40 Most Successful Pakistani’s[Page 1,2]
21. Sheeraz Hasan, Founder and CEO of Tinseltown TV,
has been adjudged as the winner of the prestigious “American Dream” award by the Bollywood Awards Committee. The Bollywood Awards of 2004, like the Oscar Awards, will be the sixth gala event of international stature honoring the outstanding achievements of movie stars, and fashion designers.
Sheeraz Hasan is being recognized internationally for achieving the “American Dream.” Coming to the United States without money, connections, or experience, Hasan founded “Tinseltown TV” in January of 2002. Based in Hollywood, CA, the 30-minute show features Hollywood news updates, clips from upcoming feature films, action from exclusive premieres and award ceremonies and insightful interviews with today’s hottest celebrities, as well as Tinseltown TV’s Exclusive segment “The Spiritual Side of Hollywood”. After two brief years, Hasan was featured in Fortune Magazine as the film industry’s ambassador to South Asia for building the bridge between Hollywood and Bollywood.
The Bollywood Group has a long tradition of honoring Americans at their events for outstanding accomplishments in various fields. It has honored Michael Jackson, Richard Gere, Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber, Sharon Stone, Tyra Banks, Jerry Hall and Diane Von Furstenberg. Sheeraz is originally from Pakistan
22. Abid Ali Kazi declared ‘Statistician of the Year 2004’
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Abid Ali Kazi has been declared the ‘Statistician of the year 2004’ by The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians, the world’s foremost body which documents the game’s statistics and history. The award was announced by the President of the ACS, Eric Midwinter, at the 31st annual General meeting of the association held in the Long Room, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham, England last week.
The award is aimed at acknowledging outstanding work in the field of cricket statistics and history for specific projects or over a period of time. The award was initiated in 1987 and by far has been given to 17 statisticians and historians including Bill Frindal, Philip Bailey, Gordon Ross, Richard Lockwood, Victor Isaacs and Brian Croudy.
Speaking at the occasion Eric Midwinder said "the annual award for the Statistician of the Year 2004 is being awarded to Abid Ali Kazi in recognition of his great services in the compilation of Pakistan cricket’s records and history. The committee and the members of the ACS join with me in congratulating him on this achievement."
Abid Ali Kazi becomes the first Asian and the second non-British person to receive this award. He has extensively researched on first-class cricket in Pakistan and has already compiled and edited the first five volumes of a monumental publishing endeavour titled "First-class Cricket in Pakistan", statistical works that have put into black & white scores and other details of every match played within Pakistan and by the country’s teams abroad, from 1947-48 to 1974-75.
Abid was instrumental some years ago in publishing the Asian edition of "The Cricketer International", is the Pakistan correspondent of "The Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack", assists a large number of cricket websites at home and abroad, organises sporting events professionally in his capacity as a qualified marketing man and helps out cricket statisticians worldwide whenever they require information regarding Pakistan cricket’s history and its scorecards.
He also had a stint with Pakistan Cricket Board as their Director Marketing in 2002.
23. Prof. Hameed Ahmed Khan
Dr Hameed Ahmed Khan Sitara-Imtiaz (SI) is the Chief Scientist of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and Director General of Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology (PINSTECH), Islamabad, Pakistan.
Dr Hameed Ahmed Khan (SI) was born at Rangoon (Burma) in 1942, and earned his BSc (Hons.) and MSc degrees from Punjab University in 1963 and 1964, respectively. He joined Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in 1965 and participated in the commissioning of Pakistan’s first Research Reactor (PARR-1). He then obtained an MSc (Reactor Physics) and a PhD (Radiation Physics) from Birmingham University (UK) in 1969 and 1972, respectively.
Dr Hameed Khan's PhD research work produced about 20 international research publications and resulted in the development of a new radiation detection system that was applied to many branches of science and technology. He served on the research/teaching faculties of Birmingham University till 1974.
He was awarded a DSc in Physics and Space Research from Birmingham University (UK) in 1994.
The President of Pakistan decorated Dr Khan with a high civil award of “Sitara-i-Imtiaz” (SI), in recognition of his scientific research work and its applications in Pakistan, and the National Book Council of Pakistan bestowed upon him the award of the Scientist of the Year, 1987.
The Islamic Academy of Sciences elected him a Fellow in 1988. In 1990, the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) elected him a Fellow of the Academy. The Iranian Research Organization for Science & Technology (IROST) awarded him “Khawarizmi Prize” in 1993 for his contribution to science. The National Book Foundation of Pakistan awarded him first prize in Physics for the years 1991, 1992 & 1993. The Third World Network of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO), Trieste, Italy awarded him its 1998 TWNSO Prize in Technology in recognition of his scientific contributions, particularly for developing the technique of SSNTD and its applications.
Realizing the energy problem in Pakistan, Dr Khan developed and applied an inexpensive technique for uranium and thorium exploration with a view to use these minerals in nuclear power generation
program of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC).
Dr Khan has also been a member of the Editorial Board of “Radiation Effects” and “Radiation Measurements,” and Chief Editor of the “Nucleus,” the scientific journal of PAEC. He has over 450 research publications to his credit.
24. Prof. Ishfaq Ahmad
Prof. Ishfaq Ahmad was born in Gurdaspur (India) on 3 November 1930. He is a former Chairman, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. Prof. Ahmad was awarded his MSc (Physics), from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, in 1951. In 1958, he was awarded a DSc (Physics), from the University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada. He was a senior member, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), 1988-1991, after serving for thirteen years as member (technical) of the same commission. He has also been chief scientist at the PAEC since 1976.
Dr Ishfaq Ahmad served as director, Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), Islamabad, Pakistan, 1971-1976; director, Atomic Energy Center (AEC), Lahore, 1969-1971; secretary, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), 1967-1969; senior scientific officer, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), 1960-1966; and lecturer, Government College, Lahore, 1952-1960. He was a post-doctoral Fellow at both the Sorbonne, Paris (France), in 1969; and at the Niels Bohr Institute of Theoretical Physics, Copenhagen (1961-1962).
Prior to that (1963-1964), Dr Ahmad was a post-doctoral Fellow at both the University of Montreal, and the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. Prof. Ishfaq was awarded the honorary degree of Doctorate by the Punjab University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (2000). In the same year, he was elected a Fellow of the International Nuclear Energy Academy. He is the recipient of the three highest official awards in Pakistan namely Sitara-I-Imtiaz, the Hilal-I-Imtiaz and the Nishan-I-Imitiaz, the last of which was awarded to him in 1998.
25. Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan: Hero of the Poor
Hundreds of organizations in dozens of countries follow the Development techniques Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan developed, practiced and preached in Pakistan. He is the messiah of human development. He practiced what he preached. He worked people to build sanitation system in ten percent of Karachi homes with zero foreign aid and at friction of the cost government does these thing. While working on it he provided insight into how Pakistan can be rebuilt. The revolution called Orangi Pilot Project is still delivering three years after his death.
Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan was one of the world's most prominent social scientists from Pakistan who proved his class by developing rural areas and low-income urban settlements through Comila project in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and the Orangi pilot project in Karachi. He achieved it through involvement and motivation of the common man.
He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Michigan State University and was recipient of the Hilal-e-Pakistan, Sitra-i-Pakistan, and the Magsaysay Award.
26. Dr. Abdul Salam«Professor ABDUS SALAM
1926 - 1996
Nobel Laureate in Physics
ICTP - The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy, The Abdus Salam Memorial Meeting (Trieste, 19-22 November 1997. )
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.
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. 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
Punjab 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
Punjab 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.
27. Dr. Omer Atiq
Dr Omar Atiq is a gold medalist from Khyber Medical College. He is a renowned physician and cancer specialist who heads the Regional Cancer Institute in Arkansas USA. He has been president of the Khyber Medical College Alumni Association and is PresidentEelect of the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America. Dr Atiq serves on the Governor of Arkansas's Commission for Healthcare and is a member of the Board of the QAID Project, USA, that co-produced the film "Jinnah", on the life of the founder of Pakistan. Dr Atiq has worked selflessly to promote the image of Pakistan in America.
28. Zia ChishtiCo-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Zia Chishti is co-founder, chief executive officer and director of Align Technology, Inc., the Sunnyvale, CA. firm that uses 3-D computer imaging technology to design clear plastic, removable, orthodontic “aligners” that let adults straighten teeth without wearing metal braces. Align Technology also manufacturers the “aligners,” marketed and distributed nationwide as the Invisalign System™.
In his position as CEO, the 28-year old Mr. Chishti is responsible for the general management of Align Technology, overall corporate strategy, fund-raising and the development and application of the technology process.
Mr. Chishti graduated from Columbia University (New York City) in 1992, where he studied economics and computer science. He received his MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business (Palo Alto, CA) where he met Ms. Wirth and, together, the two started Align Technology in 1997. Like many breakthroughs, the idea for Align grew from happenstance.
Mr. Chishti wore a clear plastic retainer as an adult to stabilize his teeth after his braces were removed. He noticed when he neglected to wear his retainer for days at a time that his teeth would begin to shift back to their former state. Upon reinsertion, the retainer would move his teeth back again to their final position, indicating that a single clear plastic retainer was capable of moving teeth.
It was a simple leap of logic that led to his conclusion that a series of such devices worn in sequence would be able to achieve complete orthodontic treatment. Aided with a background in computer science (and Ms. Wirth as a partner) the two entrepreneurs realized the benefit of applying 3-D computer imaging graphics to the field of orthodontics. Prior to starting Align (from 1992 to 1995) Mr. Chishti worked as a financial analyst in the New York and London offices of investment banking firm Morgan Stanley.
He also served as a management consultant in the London office of consulting firm McKinsey & Co (1996).
A resident of Sunnyvale, CA, Mr. Chishti was born in the seaside town of Bar Harbour, ME, was raised in Pakistan and came to the U.S. at the age of fifteen to attend college.
29. Ikram U. Khan M.D,
Honorable Ikram U. Khan, M.D.
PresidentQuality Care Consultants
Member, Board of Regents
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Bethesda, Maryland
Dr. Khan graduated in 1972 from Dow Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan where he was declared Best Graduate, Dow Medical College based on his academic performance in medical school. After one year of training in England, he completed his postgraduate surgical residency training in the United States. Dr. Khan moved to Nevada in 1978 and established a successful general surgery private practice in Las Vegas where he works today.
Dr. Khan is staunchly committed to delivering high quality, cost-effective and efficient health care to the people of Nevada and, over the past twenty-five years, has been involved in a myriad of local issues pertaining to quality health care. He has served in both elected and appointed leadership positions related to quality care issues and set up a Las Vegas-based consulting entity, Quality Care Consultants, to advise managed care organizations, hospitals and other institutions on these issues.
In 1985, Governor Richard Bryan appointed Dr. Khan to the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners and, upon completion of the four-year term, was called upon by then Governor Robert Miller to serve an additional four years on the Board. In 1993 Dr. Khan was tapped by Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich to serve on the Congressional Health Care Forum to serve as an advisor on health care delivery issues in the United States, particularly related to delivery of care to the Medicare population.
Dr. Khan was the only physician from Nevada invited to the White House to participate in the 1995 national debate and discussion on issues of quality health care for all Americans. He received a letter of appreciation and recognition from President Bill Clinton for his participation and on April 20, 1999 President Clinton nominated Dr. Khan to be a member of the Board of Regents of Uniformed Services University of Health Science and Advisory Board to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. The nomination was confirmed unanimously by Senate Armed Service Committee and entire U.S. Senate in May 1999. President Clinton recognized Dr. Khan once again in 2000 when he gave a Presidential Recognition to Dr. Khan for his “steadfast devotion to the health and well being of patients” and for helping to “promote the highest standards in practice of medicine.”
Dr. Khan has received several Senatorial and Congressional honors and was listed among the “Top Surgeons” in America by the Consumer Research Council. Currently, Dr. Khan serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Sunrise Hospital and Medical Director for Employers Occupational Health of Nevada and Fremont Medical Center in Las Vegas.
30. Javed Khan, M.D.
(Principal Investigator)
Advanced Technology Center
8717 Grovemont Circle
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Dr. Khan obtained his bachelor’s degree in 1984 and his master’s degrees in 1989 in immunology and parasitology at England’s University of Cambridge. He subsequently obtained his M.D. there and the postgraduate degree of MRCP (Membership of the Royal College of Physicians), equivalent to board certification in the United States. After clinical training in internal medicine and pediatrics as well as other specialties, he received a Leukemia Research Fellowship. In May 2001, Dr. Khan joined the Pediatric Branch, NCI, as a tenure track investigator. Dr. Khan and colleagues have published a new model for diagnosis of cancer using artificial neural networks (ANN), a form of artificial intelligence, and microarray technology. In April 2001, Dr. Khan was recognized by the American Association for Cancer Research for his work in tumor profiling by receiving a Scholar in Training Award.
31. Tauseef R. Butt, Ph.D.
Vice President of Research and Development
http://www.lifesensors.com/curric_vitae.html
32. Dr Naveed A. Khan
BSc (Pakistan), MSc (London), PhD (Hull) School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
33. Iqbal Riza -
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's chief of staff Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Mr. Iqbal Riza as his Chef de Cabinet in January 1997.
Mr. Riza, a national of Pakistan, had been serving as special representative of Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Coordinator of United Nations operations in Bosnia Herzegovina from February to December 1996.
Prior to this assignment, Mr. Riza was Assistant Secretary-General in the Department of Peace-keeping Operations, where he worked from March 1993 to January 1996. Before that he served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Chief of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL), since August 1991.
He was also Chief of Mission of the United Nations Transition Team in El Salvador (March-August 1990); Chief of the United Nations Observer Mission for verification of the electoral process in Nicaragua (ONUVEN) (August 1989-February 1990); Director of the Division for Political and General Assembly Affairs (1988-1989); and Director of the Office for Special Political Affairs (1983-1988).
Mr. Riza also held the post of Principal Officer in the United Nations Department of Public Information (1980-82) and Secretary of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (1978-1980).
Prior to joining the United Nations, he served with Pakistan’s Foreign Service from 1958 to 1977, holding various diplomatic assignments in London (1966-1968), Khartoum (1964-1966), Bonn (1962-1964), Madrid (1959-1961) and Foreign Office (1958-1959). He served as Director of the Foreign Service Academy in Lahore (1968-1971), and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Pakistani Embassy in Paris, where he also acted as Deputy Permanent Representative to UNESCO.
Mr. Riza was born on 20 May 1934 in Lonavla, India, and has a MA degree in Political Science from the University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, and a MA degree in International Law from Fletcher School of International Law, Boston, USA
34. Dr. Nafis Sadik - Special Adviser to The Secretary-General UN
Nafis Sadik, is Special Adviser and has additional responsibilities as Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia. Since her separation from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as Executive Director in December 2000, Dr. Sadik has continued her association with the United Nations and remains active in the population and development field.
As Special Envoy, Dr. Sadik is responsible for promoting the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS throughout Asia -— a historic document adopted at the General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS in July 2001. She will meet with high-level government officials, as requested by the Secretary-General or the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Executive Director, to promote key issues and advocate for an expanded, multisectoral response to HIV/AIDS in Asia. She will also encourage celebrities and other influential persons to get involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the region. In carrying out her new functions, Dr. Sadik will work closely with UNAIDS.
On her appointment in 1987 as Executive Director of UNFPA, Dr. Sadik became the first woman to head one of the United Nations major voluntary-funded programmes. In June 1990, the Secretary-General appointed Dr. Sadik Secretary-General of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), 1994. Dr. Sadik joined the UNFPA in October 1971 and became Chief of the Programme Division in 1973. From 1977 until 1987, she was Assistant Executive Director.
Before joining the United Nations, Dr. Sadik was Director-General of the Pakistan Central Family Planning Council, the Government agency charged with carrying out the national family planning programme. She had joined the Council in 1966, as Director of Planning and Training. She was appointed Deputy Director-General in 1968 and Director-General in 1970. Prior to that, in 1964, Dr. Sadik was appointed head of the Health Section of the Government’s Planning Commission. From 1954 to 1963, Dr. Sadik served as civilian medical officer in various Pakistani armed forces hospitals.
A national of Pakistan, Dr. Sadik was born in Jaunpur, India. She holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Dow Medical College in Karachi. Dr. Sadik is the recipient of several honorary degrees. Among these are honorary doctorates from the following universities: Brown, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Wilfred Laurier, the Philippines, Tulane, Nihon and the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica. Dr. Sadik has written numerous articles for leading publications in the family planning, health, gender, population and development fields, and edited several books. Dr. Sadik is married with five children.
35. Hina Jilani - Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders in UN
The Commission on Human Rights in April of this year requested the Secretary-General to appoint a special representative to report on the situation of Human Rights Defenders in all parts of the world and on possible means to enhance their protection in full compliance with the "Declaration on Human Rights Defenders". The appointment is made for a period of three years.
Ms. Jilani is a practicing lawyer in Lahore, Pakistan, specializing in human rights issues. In 1980, she founded the first women's law firm in Pakistan.
She has also served as an expert to United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Work on the Declaration of Human Rights Defenders first began in 1984 in the Commission for Human Rights, and was eventually adopted by consensus in the General Assembly in December 1998. It is the first United Nations instrument designed to recognize, promote and protect the work of Human Rights Defenders.
36. Dr. Afshan Rafiq, MP. - Norway's first Pakistani Member of Parliament
Another 'first' Pakistani emerged on the world horizon.
"It's nice to be historic, but the most important is to do a good job as a politician and will also work hard to promote tolerance.." Afshan Rafiq said.
Afshan Rafiq is yet another legendary an specimen of our bright and telented Sister having Pakistani background living in Norway. She claimed a land slide victory in Norway's last general election and laid a mile stone for the Pakistani community.
Afshan Rafiq has become the Norway's first Member of Parliament, also the first woman, with a non-western background to serve in Norway's Storting. She is a 26-year-old medical student in Norway and said she's most interested in a seat on the parliamentary committee for health and social affairs.
Longtime Oslo Mayor Albert Nordengen of the Conservative Party was among the first to congratulate her and said she should be considered for a variety of posts. "The Defense Committee, for example," he said. "She's smart in so many areas.
Such a result would see the first ever Norwegian-Pakistani MP elected: namely Afshan Rafiq."
2001- : Member of the Storting for Oslo.
Date and place of birth: 25 February 1975, Oslo, Norway
Education:
2000- : Studies in medicine, University of Oslo
1999- : Undergraduate degree, University of Oslo
Storting Committees:
2001- : Member of the Standing Committee on Family, Cultural Affairs and Government Administration
Local government:
1995-2001: Member of the Oslo City Parliament
Political appointments:
2001- : Member of the Central Executive Committee of the Oslo Conservative Party
1995- : Member of the Executive Committee of the Oslo Conservative Party
1992-1995: First deputy chairman of the Oslo Centre Young Conservatives
37. Dr. Ashraf Choudhary, MP of New Zealand
Dr. Ashraf Choudhary made history in becoming the first-ever elected Pakistani MP to the New Zealand Parliament! He again, made history by becoming the first New Zealand parliamentarian to swear allegiance on the Quran. Choudhury, a Labor MP, went ahead with his plans to take oath on the Quran in the face of criticism that he was breaking a "centuries-old tradition" by doing so, but he had to bring his own Quran on which to take the oath. Choudhary donated his Quran to parliamentary officials, who did not have one.
Choudhary, born to a poor farming family in Punjab province before migrating to New Zealand in 1976. A Pakistani agro-scientist, Dr. Ashraf Chaudhry, a graduate of Faisalabad's Agriculture University, pursued higher studies in UK and after obtaining his doctorate, found a job in Massey University of New Zealand where he had been teaching as professor. He left the university after election as Member of Parliament. While Dr. Chaudhry was nominated by the Labor Party, with which he was associated as a candidate no less for his distinguished contribution to agriculture sector. He specializes in agricultural engineering, his internationally recognized work into 'zero tillage' -- ways of planting crops without ploughing. The technology he helped develop has been used around the world and he is an international authority on conservation tillage technology.
It's a long way from the Punjab, his village of 'Jajy' near Sialkot, to Palmerston North in New Zealand. And it's even further from life as a peasant to a politician. But these are both journeys Ashraf Choudhary has made. The enthusiasm, courage, and determination has rewarded him appropriately. Despite of his living in New Zealand since 1976, Dr. Ashraf Choudhary has never forgotten his Brothers and Sisters back home or his village 'Jajy'!
His parents were illiterate, never having the opportunity to go to school, instead working their small holding at Jajy as the family had done for generations. But Mohammed Boota was adamant his son wouldn't suffer the same 'blindness' he had. With nine children, the peasant farmer couldn't afford to send all his children to school so it was Ashraf, the oldest son, who was chosen to carry the family's hopes. Dr. Ashraf Choudhary remembers the 13km round trip he used to make by foot to his school in Sialkot! He remembers all the sacrifices that his parents had made so that he could continue with his education. He remembers as to how his family managed to save enough to send him to Faisalabad to study agriculture.
He is living happily with wife Samina, who is from Lahore, and three children, Anwar, Mehreen and Atif.
"These feelings for the underdog have always been with me.", he says.
He points to his expertise in farming, education, science and research, the environment and conservation and hopes he doesn't end up just being a spokesman for minority ethnic groups. He regularly visits Pakistan where his sisters and brothers remain, along with hundreds of memories from his childhood.
"It's been a long journey for me and I'm very proud of all that."
38. Mehmood Bhatti - fashion designers
Dominating in the fashion capital of the world, Paris, France - Mahmood Bhatti is one of the best fashion designers in the world. Born in Lahore, graduated in 1976, he went to France in search of better opportunities, but had to go through a lot of pain in pursuit of his goals.
He had started his regeneration in Paris out of nothing and it was his determination that brought him success. He worked as a salesman in different sales outlets for a comparatively short period and afterwards, set up his own office in 1980. Within a short span of time, he acquired the whole complex to run the business. Currently, over five hundred designers are working for him. The company "Bhatti" is located in Finland, India, Poland, Taiwan, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, the US and the UK; and through which he has transacted multi-million dollar transatlantic business over more than three decades. In spite of enjoying the repute of being one of the best fashion designers, he is proud of being a Pakistani.
After reaching the zenith of his career, he wants to contribute to the social welfare of his motherland.
His patriotism and philanthropism reflects in his ten scholarships for the needy students of the University of the Punjab and one for the position holder of the Pakistan School of Fashion Design.
Besides this, he is massively contributing in the health and education sectors, as well as supporting hundreds of orphans and widows in the motherland.
39. Dr. Lubna Razia Ijaz - Environmentlist
Dr. Lubna Razia Ijaz as women of considerable courage, integrity and grace. Among her considerable attributes are a great vision and a dedication, strong enough to bring that vision to fruition. She is a firm believer that energy is the root cause of not only wars on a global scale but the lack of accessibility to the basic energy needs brings depravation, poverty and unemployment to millions in the developing world. Her aim in life, therefore is to "ALLEVIATE POVERTY" through the introduction of low cost alternate energy sources in the remotest possible areas of Pakistan, so that the local population could get benefit from the basic necessities of life, such as clean drinking water, solar cooking, solar lights, solar fan, solar refrigerators for village health centre, and solar system for village community centre for educational purposes.
Prof. Ijaz is well ahead of time, with her visions set on things that are important in the world to come in the future, well ahead of time, when no one else even recognizes the problems. And more remarkable is that she goes ahead to educate the rest of the world about the problem and systematically develops her own solutions to the problem. How long it may take for her to do so does not bother her. She persuades talented people to join and together attacks the problem. We are amazed at the fact that in the process she creates friends and collaborators but no enemies.
Prof. Dr. Lubna Razia Ijaz left all the luxury of USA, with the best facilities offered to her at Virginia Tech and opted for an early retirement from the University to carry out socio-economic upliftment programs for the betterment of the people in her own motherland. In order to achieve fast and better results, she has decided that she should settle in Pakistan.
She has a strong belief that energy; environment, agriculture, poverty and violence in today’s world are linked in the sense that one cannot be alleviated without solving the other. Because without continuous energy supply, food production will be less or damaged, causing higher food prices creating poverty and hunger, that causes violence, which in turn destroy peace.
Similarly, wrong kind of energy like fossil fuel, kerosene, oil, coal and gas could destroy the environment, therefore if we can develop and utilize renewable energy resources for our energy needs we can alleviate environmental problems.
40. Mian Ghulam Bari - Businessman
Mian Ghulam Bari has emerged from a small village without electricity, near Faisalabad -Pakistan to an elegant home in the prime location in Ireland.
Mian Ghulam Bari has emerged as one of the most successful individual amongst Pakistani community residing abroad. He is however, is only a tip of a rapidly growing pyramid of Pakistani millionaires flourishing around the world. He came in to public attention around two years ago when his charity contributions came into media spot lights. His contributions include local charities, directed Pakistani community in Ireland as well as organization like Shoukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, Edhi Foundation etc, in Pakistan. Janab Ghulam Bari however, personally does not count publicity!
Mian Ghulam Bari, 74, was born in a village near Faisalabad before the creation of Pakistan. He got education in the local area school. Immediately after the completion of his school level studies, he was inducted in to a job in order to become an earning member of his family.
Immediately after the creation of Pakistan, he got an employment in the than Imperial Bank of India, as a cashier. This bank was subsequently renamed as The National Bank of Pakistan.
The zealous nature of Mian Ghulam Bari, made him to realized that this job was not his bowl of soup. During mid fifties, he proceeded to England and for three years he strived to set his navigational apparatuses for a smooth sailing towards the shore of prosperity.
In the mean time, however, his old parents asked him to come back and to which demand he could not disobeyed. This call sign prompted him to react as an obedient son, and he had to abandon his further programs for a while. He returned home and lived with his parents.
In 1972 his mother passed away and subsequently his father departed for his eternal abode.
Note: The serial number are just to keep a sequence and do not represent any position. This list is compile to show some examples of Pakistani spirit, courage and set a model for the Youth of Pakistan.