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Dr.
Salimuzzaman Siddiqui
| Dr.
Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, the world renowned scientist of
the sub-continent and a brilliant name in the Hall of
Fame is no more in this mortal world. He proceeded for
eternal heavens in the early hours of the 15th April 1994 |
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Dr. Siddiqui was an enlightened example of dedication, enthusiasm
and a set of diversified capabilities.
Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was the founder of Pakistan Council
of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR). But he possessed
immaculate research record in chemistry to his credit well before
joining PCSIR.
He was a learned man by all means; an enthusiastic and untiring
researcher in the field of science and an artist with several
exhibitions of his paintings to his credit. The unique combination
of arts and sciences in his person made him even more popular
in the world. He was the first Pakistani scientist to be awarded
the Fellowship of Royal Society of London, UK.
Dr.
Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was born in the small town of Subeha,
of Barabanki District, U.P. in the former British India on October
19, 1897. His father's name was Chaudhri Muhammad Zaman. Late
Chaudhri Khaliquzzaman, the renowned Muslim Leaguer was his
elder brother. After completion of his schooling at Lucknow
he moved to M.A.O. College, Aligarh (now, the Muslim University,
Aligarh), where he graduated in Philosophy and Persian language
in 1919. Thereafter he proceeded to England to study medicine
at University College, London at the wishes of his family. There,
he pursued a one year premedical course. Later on the advice
of his elder brother, Ch. Khaliquzzaman, he left for Germany
in 1921 to study chemistry. The Germans were then the best in
chemistry. There, he studied at the University of Frankfurt
on-the-river-Main under the pupilage of Prof. Julius Von Bram.
ln 1924 he married his classmate Ethel Wilhelmina Schneeman
. He obtained the degree of Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1927.
Although, he did his doctorate in chemistry, he was keenly interested
in fine arts, painting, music and literature as well. He also
translated the work of German poet Rainer Maria Rilke into Urdu;
these versions were regularly published - by Muhammad Mujib
in the journal "Jamia" of Jamia Millia, Delhi.
Dr.
Salimuzzaman conducted his work at the Indian Institute of Technology
(IIT) at Bangalore. On establishment of the Ayurvadic and Unani
Tibi Research Institute at Delhi he relinquished the IIT and
joined it in September 1929.
During
Second World War in 1940 the services of Dr. Salimuzzaman were
requisitioned by the Indian Government for the new established
Council of Scientific and Industr Research (GSIR) in Calcutta
and he was made its Director. In CSIR, he continued his efforts
and one of his outstanding achievements was the development
of indeilble ink which was first used in the elections of 1946.
The same product is still being used in India and Pakistan.
In
1947, when Pakistan came into being, Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui
was still the Director of Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research; Dr. Salimuzzaman was appointed Director of the Department
of Research in 1951.
At
PCSIR, Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, continued his work on the
isolation of various alkaloids from Rauwolfia and isolated another
active principal 'Serpajmaline'from it. Now, Ajmaline and Serpajmaline
are recognized drugs used in cardiac ailments the world over.
Ajmaline is being manufactured in Germany and Serpajmaline in
Bangladesh.
Dr.
Salimuzzaman had the rare honour, in 1961, when he was elected
the Fellow of the Royal Society, London. A number of universities
conferred upon him honorary doctorate degrees and an award of
the large Gold Medal of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. In 1964
he was made the Member of the Vatican Academy of Sciences.On
his retirment from the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research(PCSIR),
In
1966, he was appointed Professor of Chemistry and the Director
of Post Graduate Institute of Chemistry at the University of
Karachi and, later on as Professor Emeritus.
Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui also took keen interest in poetry.
Having a flair for Arabic and :Persian, more specially for Ghalib
and Meer, he also compiled his own 'Intekhab-i-Meer'.
Professor Abdus Salam, Nobel Laureate in Physics (1979), Director
of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP),
Trieste, Italy, from 1964 to December 1993, died in Oxford on
21 November 1996, after a long illness. He was buried in Pakistan
where he was born in 1926.
Professor
ABDUS SALAM
1926 - 1996
Nobel Laureate in Physics
The
name of Abdus Salam will be linked forever to the International
Centre for Theoretical Physics. Not only did he envisage
the Centre as a place where scientists could carry out
research of the highest level but through the ICTP he
also managed to set an example for other nations to
follow. Professor Salam became a widely known and charismatic
figure in international scientific and political milieus.
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He travelled extensively throughout the world and, in his discussions
with heads of state and governments, he was able, in a convincing
manner, to put forward his views regarding the paramount importance
of supporting science in their own countries for the betterment
of humanity. His pursuit of a science for peace capable of filling
the gap between the North and South of the planet shall remain
as an example for those who endeavour to achieve the cultural
and social development of the Third World. Thanks to Professor
Salam, the ICTP has been a major forum for the international
scientific community and a model for similar establishments
both in Trieste and abroad. Over a period of more than thirty
years, 60,000 scientists from 150 countries have taken part
in its activities.
Professor
Salam has been one of the greatest exponents in physics this
century. Born in Jhang, Pakistan in 1926, he was educated at
Panjab University, St. John's College, Cambridge and Cavendish
Laboratory, Cambridge where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1952. He
then returned to Pakistan where he served as Professor at Government
College, Lahore and Panjab University. There he suffered the
isolation which scientists experience when they are not supported
by their home countries. There was no tradition of doing any
postgraduate work; there were no journals; there was no possibility
of attending any conferences. He suffered the tragic dilemma
of having to make the choice between physics or Pakistan. So
he returned to Cambridge to take up the position of Lecturer.
In 1957 he was appointed as Full Professor of Theoretical Physics
at Imperial College. Fired by his own unhappiness at having
had to leave his own country, he determined to find a way of
making it possible for those like him to continue working for
their own communities while still having opportunities to remain
first-rate scientists. It was thus in 1960 that he conceived
the idea of setting up an International Centre for Theoretical
Physics with funds from the international community.
Professor
Salam is famous for that electroweak theory which is the mathematical
and conceptual synthesis of the electromagnetic and weak interactions
- the latest stage reached until now on the path towards the
unification of the fundamental forces of nature. With this motivation,
Professor Salam received the Nobel Prize for physics together
with the Americans Steven Weinberg and Sheldon Glashow in 1979.
The validity of the theory was ascertained in the following
years through experiments carried out at the superprotosynchrotron
facility at CERN in Geneva which led to the discovery of the
W and Z particles. Salam's electroweak theory is still the core
of the 'standard model' of high energy physics.
Dr.
Abdul Qadir Ansari
Dr. Abdul Qadir Ansari, Born in 1940, Dr. A.Q. Ansari did his
M.Sc. in Zoology from the University of Sindh in 1963 and secured
First Class First Position and a Gold Medal. He did his Ph.D.
in Physiology and Biochemistry from the University of Southampton,
UK in 1969.
Sitara-i-Imtiaz, took over the charge of the Chairman, PCSIR
on the 30th April,1992. Prior to assuming this chair, he held
the post of the Chairman, Pakistan Council for Science and Technology,
Islamabad. He also served as the Chairman, University Grants
Commission, Islamabad from 1989 to 1991.
Dr. Ansari started his career as Lecturer of Zoology in his
Alma Mater in 1963 and became Professor in 1972, in the latter
capacity, he also taught Physiology and Biochemistry at Chandka
Medical College, Larkana. Subsequently, Dr. Ansari was made
Pro-Vice Chancellor and then the First Vice Chancellor of the
Sindh Agricultural University, Tandojam in 1977; and served
till 1988. He, later, served as Vice Chancellor, Sindh University,
Jamshoro for one year.
Dr. A.Q. Ansari has 28 years experience of scientific research
and teaching to his credit. He holds membership of various professional
societies and has administrative affiliations with a number
of universities, academies, etc. Dr. Ansari has, to his credit
24 papers, published in various national and international scientific
journals and 4 books, the most prominent among them being the
'First English to Sindhi Dictionary of Science'.
In recognition of his contribution in the field of science,
Dr. Ansari was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 1990 by the President
of Pakistan.
Prof.
Abdul Qadeer Khan
After
receiving his early education in Bhopal, Dr Abdul Quadeer
Khan obtained the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1960
from the University of Karachi. He went on to study
in Berlin , West Germany and achieved high competence
through attending several courses in metallurgical engineering.
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He obtained the degree of Master of Science (Technology
) in 1967 from Delft Technological University of Leuven, Belgium.
In 1976, he joined the Engineering Research Laboratories (ERL)
in Pakistan and set up an uranium enrichment industrial plant.
As a tribute to his services to Pakistan , during May 1981 ,
the then president of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq renamed the
Engineering Research Laboratories, Kahuta, as, Dr Abdul Quadeer
Khan Research Laboratories (KRL).
The
scientific contributions of Dr Khan have been recognized in
several ways. As an active scientist and technologist, he has
published more than 188 scientific research papers in international
journals of high repute. He has been editor of a large number
of books on metallurgy, advanced materials and phase transformation.
His academic and scholastic activities have attracted the attention
of number of western countries where he has delivered more than
100 lectures. His work on Industrial Uranium Enrichment Plant
for peaceful application of nuclear technology has resulted
in a breakthrough in the field of metallurgy and materials science.
It is entirely due to his efforts that the process of enrichment
of Uranium was successfully completed in Pakistan . This breakthrough
ultimately resulted in the historic explosion of six nuclear
bombs in May 1998 . Not only this but a significant development
was also made with the successful test firing of Intermediate
Range Ballistic Missiles, Ghauri 1 , in April 1998 and Ghauri
II in April 1999. Dr Khan has received honorary degrees of Doctor
of Science from the University of Karachi in 1993, Doctor of
Science from Baqai Medical University on (1998), Doctor of Science
from Hamdard University, Karachi (1999) and Doctor of Science
from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore in
December 2000. For his contributions in the field of science
and technology, the President of Pakistan conferred upon Dr
Khan the award of Nishan-I-Imtiaz 1996 and 1998. Dr Khan is
the only Pakistani to have received the highest civil award
of “Nishan-I-Imtiaz’’ twice. He is also a recipient of
Hilal-I-Imtiaz.
Dr
Khan is a Fellow of Kazakh National Academy of Sciences, the
first Asian scientist with this honour, elected Fellow of the
Islamic Academy of Sciences and Honorary Member of the Korean
Academy of Science and Technology. He was elected unopposed
to the post of President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences
in 1997-a position that he still occupies. He is a member of
many national and international professional organizations including
the Pakistan Institute of Metallurgical Engineers; Pakistan
Institute of Engineers; and Institute of Central and West Asian
Studies.He is a Member of the Institute of Materials, London;
American Society of Metals (ASM); Canadian Institute of Metals
(CIM) and Japan Institute of Metals (JIM). Prof. A Q Khan sits
on the Boards of Governors of numerous universities and institutes.
He is a Member of the Executive Committee, GIK Institute of
Engineering and Technology; Member, Board of Governors, Hamdard
University; Member, Board of Governors, Sir Syed University
of Engineering and Technology; Member Syndicate, Quaidi-I-Azam
university, Islamabad ; and Member, Board of Governors, International
Islamic University, Islamabad.
Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy
Dr.
Pervez Hoodbhoy received his bachelor's degrees in electrical
engineering andmathematics, master's in solid state
physics, and Ph.D in nuclear physics, all from theMassachusetts
Institute of Technology. |
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He has been a faculty member at the Departmentof Physics, Quaid-e-Azam
University, Islamabad since 1973. In 1984 he received the Abdus
Salam Prize for mathematics and, earlier, the Baker Award for
Electronics. He is chairman of Mashal, a non-profit organization
that publishes books in Urdu on women'srights, education, environmental
issues, philosophy, and modern thought.
Dr. Hoodbhoy has written and spoken extensively on topics ranging
from science in Islam to education issues in Pakistan and nuclear
disarmament.
He produced a 13-partdocumentary series in Urdu for Pakistan
Television on critical issues in education, and two other major
television series aimed at popularizing science. He is author
of ?Islamand Science: Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for
Rationality?, now in 5 languages.
His writings have appeared in Dawn, The News, Frontier Post,
Muslim, Newsline,Herald, Jang, and overseas in Le Monde, Japan
Times, Washington Post, Asahi, SeattleTimes, Post-Intelligencer,
Frontline, The Hindu, and Chowk Magazine.
He has been anengaged speaker at more than twenty US campuses
including MIT, Princeton, Univ. ofMaryland, and Johns Hopkins
University. He has appeared on several TV and radionetworks
(BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, PBS, NPR, Fox) to analyze political developments
in South Asia.
Yasmin Rashid
| Renowned
Gynecologist. President Pakistan Medical Association.
She is also General Secretary Thalassaemia Society of
Pakistan and a noted Social Worker. |
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Professor
Yasmin Rashid is a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetrics
and Gynaecology and a great teacher who has done enormous work
in the field of reproductive medicine, genetics and intra-uterine
treatment of foetus. She is a prominent scientist who has detected
special thalessemic genes among the Pakistani population.
Instead of recognising her services and listening to her concern
about health issues in Pakistan, the government of Punjab has
decided to victimise her because of her outspoken criticism
of government's health policies.
Nafis
Sadik
Although
a national of Pakistan, Nafis Sadik is truly a citizen
of the world. She has spent a lifetime working on the
politically charged and non-glamorous issues of global
population control and women’s health, issues which
at first glance some may consider irrelevant to their
daily lives.
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However, a closer look at the statistics reveals the gravity
of the situation and how it affects our world.
The high rate of population growth, the suffering of millions
of women in developing countries due to the lack of proper healthcare
facilities, and lack of awareness of individual rights are all
issues which demand immediate remediation.
For
her efforts to raise awareness of these issues and developing
or effecting policies, Nafis Sadik has received awards from
governments and organizations in many countries including Pakistan,
China, Indonesia, Egypt and the United States. When she accepted
the post of Executive Director of the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA) in 1987, she became one of the highest ranking
women in the UN and the first women ever to serve as an executive
head of one of the UN’s major voluntarily funded programs.
Echoing the sentiments of many others, at the Hague International
Forum in 1999, Hillary Rodham Clinton said of Nafis Sadik, “I
believe that the world owes her a debt of gratitude for all
she has done over the years to place women at the very center
of development.
Nafis
Sadik received her Doctorate of Medicine from Dow Medical College
in Karachi, Pakistan. She did her internship in gynecology and
obstetrics at City Hospital in Baltimore, and completed further
studies at John Hopkins University. After serving as a research
fellow at Queens University in Ontario, Canada, Nafis returned
to work in Pakistan. From 1954 to 1963, she worked as a civilian
doctor in Pakistani military hospitals.
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Pakistan
Science Leading Personalities
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