Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra blended intellect, humility, and compassion in an age of noise I never had a chance to meet Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra in person, yet I have always felt a deep and personal connection with her. It was in the early 1980s, during my years at the Oriental College, Punjab University—where I was pursuing my master’s in Urdu Literature—that I first heard her name from my revered teacher and literary guide, Dr Sajjad Baqar Rizvi. At that time, as I recall, Dr Zehra was in the United States. Baqar Sahib had taught thousands of students over the decades, yet there were only a handful whom he remembered with such warmth and pride—and among them, he often spoke of Arfa Zehra. Whenever he mentioned her, his eyes glimmered with affectionate admiration. I still remember him describing her brilliance and conviction as a student, and later, I came across her own remark: “Maĩ Bāqar Sāḥib kī sar chaṛhī shāgird thī..” (I was Baqar Sahib’s fondly pampered student.)
Published: November 16, 2025 3:30 am
Source: The Express Tribune — Read original