COULD this space be better used than to pen a requiem to a fellow writer and columnist? Khaled Ahmed passed away last Sunday, in Lahore, just as the suffocating smog lifted, making life for those who have survived him livable.

Inevitably, any memoir of a friend must begin with one’s first encounter. I met Khaled in the winter of 1966. I had returned from London after qualifying as a chartered accountant. Khaled was still studying at Government College, Lahore. We were both invited by Farrukhnigar Aziz to perform in Anton Chekhov’s heavy drama The Seagull.

Nawab Kalabagh (then governor West Pakistan) had banned plays being performed by men with women. Mixed students in Government College could not act together but the GC stage was available to host amateur actors. Farrukhnigar cobbled together a small group which christened itself the Alpha Players (the first of hopefully many).

Shamim Ahmed (later Mrs Zafar Hilaly) played the lead role of Nina. Agha Ghazanfar (later Khaled’s colleague in the Civil Service) played her love sick swain Konstantin. Khaled had a lesser role as the village doctor Dorn. With more ambition than talent, I played the lead role of the amorous novelist Trigorin. I also volunteered to design the Russian........

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