Professor Dr. Abdus Salam [1926-1994]

Professor Dr. Abdus Salam [1926-1994]

Professor Abdus Salam one of the greatest exponents in physics of this century was born in a modest family of Jhang, in 1926. His father, Chaudhary Mohammad Husain served in Education department, Jhung. Salam received his early education in his native city doing Matric in 1940 and FSc in 1942. In 1944, he did BSc from Government College Lahore. He did MSc in 1945 and also attained MA Degree in Mathematics in 1946, Thus, Salam, has the credit of being double MA (Physics & Mathematics) at the age of only 20 years which is a record in the University of the Punjab, Lahore.

He proceeded to England in 1946 for further studies where he was educated at St. John’s College, Cambridge and Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge where he stayed for a period of three years (1946-1949). After becoming a Wrangler in double course of Physics and Mathematics returned to Pakistan in 1951 and served in the Government College, Lahore and University of the Punjab between 1952-54 as a teacher and Head of the Department of Mathematics. The year 1951, provided him with an opportunity for higher studies in Cambridge University, where he completed his Doctorate in Theoretical Physics in 1952 - once again a record to have attained a doctoral degree in a period of only one year. The world of science was stunned on the discovery of “Renormalisation Theory” put forward by Abdus Salam. He was thus conferred with a "Smith Prize" by the Cambridge University even before the award of his doctoral degree. Thereafter, he returned to Pakistan and joined Government College, Lahore, but in 1954 moved once again to England and got associated with the Cambridge University as a lecturer. In 1957, Imperial College London, offered him professorship with which he remained associated throughout.

In 1959, he was nominated Advisor to the Education Commission of Pakistan and in 1961, elevated to the post of Chief Advisor Science to the President of Pakistan - a portfolio that he held up to 1974.

Dr. Salam contributed in development of PAEC, Karachi Nuclear Plant and several organisations of Applied Physics. During 1961-64, he made rich contribution in the development of SUPARCO as its President. Dr. Salam has published a number of research articles in international research journals which were highly appreciated in concerned circles all over the world.

Dr. Salam’s greatest research achievement is ‘Theory of Unification of Forces’ or ‘Grand Unification Theory’ which is also known as "GUT". It was on this great achievement in the field of science, that Dr. Salam was conferred with ‘Nobel Prize’ in 1979 together with the ‘Americans Steven Weinberg’ and - ‘Sheldon Glashow’. He thus, is the only Pakistani scientist who is a Nobel Laureate in Physics. Salam’s ‘electroweak theory’ is still the core of the ‘standard model’ of high energy physics. After having contributed a number of research papers, establishing numerous organisations, training hundreds of scientists and after having been bestowed upon with far numbering awards and medals, this great scientist breathed his last after a prolonged illness in November 1994.

The name of Dr. Abdus Salam will be linked forever to the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy.

Dr. Samar Mubarak Mand

Dr. Samar Mubarak Mand

Dr. Samar Mubarak Mand, is one of the architects who have made Pakistan the first Muslim country in the world to posses a nuclear bomb. “It was the result of the efforts made by thousands of scientists and engineers” who deserve the entire nation’s gratitude.

Mand belongs to an educated family of Rawalpindi where he was born in 1941 and in the same city matriculated in 1956. Thereafter, did his FSC in 1958 from Government College, Lahore; BSC in 1960 and MSC in 1962 - attaining distinction in all of these with academic roll of honour.

He started his career as a scientist in 1962 in the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. It was during this job that he proceeded to England for higher education and did his PhD in Experimental Physics (Nuclear Physics) from Oxford University. He returned in 1966 to Pakistan and again joined AAEC. He entered into matrimonial life in 1968 and was married to a lady who herself is a scientist and a teacher. In 1974, he joined Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology and worked there on different important posts such as Director, Member Technical and Director General.

Besides his official assignments, he remained active in contributing to higher level research and published a number of research articles in journals of international repute.

He led the team of scientists who took up the nuclear task of explosion on May 28, 1998. Recalling the crucial moments he said: "My eyes were set on the mountain in which the test was to be conducted. I experienced a halt in my heartbeat on seeing nothing happening after 32 seconds. But all of a sudden it was a big jolt! We had triumphed.”

The credit of Shaheen Missile also goes to Dr. Mand and his enthusiastic team of scientists. In lieu of his meritorious services to the country, Dr. Mand was conferred with Sitara-i-Imtiaz and Hilal-i-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan.

Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan

Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan

Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Pakistan’s nuclear hero is a scion of Bhopal state’s modest and a religious family. He was born in April 1936. His father Abdul Ghafoor Khan was an academician who retired from Education Department in 1935 and settled permanently in Bhopal. In 1952, Qadeer did his Matriculation and same year in the month of August, he migrated to Pakistan. At Karachi, he did his FSC from D.J. Science College and graduated from Karachi University. He proceeded to Germany in 1961 on a scholarship for higher studies in Metallurgy. In 1963-4, he moved to Holland and did his MSC with distinction in Physical Metallurgy from Technological University Defolt. In 1968, did his Doctorate in the same subject from Catholic University of Leon. In 1972, started his career as a Metallurgist at Physical Dynamic Research Laboratory (F.D.O) at Amsterdam. This gave him an opportunity to move onwards from an ‘unknown to a known’ that later made it possible for him to go for a big hunt in Nuclear Science. Before returning home in 1976, he had worked at the British, German and Dutch Urenco uranium enrichment facility in the Netherlands in the early seventies.

During Premier Bhutto’s regime he was entrusted with the job to organize Pakistan's nuclear programme that could give an answer to India in a befitting manner. He thus sowed real seeds of Pakistan’s nuclear programme on July 31 1976, when 'Engineering Research Laboratories', an autonomous organization was formed headed by Dr. Qadeer Khan who later emerged as an architect of Pakistan’s Nuclear prowess and also called as the father of Pakistan medium-range Ghauri and other Missiles.

Needless to say that credit goes to the great Khan that "in a record short span of six years, Pakistan was put on the nuclear map of the world and a solid foundation was laid for our self-sufficiency in future of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy."

‘He became the focus of attention after India exploded three nuclear devices on May 11 and two more on May 13, 1992 to which Pakistan gave an appropriate answer by exploding five Pakistani nuclear blasts on May 28, 1998 and at least one on the following day - a move that spurred jubilation at home and condemnation abroad, coupled with sanctions.’

It may be noted that Dr. Qadeer Khan was levelled with fake charges of nuclear espionage by the West so much so that a court in Amsterdam sentenced him in absentia in 1983 for four years in jail. Dr. Qadeer refutes much biased allegations of engaging forcefully himself in any sort of nuclear espionage. The court, however, later on, withdrew it’s baseless allegation when the Khan fought his case with vigour and determination.

The great Khan, the great hero, the great architect of Pakistan’s Nuclear technology deserves special gratitude of the people of Pakistan. We salute him.