What better way to remember your loved ones than with a eulogy? The granddaughter of former President of Pakistan and Army Chief General (r) Pervez Musharraf — Maryam Raza — has penned an emotionally charged eulogy for her late grandfather as she reminiscences fond memories with him. Although Raza stays quite lowkey about her family on social media platforms, it was the late General’s demise which prompted her to show their relationship through her eyes.
For those who aren’t familiar with Maryam, she is the daughter of the former Pakistani president’s only child, Ayla Musharraf, and Pakistani film director Asim Raza. Maryam has another sister, Zainab Raza. A successful model by profession, Raza’s Instagram is full of bold photoshoots with out-of-the-box concepts, but she seldom shares moments from her private life.
Taking to Instagram, Raza shared how he shaped her into becoming an independent and decisive being.
The Pyar Da Meter director’s eulogy detailed how the simple task of picking a tie for her “stocky” grandfather led her to take decisions on her own. She began, “Standing in his dressing room, my stocky grandfather held out two ties and told me to choose one.”
The model revealed that she used to be indecisive and avoided being presented with choices, however, it was her dearest grandfather that helped her out to “practice confidence, decision-making, and destiny.”
“Those who know me are familiar with my extraordinarily timid history. Any question I was asked, I would respond: “I don’t know”, in fear of some grave misstep. And so, this was our daily practice of confidence, decision-making, and destiny.”
Maryam recounted how Musharraf knew her “better” than she did, and deal with her “with patience.”
“With patience, and the will of an older who seems to know you better than you know yourself, he’d guide me to a decision –whether it was the right one was something only the future of the day held.”
The starlet recalled how after letting his dear granddaughter pick a tie for him, the former President would “come out of his dressing room” radiating authority, confidence and be in his “official mode.” “He’d come out of his dressing room toes pointed out, chest Broad and straight and his chin pressed to his neck as he perfected the chosen tie. He’d shake his arms, square his shoulders and be in his “official mode”, almost marching. But with loose hands.”
Raza couldn’t help but be emotional to remember how he wore her “decision with pride and confidence.”
“Every day that I chose his tie, he wore my decision with pride and confidence. These were the consistent drops that would, one day, maybe form a river. A river of empowerment to stand by your decision, whilst leaving room to learn,” she detailed.
Expressing her eternal gratitude for the time she spent with him, Raza continued with her eulogy. “I’m eternally grateful for the time I spent with him in London after university, as I squandered to find work as most of us international students do.”
The model revealed how he “was always curious to know” how her day went. “He was always curious to know how my day went, what films they were showing at the festivals I was working at, how I was going to make my hair for work. In his own words: he could try to guide my stances, but now he wouldn’t succeed. But he would try nonetheless – as it is “the condition of being a grandparent”,” she added.
Raza, in her lengthy eulogy detailed how the grandfather-granddaughter duo’s relationship “maintained dignity” despite their differences.
“The heart of this relationship was the maintenance of dignity, and so, even in our differences, that sometimes resulted from my own naïveté or misinformed-ness, he’d listen to me with patience and curiosity, never stripping me of my own right to believe.”
Recalling another moment of their closeness, Raza stated, “At the breakfast table, we sat with his colourful medication and oranges, plums, and pears, that he’d slice in half with his quivering hands and offer -half for me, half for him.”
She then remembered the “last goodbye” and detailed how Musharraf insisted on “standing on his two feet” despite being “frail” with illness for Raza to remember him as a symbol of strength.
“My frail grandfather insisted on standing on his two feet the last time I said goodbye to him about two months ago. We suggested he sit down, but he was adamant. I believe that’s how he wanted me to remember him. Standing his ground, faith in himself, upright against all that went against him. The young girl can now pick a tic, and it’s because she knew a great man who knew great strength,” she ended.
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Musharraf died in Dubai at the age of 79 after battling with illness.
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