Syed Hasan Sajjad

Early life and background

Sajjad's family lived in Lahore. His father died about a year and a half after he was born. The family's savings gradually ran down. After his elder brothers started working, the family's situation turned around. [1]

From the age of eight, Sajjad sat with his mother to make the family budget. His mother taught him that women and men have equal rights. [1]

Education

Sajjad attended a small private school near his home. Debates were held and there was a dramatic club. He says schools in his time held regular literary gatherings as part of character building. His eldest brother paid for his education. [1]

Sajjad had originally intended to study medicine, but he did not qualify for it. He became more interested in games than in his studies. He attended Government College in Lahore. He was advised to choose a subject that could be used anywhere, such as arts, rather than medicine or engineering. [1]

He completed a BA in Economics and Political Science and earned good marks. He graduated in 1967. [1]

Career

Sajjad said that his job was a matter of chance, not choice. He got a job at United Bank. He was told that as long as he kept working hard, he would keep succeeding. He worked hard and was promoted quickly. He worked at two branches and spent about five years at each. [1]

Saudi Arabia

Sajjad's father-in-law asked whether he wanted to come and offered to try to arrange a visa. His family agreed that the opportunity should be taken. He moved with his family to Saudi Arabia, where he joined Saudi British Bank. He worked there for about 12 years, in Jeddah and Makkah. [1]

Return to Pakistan

Sajjad returned to Pakistan at the time of the Gulf War, in 1991. He said the family should return to Pakistan, its own country, and rebuild the system there. [1]

Askari Bank

Sajjad joined Askari Bank when the government allowed several new banks to open. He was offered a job at the bank. He received fairly fast promotions afterwards. [1]

His bank had no pension, and staff received a provident fund and gratuity instead. He was given a one-year extension in his job. He eventually retired, while his younger daughter was in her final year at LUMS. [1]

Life in Islamabad

The children found Islamabad similar to Jeddah, and the family decided to stay in Islamabad. Sajjad had thought Islamabad would be the best city to live in after retirement, because it had little crowding. He says Islamabad now has less pollution than Lahore and its crowds are more organised. [1]

Children and education

Sajjad's eldest daughter was admitted to a girls' college, and his younger son was admitted to a school. All of his children studied at the same college, where they competed well. All of his children studied computer science. He said his children should go into the field that matched their interest. [1]

One of his sons studied for about three years on a government scholarship, and his younger daughter studied at LUMS. He says his children finished their studies on time and got good jobs. Three of his sons work in the IT business in America. He says educating all four children at university was a major undertaking, and that all of his children are now settled. [1]

Personal life

Sajjad believes God makes arrangements, provided a person's intentions are good. He says his children cooperated and did not complain about wanting what others had. He says his children, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law are cooperative and good-natured. [1]

He says it was a very hard time when the house became empty, especially for his wife. His wish was for all the children and the whole family to stay together. He says the family system has changed, and even brothers now find it hard to live together. He says the training he received continues in the next generation. [1]

Sajjad says he does not add to his worries, because no one knows when life will end. He says people should ask God for provision with dignity, and that God provides. [1]

Views on the Ayub Khan era

Sajjad views the Ayub Khan era as the best time for Pakistan, though many people criticise it. He recalls shares being floated daily to heavy demand, with confident investors. He says visitors such as Queen Elizabeth came to Pakistan, and that Pakistan was highly valued then. [1]

He describes a society that was very civil and respectful of elders. He says there was no violence between people of different sects. He says people lived simply and were content with little. [1]

Views on courts and justice

Sajjad describes the court system as the worst kind of system. He says in court a party had to accept a judge's ruling even when the judge called black white. His case ran about six and a half years in the lower court and about three years in the High Court. [1]

He mentions a judge who was known as an award-winning judge and who worked quickly. He also mentions that a party who had taken a deposit finally refused to sell. He says there is a large shortage of justice among people in Pakistan. [1]

Views on Pakistan

Sajjad believes schooling is essential for children at school age. He says most of Pakistan's population is illiterate, and that people care more about the price of bread than about who represents them. [1]

He says newspapers report killings every day and no one is held to account. He thinks people will spend years debating, and that nobody is ready to act. He says his hope for Pakistan rests on God and that things will improve. He urges viewers to pray for Pakistan and to seek remedies for its problems. He says the dream of Pakistan was the vision of Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam. [1]

Timeline

1967

Graduated with a BA in Economics and Political Science.[1]

1991

Returned to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia.[1]

Appearances

Frequently asked questions

References

1. My father on Lahore in the sixties, raising six kids, and Pakistan's drift . Thought Behind Things , 2021-12-02.