Country’s first Qaria Rubina Khalid dies

She represented Pakistan at various forums and received around 400 awards

LAHORE: Pakistan’s first and only female Pride of Performance Hafiza Qaria Rubina Khalid passed away on Sunday after a long battle with cancer.

She was laid to rest at the Miani Sahib Graveyard.

Khalid had memorised the Holy Quran by heart and achieved proficiency in Qirat at the young age of nine. Khalid was born in 1959 and did her masters in Arabic from the Punjab University in 1987 with distinction.



She represented Pakistan at various national and international forums and received around 400 awards in Qirat competitions.

She taught Arabic, the Holy Quran and Qirat in different educational institutes, including Kinnaird College for Women University, Government Islamia College for Women and Pakistan Islamic Education Centre.

Former premier Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Asma Nawaz and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s daughter Ayesha Shehbaz were among her students.



Khalid was honoured with the President's Pride of Performance Award. She was also the winner of first prize in three international Qirat competitions organised at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. International Qirat celebrity Qari Basit of Egypt had also heard her Qirat at Badshahi Mosque in 1971 and given her the title of ‘Chota Basit’ (little Basit) at the age of 12.

She is survived by her a husband Khalid Mahmood Hashmi and daughters Nimrah and Arooba.

She was laid to rest at the Miani Sahib Graveyard.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2017.