Dr. Hafeez Hoorani – The One from CERN

Interior of Particle Accelerator at CERN

-by Muhammad Sanan Khan

In a country which is taking its nascent steps in the world of science, Dr. Hafeez Horaani is one of the pioneers in this world for our country.

Hailing from Karachi, he is a particle physicist, with a specialization in accelerator physics, and a research scientist at the CERN. Nowadays, Mr. Hoorani works at the National Center for Physics, with research focus in elementary particle physics and high energy physics.

Dr. Hafeez Horaani is certainly among the league of the top scientists of our country for all his works and accomplishments. His efforts to make Pakistan a part of CERN are highly commendable and they are a big push forward for the country.

What is CERN? CERN is the European Organization for Nuclear Research bent on seeking answers related to the origin of humankind such as; what is the universe made of? How did it start? Using some of the world’s most powerful particle accelerators.

Dr. Hoorani joined CERN in 1989 and due to his efforts, in 2000, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (led by nuclear physicist Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad) signed an agreement with CERN. This agreement opened the door for Pakistani physicists to collaborate with CERN’s particle physics project.

Our country needs more men like Dr. Hoorani so that in the race to win the world with science and technology our country can make a mark of its own. More power to you, Mr. Hoorani and to PAKISTAN. Ciao till next time.

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

Ever since, Pakistan gained independence in 1947, it has suffered with a sense of insecurity as it is bordered on one side by its arch-enemy India, and this feeling of insecurity led the decision-makers to strive towards a balance of power with India. Many of the country’s brightest and sharpest minds had put years of tireless effort into this endeavour. The work led to first the establishment of the Pakistan council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) in 1951.

Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” speech at the UN

Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed: A love of Science for Pakistan

Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed’s contributions to Pakistan are dotted with firsts. He, as the president of the Pakistan Atomic
Energy Commission, laid the foundations for co-operation between Pakistan and CERN in the Large Hadron Collider. He was instrumental in conducting the Pakistani Nuclear tests in 1998 as a reply to India’s Pokhran-II tests. He also created the first centre for Experimental Physics in Pakistan, the National Centre of Physics, in 1998. He has also been honoured with the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz and the Nishan-e-Imtiaz. All in all, it’s a wonderful career to have had. What comes across strongest in his career however, is not a drive due to the love of science, but due to a love of Pakistan.

Dr. Ishrat Hussain Usmani

Some great minds of our nation are hidden underneath the waves of our beaches. Their life’s work overshadowed by the unimportant, the trivial. Scientists make discoveries everyday. This very moment some amazing mind would be thinking about the next best invention, but do we care for them at all? Do we value their wisdom and intelligence? Let’s ponder upon one such holy grail of Pakistan. One such persona that was amongst us, and needs to be revived.

I am talking about Dr. Ishrat Hussain Usmani. His majestic thinking abilities brought Pakistan forth as a strong nuclear power. As we all know, with friends there are foes and adversaries. By 1971, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) had turned into one of the world’s best nuclear organizations led by Dr. I. H. Usmani. He was responsible for developing many nuclear programs and facilities that would help Pakistan in becoming one of the world’s nuclear nations.

Saleem uz Zamaan Siddiqui: A man of many talents

Anyone who has ever travelled to Karachi; must have come across Saleem uz Zaman Siddiqui’s name as an important highway in Karachi  is named after this gleaming star of chemistry. A revered Alumnus of Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College and Frankfurt University, Mr. Saleem uz Zaman was an auspicious chemist who pioneered the isolation of unique chemical compounds from natural products. He endeavored to bridge the gap between western and eastern medicine by conducting research on natural products and isolation of alkaloids from Rauwolfia Serpentina (Chand Buti) and Melia azadirachata (Neem).

For this he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1946.

He’s been called Pakistan’s Einstein