Yusuf H. Shirazi
It is with outmost sadness and a sense of personal loss that I have learnt of two old friends in Karachi ,namely Yusuf Shirazi and Rafi Muneer.
Although ,I left Karachi after an unforgettable and memorable stay of over thirty years ,some twenty years ago the memory of those happy days still remain fresh in my mind.
First ,the eminent industrialist ,a noted economic consultant and innovator who made his mark in the national economy by his sheer brilliance in an adopted city of Karachi. I had known and met Shirazi Saheb,way back in Montgomery now known as Sahiwal around 1950 .He was then a student of local Government College and met him in local Montgomery Gymkhana where I played cricket with him as a student.
I later found out that he was a student of my late father who was also his tutor and held him in high esteem.
Mr. Shirazi moved to Lahore for higher studies ,and also dabled in journalism both with The Pakistan Times and Nawa E Waqt ,to contribute on student and educational activities ,before joining the Government through a competitive process ,as an Income Tax Officer .
Although ,he belonged to Sahiwal but mainly through his sheer brilliance and outstanding ability he later resigned from the Government service and joined the famed Gandhara Motors during the Ayub Khan era.
But he subsequently found his own way to start his long and exceptional career to establish the Honda Autos ,to emerge as a notable figure in Pakistan automotive industry.
However ,he never forgot his old friends and acquaintances of Sahiwal whom he always met cheerfully and with due respect.
Here is wishing the family of my old friend and pray and deep condolence on their great loss.
Rafi Muneer
I had come across a young Rafi Muneer over sixty years ago ,when I first arrived in Karachi .After joining PIA it was inevitable that I was moved from Lahore to Karachi after a few years to be given a senior slot in the head office under a dynamic boss like Omer Kureshi.
Rafi belonged to the Hysons Family, one of the top 21 families of that era. However due to his own spend thrift problems ,his father had disowned him and he was living with the family of friend who I also knew well. In due course Rafi got reconciled with his own family and was soon back to live in style with his wealthy parents. What is more ,he was very close to the Bhutto family and became a source of strength rather than a nuisance to his family.
Rafi over the years did well on his own too. Although his family business like others of those era suffered but he had remained active. Only his problem was to cope with his multiple health problems.
Even after my return from Karachi, the strong bond with Rafi remained intact. He also talked fondly about emergence of “Sana Safinaz”the firm belonging to his daughter and daughter in law.
Here is my deep condolence to his brother Zaki Muneer and his family members of the precious loss.
