This is also Pakistan
By Dr AQ Khan

There are so many unpleasant things in Pakistan and usually we only read or hear about these. Today I would like to draw attention to two good institutions of which we may rightfully be proud.

Our industrialists are still doing a good job even though incompetent and corrupt rulers are placing many hurdles in their way. They are earning the much needed foreign currency for our exchequer. Without their hard work Pakistan would have been totally doomed. Yet their invaluable services hardly receive any appreciation.

We also have some fine educational and medical institutions that are doing a great job in producing good engineers and doctors and providing healthcare to the poor. A few names which instantly spring to mind in this connection (and there are many more) are LUMS, Government College University, Lahore College for Women University, FC College University, Punjab University, Quaid-e-Azam University, COMSATS, University of Karachi, HEJ Institute, Aga Khan Hospital University, Dow University of Health Sciences, GIK Institute, Islamia College University, KPK, AFIC and Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology etc. All of them are doing invaluable national service. There are two institutions which I particularly want to discuss here.

The first of these is the Dr AQ Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (KIBGE) at Karachi University. This institute was established by me with the generous help of some dear friends from Karachi (notably late Mian S M Farooq and late Saeed Kushtiwala) about a decade ago. The building was designed by Eng Qamar Alavi and Eng.Khizar Hayat of the well-known Naqvi and Siddiqui Architects.

The idea of setting up such an institute was born during discussions with the governor of Sindh of that time, Gen Moinuddin Haider, a dear friend, and Mian Farooq and Saeed Bhai. I suggested that, since biotechnology and genetic engineering was the science of the future, we must work in this field. Thanks to the efforts made by Gen Sahib and the generosity of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Karachi, Prof Dr Saifi, we were given a large tract of land on the campus.

With funds collected from friends in Dubai and Pakistan, an impressive building was constructed and the latest equipment installed. Scientists were soon recruited and research initiated. Prof Dr Mujtaba Naqvi, an eminent scientist and former head of NIAB and PAEC, joined as DG at my special request. Prof Naqvi had wide practical experience, was internationally known and was a very competent scientist. He recruited capable scientists, purchased good equipment and started various research programmes. In the five years that he led the institute he put it on a solid foundation.

After Prof Naqvi, Dr Qasim Mehdi took over as DG. He had been DG of the Biology and Genetic Engineering Division at KRL. Unfortunately, he left to join SIUT and Dr. Adeeb Rizvi. It was then decided to hand over the institute to the University of Karachi so that it could become part of their academic activities. Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim (VC), appointed Prof Dr Irtifaq Ali, former VC, a dear friend and competent scientist, as DG. He did an excellent job from April 2008 to September 2011.

After his retirement the VC appointed Dr Abid Azhar, a distinguished professor with a PhD from Australian National University. He has literally given wings to the institute to take off and command the respectable position at international level that it now enjoys. As part of the University of Karachi, it now provides M Phil and PhD courses. In 2013, 13 students obtained PhDs in various subjects. My dear friend and eminent scientist, Prof Dr Anwar Nasim (SG, Pakistan Academy of Sciences) is also a visiting professor there.

Due to its excellent performance, the institute received about Rs200 million grant between 2002 and 2005 and Rs330 million between 2006 and 2013. At the moment there is a faculty of about 45, while 34 students are pursuing MPhil and PhD courses. It is not possible to mention all the excellent equipment and research activities here, but these are comparable with the best in the world. Work is being done in the fields of agricultural, industrial and medical biotechnology. For further information, please visit their website www.kibge.edu.pk

So far KIBGE scientists have published about 500 papers, some of which have also been presented at national and international conferences. They cooperate closely with similar institutes in Australia, Japan, Germany, the USA, Turkey, Iran, Ireland, Malaysia, Italy, Hong Kong, etc. as well as with universities within Pakistan. Many foreign scholars come as visiting faculty for short- and long-term tenures. The board of governors has some eminent scientists (Prof Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari, Prof Dr Anwar Nasim, Rahim Bux Channa, etc) and well-known industrialists (Sardar Yasin Malik, Sultan Chawla, Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan, etc)

The second excellent institution worth mentioning is the Shifa International Hospital. It is one of the best in the country and as good as any abroad. I have been closely associated with it right from its establishment. The hospital recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, to which I was invited as chief guest. The founder, Dr Zaheer Ahmad, was a close friend of mine. While he was setting up the hospital, I was setting up the GIK Institute at Swabi. Later, when I was helping in setting up an Institute of Technology at Mianwali, he was establishing a Tameer-Millat Girls’ School there and we had frequent interactions.

The late Dr Zaheer motivated Pakistani doctors in the US to set up a state-of-the-art hospital in Islamabad. I personally took part in a promotional documentary requesting expatriate Pakistani doctors to help in this noble cause. Presently more than 2.5 million patients visit the hospital every year and there are more than 150 expatriate, highly qualified and experienced specialists working there. The total staff of trained doctors, nurses, technicians, numbers more than 3,500.

The chairman of the board of directors is the eminent cardiologist, Prof Dr Habibur Rahman while the CEO is the eminent medical specialist, Prof Dr Manzur H Qazi. With such a facility available in Islamabad, I think it is often preferable not to go for costly treatment abroad. I, for one, much prefer treatment at home. More information about the hospital is available on www.shifa.com.pk.

This is Pakistan too! Everything is not as dark and bad as many believe. There are also many institutions we can rightly be proud of.

Email: dr.a.quadeer.khan@gmail.com