I graduated from CMS in 1965. Since then, I never got a chance to go back and visit the school until 2017.
I met Meraj Bhai through another CMS alumni, Iqbal Molvi, who also happens to be a California resident like myself.
Meraj Bhai’s academic achievements along with his scouting/debates made him an ICON of our CMS School. When he founded the CMS Alumni Group, I knew that my all-time dream and desire to do something for the school was finally coming true.
In November 2017, I entered the school after 52 years with Qamar Saify. The CMS Alumni Group built a library in memory of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, our pride and also an alumnus of CMS Class of 1892.
Back in year of 1992, there was beaming pride and happiness brought to the country when Imran Khan won the Cricket World Cup on March 25, 1992 in Melbourne, Australia.
Attached picture was taken on April 30,1992 (via Daily Jung Newspaper) when Cricket World Cup Champions were leaving from Karachi Airport for England. My son, Ali Akhtar, got the opportunity to get an autograph from Intikhab Alam.
Javed Miandad hugged him. He also got to shake hands with the entire team. For Ali, he accomplished his goal by meeting them all in person.
At that moment, I was unaware that these legends, Inkikhab Alam and Javed Miandad, were also CMS Alumni’s.
Ali then developed his cricket skill and later he represent US in ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Americas Qualifier held in Bermuda in 2001.
It came as a surprise to Intikhab Alam, when I narrated the whole story (28 years later) during my visit to Lahore in January 2020.