Transitions: Noted educationalist Nisar Ally Effendi dies

KARACHI:

Educationalist Nisar Ally Effendi, the great-grandson of Hassanally Effendi — who established the Madressatul Islam in 1885 — died in Karachi on Saturday at the age of 90.

Nisar was admitted to the Aga Khan Hospital after fracturing his leg but passed away due to a cardiac arrest.

Nisar was born in Karachi and gained his earlier education from Bombay and then the Aligarh Muslim University. After graduating in agriculture engineering, he started introducing modern values in agriculture sector and also established the Sindh Abadgar Sugar Mill in Tando Muhammad Khan. However, he later pursued his grandfather’s mission of imparting quality education by establishing Quaid-e-Azam Public School in Darsono Channo.

“He lived for education - he always thought of promoting it and dedicated his whole life to it,” said former commissioner of Karachi, Shafiqur Rehman Paracha. “I have never seen a more devoted man.” Paracha added that a vast majority of his students — 70 to 80 per cent — get really high marks, thanks to Nisar’s supervision. “Two of the qualities that he has inherited from his great grandfather were good driving and his dedication to education.” According to former Sindh University vice-chancellor, Mazharul Haq Siddiqui, the idea of establishing an education city in Karachi was first conceived by Nisar.



Nisar had six children, out of whom three sons passed away during his life. “I found my father struggling for quality and modern education in remote areas of Sindh,” said one of his daughters, the former head of Civil Hospital burns ward, Dr Shaista Effendi. “He managed to achieve his goal.” A large number of people attended Nisar’s funeral prayers and he was laid to rest in the Meva Shah graveyard.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2014.