– By NUST Science Society
Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad is an eminent Pakistani nuclear physicist. His contributions in nuclear and quantum electrodynamics are of meridian importance. He has been a vital individual for establishing research institutes engaging Nuclear Sciences in Pakistan. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad is considered a pioneer, discovering the sustainable process of nuclear chain reaction which led to the creation of Pakistan’s atomic bomb.
Born and raised in Gurdaspur, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad’s family migrated to Lahore after partition. He attended Punjab University, from where he completed his Bachelors of Sciences in Physics in 1949. He went on to pursue his Masters and completed it in the year 1951. Later, he went to Canada to carry out his research in nuclear technologies.
Dr. Ahmad has served as the head of Nuclear Physics Division at PINSTECH during the 1970s – the institute known to have developed the first designs of Pakistan’s Nuclear Bomb. He also served as Chairman of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 1991 to 2001. During this period, he was a central figure in Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons Research Program and Nuclear Power Generation Program.
Dr. Ahmad is the proud recipient of three highest civil awards in Pakistan: Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Hilal-i-Imtiaz and Nishan-i-Imitiaz, for his contributions towards science, especially in the fields of nuclear, particle, and quantum electrodynamics.
His tireless efforts led to the creation of Global Change Impact Studies Centre in Islamabad where research on climatic change is being undertaken in Pakistan, an initiative of its own kind! Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad has also served as an advisor to Prime Minister for Strategic and Scientific programs.
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