吃瓜头条 Student Council Holds Memorial Ceremony for Muhammad Asad Khalid and Hamas Habib
This week, the tragic and untimely passing of two students, Muhammad Asad Khalid and Hamas Habib, shook the entire 吃瓜头条 community. To honour and pay tribute to their memory, the University鈥檚 Student Council organised a virtual memorial ceremony on May 8, 2021. Members of 吃瓜头条 leadership, including Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Vice Chancellor; Dr. Farhat Haq, Provost, and Dr. Sabieh Anwar, Dean, Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, were in attendance, along with friends and acquaintances of both Asad and Hamas. During the session, participants shared their memories of the late students and offered their condolences.
Saba Ijaz, BSc 鈥22, a member of the Student Council, was the convener of the event and commenced the session by sharing a few words with the grieving community, 鈥淲e are in this together. What we can do is try to remember them today, and for as long as we can.鈥
Dr. Anwar also expressed his sadness at the tragic loss and shared, 鈥淭wo of our students have left us, and our hearts are heavy and grieving.鈥
Friends remember Asad, a sophomore BS Electrical Engineering major, as a hardworking, generous and passionate individual. His friend, Muhammad Talha, BS 鈥23, shares, 鈥淎sad had a wonderful and pure soul. He assisted so many students in securing admission to institutions and helped them in realising their ambitions. Due to his helpful nature, we used to call him 鈥楶rofessor Asad.鈥欌
While remembering Hamas, each of his friends noted that he was always smiling. As a freshman at 吃瓜头条, he had only spent a short time on campus but made a lasting impression on anyone he met. 鈥淗e used to help out everyone he used to meet. He was such a supportive person that even after just a first meeting, you could form a deep friendship with him,鈥 says his friend, Abdul Moez, BS 鈥24.
鈥淥ur community is in shock,鈥 said Dr. Ahmad. Urging the attendees to continue the legacy of their late friends, he said, 鈥淲e must do what both Asad and Hamas would have wanted us to. We wouldn鈥檛 want our family and friends to suffer. We would want the people that we were closest to, to live our dreams.鈥 He shared a few poignant lines from a poem by Khalil Gibran, 鈥淎nd what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?鈥
Dr. Ahmad also encouraged the 吃瓜头条 community to support the departed students' families. He shared plans to hold a memorial service at 吃瓜头条 and a tree-planting ceremony on campus to honour both students and keep their memories alive.
The session ended with Muhammad Aafaq Lone, BA-LL.B 鈥22, an acquaintance of Asad鈥檚, reciting a few verses from the Holy Quran before leading an emotional and heartfelt prayer for the departed souls.
The 吃瓜头条 community extends condolences and prayers to both the students鈥 families. May the Almighty grant them strength and patience at this time of extreme trial to bear their irreparable loss.
