Daily Times

A booklover Pakistani student Hafiz Abdul Rehman breathed his last on Tuesday who fought bravely against cancer.

Abdur Rehman spent around two years treatment in United States’ Alabama Cancer Care in Anniston, Alabama and last month when all hopes were exhausted; he reached Pakistan to spend last days of his life with his family.

Abdur Rehman worked as a reporter and in Archives Department in mainstream media channels shortly after receiving his bachelor’s degree in media and communication from University of Management and Technology (Session 2011-2015).

He left behind his father, brother and sister for mourning.

According to his family members said he slept on Monday night in his native city Okara but did not wake up on next day. The funeral prayers of deceased were offered at his residence in Umer Din Town, Okara.

His oncologist in United States, Dr Asim Sehbai posted on Facebook on Tuesday, “My dear patient and brother Hafiz Abdul Rehman has left us and succumbed to cancer at young age of 27. I have no words to express my sorrow and grief and kindly request that all of you pray for his soul and that he gets into Heaven and his family can be consoled at this huge loss.”

Dr Asim Sehbai funded his treatment initially and also made a fundraising page on Facebook for Rehman.

President ILM Trust, President UMT Ibrahim Hasan Murad paid tributes to Hafiz Abur Rehman. He said, “He was a gentleman of the highest order. Undoubtedly, he fought cancer with exemplary courage. I pray Allah increases his ranks in Jannah.”

He said, “His motivation to purse ilm (knowledge) even when sick, undergoing chemotherapy and mental stress, makes him an IDEAL role model & symbol for people of all ages, generations & for times to come.”

This scribe met with Hafiz Abdul Rehman in National College of Arts back in 2016 on the NCA student’s graduation ceremony.

This year, Hafiz Abdur Rehman also recorded his interview for Rauf Klasra video log. You can watch it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7A0rEsUw6w

In an interview to US newspaper The Anniston Star, an Alabama publication, he said “I was doing the political beat and reporting and reading books were my passions.”

Abdul Rehman quit his job after he knew that his mother was a diabetic and suffered kidney failure. “I took her to the hospital two times a week for dialysis,” he said.

The cancer symptoms began in Rehman experiencing pain in his abdomen and in August 2017 he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

The brave soul embarrassed this news as a bombshell for straight away decided he would not his family about his cancer diagnosed news.

He loved his mother and family so much that he kept this secret for quite a long time until they found the news from another source.

Rehman somehow contact the journalist Rauf Klasra and through him he was able to make contact with Dr Aasim Sehbai, an oncologist in practice at Alabama Cancer Care in Anniston.