By: Ghulam Hussain Ghazi
Ah! The dignified mother, Imamah Sharif, too has departed from this cruel world.
This news pierces the heart and silences the soul.
It is that moment of unbearable grief when a mother, who had clung to the hope of justice, reunites with her martyred sons and the final shade over a family is lifted towards the heavens.
The mother of Martyr Arshad Sharif Riffat Ara Alvi, known respectfully among her family and the journalistic fraternity as Aapa Imamah Sharif passed away on the evening of Sunday, October 26. Her departure has plunged not only her family but the entire nation into mourning, the same nation whose hearts, barely three days earlier, had been heavy with remembrance of her martyred son on his third death anniversary. Across Pakistan and abroad, special documentaries, programs and memorial gatherings had been held in his honor.
Aapa Imamah Sharif was a mother of remarkable strength, a lady who devoted her entire life to shaping the character of her sons. She took pride in her husband and sons who laid down their lives for their homeland and in the end, joined those travelers of eternity who walked the path of truth and righteousness. She was indeed a dignified, gracious and deeply compassionate lady, whose words always reflected faith, courage and prayers.
Her funeral prayer was offered that very night at the H-11 Graveyard in Islamabad, the same ground where, three years earlier, countless tearful eyes had bid farewell to her martyred son Arshad Sharif after the funeral at Faisal Mosque. That night, under the dim glow of the Jamadi al-Awwal 1447 moon, a mother was laid to rest beside her martyred son. Hundreds attended family members, well-known personalities, journalists including Hamid Mir and Sami Ibrahim, former DG ISPR Lt. Gen. Asif Ghafoor and Justice Athar Minallah of the Islamabad High Court.
Hearts froze when her daughter-in-law, Javeria Siddique, broke the news on social media that the mountain of courage and patience, Imamah Sharif, had passed away after a brief illness, taking her cry for justice to the Allah Almighty. Within moments, the people and the media community in particular across the country were once again overwhelmed by the same sorrow that had gripped them at the time of Arshad Sharif’s martyrdom. It felt as though history had reopened that very chapter, a mother’s silent tears, the memory of a martyred son and the echo of a family’s immense sacrifice.
During her illness, a deeply moving scene unfolded when the newly elected Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sohaib Afridi, visited her home to inquire after her health. With profound respect, he sat at her feet. Despite frailty, Aapa Imamah spoke firmly: “My son, I have only one wish that my martyred Arshad Sharif gets justice and that he is never forgotten”.
The Chief Minister vowed to honor this wish as a command from a grieving mother. The very next day, he announced the establishment of the ‘University of Investigative Journalism’ in memory of Martyr Arshad Sharif, the first step toward fulfilling a son’s mission and a mother’s dream.
My first acquaintance with Arshad Sharif was at the Press Information Department in Islamabad, when he was a newcomer to journalism. He had come with a few friends to meet a colleague of mine.
From the first conversation, his intellect and brilliance shone through. Even then, I sensed that this young man would one day become a shining star on the horizon of Pakistani journalism.
As years passed, our meetings grew frequent. Arshad was humble, hospitable, and eloquent, always respectful, always attentive, the very traits that defined his success. During the PTI sit-in days, when I was accompanying then-Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, as his press secretary, Arshad invited me to his home early one morning. That was when I first met his mother, Imamah Sharif. Her warmth and grace made it instantly clear: such fearless sons are nurtured only by such extraordinary mothers.
Then came that dreadful day, October 23, 2022, when Arshad Sharif was martyred in Nairobi, Kenya, in a police firing incident that international media described as a targeted killing. From the moment his body arrived at the airport to his burial, I saw in Aapa Imamah the very embodiment of patience. Instead of weeping, she busied herself with the arrangements, comforting others who came in tears.
From Faisal Mosque to the graveyard, thousands gathered and all were left with a haunting question: “Is death the price for speaking the truth?”.
Arshad Sharif made courage, integrity and investigative rigor the hallmarks of his journalism. He began his career in 1999 with The News and later became a household name through his show Power Play on ARY and Dunya News, revealing the hidden workings of the corridors of power. His fearless truth-telling brought him fame and peril. Threats forced him into exile but not into silence. He was ultimately martyred for the very truth he vowed never to compromise. His martyrdom left an irreplaceable void in Pakistani journalism. He was not merely a television anchor, he was the symbol of truth itself.
This Sharif family’s story is steeped in sacrifice. Arshad’s father, Commander Muhammad Sharif, was a brave officer of the Pakistan Navy who devoted his life to the service of his nation. On the day of his passing, the elder son, Major Ashraf Sharif, stationed in Bannu, set out for Islamabad upon hearing the news, only to be martyred en route in a terrorist attack.
Two funerals left the same house that day.
And upon that double tragedy, Imamah Sharif stood steadfast, setting a timeless example of patience and submission to divine will. She comforted others who came to console her and remained ever-content with the decree of God.
After those devastating losses, she withdrew largely into worship and remembrance.
Following the deaths of her husband and elder son, Aapa Imamah dedicated every moment of her life to her younger son, Arshad. She rejoiced in his achievements, prayed for his safety and when he too was taken, she bore the loss with unshakable faith. Her passing now marks the final chapter in a saga of grief, courage and endurance, one that has left every heart mourning and every eye moist.
She represents all those mothers who sacrifice their sons for their homeland, yet never complain, only pray and take pride.
She left this world still pleading for justice, but her prayers, her story of patience and her son’s truth will live on forever.
May Allah grant Imamah Sharif, Martyr Arshad Sharif, Major Ashraf Sharif and Commander Muhammad Sharif the highest place in Jannat al-Firdaus,
and bless their family with peace, fortitude and comfort.
“He is gone, and will return no more,
Yet heaven weeps upon his grave.
For he who died for truth’s pure flame,
Lives eternal in hearts of the brave”. (William Wordsworth)
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