Nahid Iskander Mirza (6 February 1919 – 23 January 2019), ^[1] born Nahid Amir Teymour (previously Nahid Afghamy), was an Iranian aristocrat who became the First Lady of Pakistan from 1956 to 1958.

She was also a close personal friend of Queen Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary and Ava Gardner. ^[1] In addition, alongside her husband, President Iskander Mirza, she played a pivotal role in inaugurating Aga Khan IV's imamat in 1957, marking a momentous chapter in history.

First Lady of Pakistan

As First Lady, Nahid Mirza accompanied her husband, President Iskander Mirza, on official visits to Iran, Turkey, Spain, and Portugal, while also hosting Russian and Chinese leaders in Pakistan. ^[2] She established a trust for blind children, created special centers, and played a major role in the establishment of the first state-level orphanage, Kashana. ^[2]

Personal life

Nahid was the daughter of Amirteymour Kalali, and the granddaughter of Prince Mir 'Ali Mardan Shah, Nuzrat ol-Molk and his wife Ashraf us-Sultana Qajar. ^[2]

Nahid was first married to an Iranian Lieutenant Colonel Afghamy, a then military-attaché at the Iranian Embassy in Pakistan. ^[3] At the same time, Iskander Mirza was the secretary of the Defense Ministry in Pakistan. ^{[3] [4]} During an event at the Russian embassy in Karachi, she met Iskandar Mirza for the first time. ^[1] In 1952, the Afghamys left Pakistan for Tehran again. And Nahid joined her daughter in London, who at the time was to enter a boarding school in the town. ^[1] In December 1953 she divorced Afghamy and in September 1954 she married Mirza ^[1] who had lost his wife and son in a plane crash. ^[3]

According to Pakistan Today, she played a major role in the resolution of the border dispute between Pakistan and Iran about Mirjaveh. ^[4]

Following the military coup in Pakistan in 1958, the Mirzas were exiled to London where they lived at South Kensington. ^[1] Iskander died in November 1969. ^[1] After Mirza's death, Nahid Mirza spent nearly 50 years longing for the love letters he had written to her before their marriage. ^[2] Despite efforts to retrieve them, she was informed that Muhammad Ayub Khan had destroyed all of Mirza's documents. ^[2] However, during a visit to Pakistan invited by Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her mother, Nusrat Bhutto, who shared Iranian descent with Nahid Mirza, she was presented with the letters. ^[2] To her disappointment, the envelopes were empty, bearing only the inscription, "Only yours, as long as there are breaths". ^[2]

Mirza's London flat was adorned with pictures of Iskander Mirza, reflecting her enduring love for him. ^[2] She was a great admirer of classical Persian poets, particularly Hafez, whose work she knew by heart and often recited. ^[2] An avid writer of Persian poetry herself, Nahid Mirza's home was always filled with guests who appreciated her cooking and conversation. ^[2]

Mirza died in London on 23 January 2019. ^[1]

References

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