LUMS Honours the Memory of Alumnus, Burhan Mohammad Khan

In honour and commemoration of valued alumnus Burhan Mohammad Khan (MBA 1988), whose recent passing has left behind an entire community bereaved, a plaque unveiling ceremony for an auditorium at the Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) that has been named after Khan was held on Friday, October 16, 2020 at LUMS.

As a graduate of the University’s pioneering MBA Class of 1988 and an incredibly engaged alumnus, Khan held a special place in the heart of many members of the LUMS family, bringing them together once again at the commemorative occasion. Family members, close friends, class fellows, business partners, old teachers, and LUMS leadership including Founding Pro Chancellor, Syed Babar Ali and Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad were all present at the ceremony to share in the beloved memory of Khan, honour his adventurous spirit, and pay tribute to the LUMS values that he so deeply reflected through his long-lasting devotion to his alma mater.

Expressing the sentiments of the entire Class of 1988, a dear friend of Khan’s and the Director of Advancement at LUMS, Nuzhat Kamran said, “He’s gone too soon and the void will always be there. I don’t think the Class of 1988 will ever be the same for any of us.” Mussaid Hanif, Khan’s long-time business partner and one of his closest friends, echoed this sentiment and shed light on the complementary relationship he shared with Khan, where they experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows, but managed to balance it all together.

A few of LUMS’ oldest and most esteemed faculty members, including Dr. Ehsan Ul Haque and Dr. Syed Zahoor Hassan reminisced having someone as bright as Khan in their classroom and characterised him as a “gem of a person”. Bringing to light Khan’s unparalleled support for LUMS, the Vice Chancellor spoke on behalf of the University when he said, “He was a great ambassador for LUMS globally and championed the National Outreach Programme (NOP), a programme very close to our heart. His adventurous spirit and outlook to life serves as a role model for many of us to think about and to benefit from for many more years to come.”

Remembering this indomitable spirit, Khan’s son Arbab Khan shared an oft-quoted belief of his father’s that there’s no repeat transmission to this life and expressed a heartfelt wish when he said, “May we all have the opportunity to experience life the way he did.”

Rounding off the tributes, Babar Sahib reflected on his special and very old friendship with Khan and expressed how sad the occasion was for him. Commenting on the significance of the memorialising auditorium, he said, “This is something he deserves, as his heart was here. He was totally devoted to LUMS in every way, to his friends, his partner, his family and one of those very few people who was completely transparent. What you see in him was who he was. I don’t think we know anyone else that was so devoted to LUMS, Pakistan and his family. May Allah keep him in total peace.”

The closing remarks were followed by an unveiling of the plaque by Khan’s family, after which the entire group gathered together for a photo. Despite the tragic loss of such a passionate and exemplary soul, the SDSB auditorium named after Khan is a reminder to honour his life and legacy and keep the joy of his spirit alive.