The Living Scripts | Kh Zaheer Ahmed (Former Federal Secretary)

Split across four different sittings, the twentieth session of the program ‘The Living Scripts’ was held with Former Federal Secretary Kh Zaheer Ahmed on March 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2021.

The speaker shared some memorable events from his personal and
professional life with the audience.

Shedding light on his childhood, the speaker said that he was
born in Sialkot and got his early education from a local madrassa in the same
city and later went to Anjuman Islamia School. Then he acquired his LLB degree
before completing his Masters in Economics from the University of Lahore.

Speaking of his working experiences, the speaker apprised that
he started his career as a teacher from the University of Lahore. Then he
joined his Civil Services in late 60s in what turned out to be the last batch
of the United Pakistan.

Opening up about his career as a civil servant, he said that his
first important task was to resettle the displaced people of 1971 war in
Sialkot.

Pointing out at the highlight of his civil services tenure,
Zaheer said that in 1975 he was assigned to work on the beautification of
Murree by the then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto ahead of President
Afghanistan Mohammed Daoud Khan’s visit to Pakistan. His performance garnered a
lot of praise from the Pakistani Prime Minister.

The speaker also shared the stories of the political rivalry
between Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and General Zia ul Haq, which he happened to
witness very closely. He recalled his days as DC Islamabad from during the
general elections of 1977 and termed them very challenging.

Zaheer later went to England to pursue his Master’s degree in
development economics, and came back to Pakistan after two years and continued
his services for the country.

Speaking of his services as an ambassador of Pakistan in
Bangkok, the speaker said that he arranged President Zia’s visit to Bangkok in
1984. The visit was a very successful one and provided Pakistan with a chance
to boost its economic ties with the country.

Zaheer shared some other insights as well about the Country’s
historical events such as the referendum of 1985, attack on Supreme Court by
workers of a political party, and nuclear tests done by Pakistan in 1998, all
of which he has a chance to witness first hand.