Lahore: Renowned Pakistani educationist, scholar and human rights advocate Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra passed away in Lahore on Monday, November 10. She was 88.
According to a statement issued by her family, “With aching hearts, we share that our beloved Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra — Lahore’s proud daughter, our dearest aunt/sister, and a beacon of intellect, grace and love — has returned to her Creator.”
Her namaz-e-janaza will be held at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, November 11, at Jamia Masjid Askari V, Gulberg III, Lahore, followed by burial in her family graveyard at Cavalry Ground.
Tributes poured in from across the country. Celebrities, academics and admirers remembered her for her grace, intellect and mentorship.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow over her demise, describing it as an “irreparable loss” to Pakistan’s academic and literary circles.
In a statement shared by the Pakistan Peoples Party on X, he said Dr Zehra “devoted her life to knowledge, research and the service of humanity,” adding that her contributions to Urdu and education “will always be remembered.”
Actor Khaled Anam shared a photograph with Dr Zehra, calling her “Meray Mehboob” and saying she would be deeply missed. Actor Imran Abbas recalled feeding her porridge during their last meeting, describing an unshakable sense of foreboding he could not explain.
Who was Dr Arfa Zehra?
A distinguished academic and public intellectual, Dr Zehra was celebrated for her erudition, eloquence and lifelong dedication to education, women’s rights and ethical values.
Born and educated in Lahore, she earned a BA (Honours) from Lahore College for Women University and an MA in Urdu from Government College University. She later obtained an MA in Asian Studies and a PhD in History from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa.
Dr Zehra taught at several of Pakistan’s leading institutions, including Lahore College for Women University, National College of Arts, Lahore University of Management Sciences and Forman Christian College, where she was appointed Professor Emeritus. She also held a UNESCO Chair in Cultural Heritage, advocating the preservation of Pakistan’s intellectual and literary legacy.
She served as Principal of Lahore College for Women and Government College for Women, Gulberg, and later as Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Education and National Cohesion. In 2006, she chaired the National Commission on the Status of Women, where she championed gender equality and education reform
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