First Pakistani PhD holder silently makes final journey

BB Qureshi, the first Pakistani women to earn a PhD, silently made her final journey on Wednesday, causing a bet of stir as she spent her last years in the Edhi Old Home.

After holding a PhD Trinity College in Dublin in Agriculture and Economics, she had worked in leading institutions of the world and that former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was among her numerous students.

BB Qureshi was born into an educated family in Muradabad, India in 1922. She did her Graduation and Masters in Economics from Aligarh Muslim University.

After earning her PhD, she came back to Islamabad where she taught for several years.

Her first and last love was with education; hence, she remained single throughout her life. Besides national institutions, BB Qureshi served in African Universities for several years.

After years of teaching abroad, she finally returned to Islamabad after years of teaching abroad, she was so disappointed at the standard of education that she decided not to teach anymore.

After feeling rude behavior of her brother, BB Qureshi decided to shift from Rawalpindi to Karachi and opted to stay at Edhi Shelter Home.

Every action of brave lady shows humbleness and kindness as she chose to share a room with women with special needs and psychiatric illness.

In an interview to media a while back, she said that this was her home and she was happy to be there. After the news appeared on media, Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ebad offered her to stay at his house but declined.

Her relatives had forced her to move in with them in December 2011 but she again returned to Edhi Home in February, saying that she would not go back to her family.

An official of the Edhi centre said, “BB Qureshi wanted to be independent and not become a financial burden on anyone, not even her family. She was a jolly figure, always smiling and mingled with everyone”.

It seemed she was so disheartened by her family as she didn’t want them to have her body and wished to be buried at the Edhi Graveyard.

A legend lady made her final journey, mocking over the hurriedly changing culture of the society.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Aug 16 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.