait earned me very aptly the title of 'Raja lath' asa student and Mirza Ali Azhar needs to be credited for it. The other thing which Shershah always use to saythat, "I am a true 'virgo' and a perfectionist and in my efforts to achieve perfection I have abondoned or couldnot complete so many projects which though half perfect were very good." Initially I use to tell him that it isnot in my nature to be a 'Jugari'. But over the years I realised that he was absolutely right. Perfect cannot bethe enemy of good. So this is my great regret as I cannot turn the clock back now. Sorry Shersah..! So Icould go on and on.......... As it was suggested in last emails that the person should write something abouttheir own journey for the benefit of the classmates. So my story goes like this that after graduating and doinghouse job, many of us landed in UK in the first half of 1981and after completing my requirements I did myFRCS in April 1985. I worked there for another 5 years and returned to Pakistan in 1990. I went as a singleperson but returned as a group of four! I married Rehana our class mate in 1983 and had two children Omiar(23) and Zahra (22). Rehana did her specialisation in OBGYN and she is working with me here at KingKhalid University as an Associate Professor in OBGYN. Our son Omair is a now a 4th year medical Studentat Queen Mary University in London. He did BSc last year with honors in experimental and molecularpathology as part of intercollated program. He is an avid reader, writer, poet and a debator. He has beenPresident of the Queen Mary University Debating Society for last 3 years. He graduates next summer in2011.

PERSONALITY UPLOADED ON 30TH JANUARY 2010.Our daughter Zahra went to University of Jordan in Aman to do her bachelors in Islamic studies andto learn Arabic. It was a 4 year prgram and she graduated in 2008. Then she got herself a position atOxford to do her Masters in comparitive religion and did her Master from there last year. Now she is atUniversity of Cardiff doing a qualitative research project which is a fully funded scholarship. This willearn her a Masters in Qualitative Research. She has been the President of the Islamic StudentsSociety of Oxford and a Member of Oxford Union. Zahra has now become a Fulbirght Scholar and willgo to US this fall to study Journalism funded by the Fulbright Commision.Regarding myself; I came to Karachi and struggled a lot trying to do what everyone else was doing - BherChaal. First 2 years at Baqai University and than about 5 years at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and KarachiMedical and Dental College, Seventh Day Adventist Hospital and Bantva Memon Hospital (charitable work).Idrees and Shershah and many others would testify that I could not adjust to that world as it was not cut outfor me. Kutch shahar dey loog wee zalim sun, kutch sanoo maran da shook we see...... Samina Mateen(Psychatrist) and others arranged a serious meeting with me and diagnosed that I am an angry, frustratedand a depressed man and may need Samina's treatment soon if I do not learn to adapt. Their suggestionwas very novel that I need to chop off that bulky and heavy 3 pin plug of UK and change to a local 2 pinPakistani plug which is at best loose, sometimes without cover and most of the time there is no plug andthe live wires are stuck in with or without matchsticks. It sparks, short circuits, you may get some current aswell........ ... but it works. According to my dear well wishing, concerend and angry classmates, 'I have tochange my plug........ ...after all with these plugs only, we had become a nuclear power ...........what' s myproblem why can't I change...... ...?" You know the other unfortunate feature of a 'lath' is that it can breakbut cannot bend. I got the message and I joined Aga Khan University (AKU) in March 1996 on a salariedjob. I was however very delighted that the whole campus had 3 pin sockets everywhere and abundance of3 pin plugs. So there was hope that my sanity will prevail. I joined as an Assistant Professor and in Januray1998 I was made Associate Professor and became Mohammed Bhai Professor of Surgery in 2003.

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I was the Program Director of Surgery Residency program and Fellowship Programs in Surgery for 7years. Became the founder Chair of Surgery through an international search at the Aga KhanUniversity in Nairobi, Kenya in 2003. In between I took an years sabatical and did my Masters inHealth Sciences in Bioethics from University of Toronto (2001- 2002). I also became the winner in 1999of the most coveted award of AKU the 'Outstanding Teacher Award' which is announced every year onconvocation night. After finishing my first 5 year term as a Chair of Surgery at AKU, Nairobi, I resignedvery sadly due to financial pressures of supporting two kids education in UK. I come from a veryhumble background and our parents could only give us good education and we are proud of that asset.I had the duty to my parents of giving my children good education too. I and Rehana joined here atKing Khalid University in Abha Saudi Arabia in November 2008. I am a Professor of Surgery here andpractice Hepatobiliary pancreatic and upper GI/Esophageal surgical oncology. I teach undergraduatesand post graduates. My other areas of interest and teaching are in bioethics and medical education(these days developing blended e-learning courses). Don't know how and where this journey will endbut one feeling is overwhelming me these days, that time is running out fast and there is still a lot to bedone and written. So this is my long write up on my short....... ......... . 'some not so good and some notso bad life'....... ......no regrets..... ......... ....... after we all parted as a class of 1979........ ......... ..... I feelvery proud and honored to be a member of this wonderful class and cherish the memories of good olddays we all spent together.Thank you all.Asad

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Raja:Thank you for sharing your life with us. I knew some of the things, but was ignorant of a lot of others. Astatement like this one, in my opinion, leads to better understanding of why people do certain things.Whether I am capable of such a thing or not, is another story. I am very glad that you are where you areand still seeking. This may be an appropriate moment to narrate an incident. A very angry Raja came backfrom the post office (This was London circa 1981) and started to rave and rant. It transpired that Raja wasin the process of posting a letter and like all good men (and women) he licked the stamp before sticking iton the envelope. A kindly and well meaning, but apparently misguided woman, pointed in the direction of asponge (in a little plastic case) in which one was supposed to moisten the stamp. Except in this case thesponge was dry. I will leave it to Raja to continue with this story - over to you AJR :-)Hasan

Thank you asadIt is inspiration – I am most grateful, for you journey has been difficult but enriched you so much professionally and as a human being. You and Rehana can take great pride in your children. For my part, your smiling face under pressure is every lasting memory. To your and family, the best for health and happinessMunir

Thank you Raja for a nice snap shot of your life. I am sure you will accomplish a lot more. Seems like you have a wonderful family and that is what it is all about. I am proud of your accomplishments and being a friend of yours since our grade school days. If you are ever in our neck of the woods, you and your family is most welcome.Bashir