Famous Personalities

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq

General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (Arabic: محمد ضياء الحق‎) (b. August 12, 1924–August 17, 1988) was the President and military ruler of Pakistan from July 1977 to his death in August 1988. Distinguished by his role in the Black September in Jordan military operation in 1970, he was appointed Chief of Army Staff in 1976. General Zia came to power after he overthrew ruling Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a military coup d’état on July 5, 1977 and became the state’s third ruler to impose martial law. He initially ruled as Chief Martial Law Administrator, but later assumed the post of President of Pakistan in September 1978.

Zia’s major domestic initiatives included the country’s Islamization, the consolidation of the fledgling nuclear program, denationalization and deregulation leading to a rejuvenated economy, as well as the abridgement of civil and political liberties. However, he is most remembered for his foreign policy; the subsidizing of the Mujahideen movement during the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Zia was killed along with several of his top generals and the then United States Ambassador to Pakistan in a sabotage-induced aircraft crash near Bahawalpur (Punjab) on August 17, 1988, the circumstances of which remain unclear. 

Hakim Mohammed Said 

 
(Urdu: حکیم محمد سعید) (January 9, 1920 – October 17, 1998) was a renowned scholar, and philanthropist of Pakistan and a former Governor of Sindh. He established Hamdard Foundation in 1948. Within few years, the herbal medical products of Hamdard became household names. Hakim Mohammed Said wrote or compiled about 200 books. These include books on religion, tibb (natural medicine), health and sciences, books on literary, social and scientific topics and travelogues.

Establishing Hamdard University
Hakim Mohammed Said founded Hamdard University in 1991. The establishment of a university which could enliven the intellectual tradition of the educational institutions of the golden era of Muslim civilization had always been his most cherished dream. In fact it was the central point towards which all his endeavors were directed. The actual appearance of the university was just the culmination of a long dedicated and continued effort spanning his whole life.
A great personality of PakistanShaheed-e-Pakistan Hakim Mohammed Said (1920-1998) was a man of vision and was endowed with many virtues. He was a multifaceted personality, a physician, author of books, and editor of journals, bibliophile, an organizer, an idealist, an innovator, educationist and above all a patriot of the highest order. He sacrificed his life in the service of the nation. In a life span of 78 years he made enormous contributions in the field of health, science, education and culture, which has left an imprint on the course of history for generations to follow.

He was strictly a man of principles with extraordinary sense of time management. The guidance he gave showed that he was an extraordinary genius, born to guide and lead the people. Although the assassin’s bullets extinguished and silenced the noble soul ten years ago, the light of his spirit lives on to inspire and encourage others to follow his mission. Lest we forget what is owed to this remarkable personality, an institution under the name of “IDARA-E-SAID” has been set up in one of his most ambitious projects – Madinat-al-Hikmah – city of education science and culture whose doors are ever open for the seekers of knowledge. The library, housed in Madinat-al-Hikmah is undoubtedly one of the finest seats of learning east of Suez, for scholars and researchers to drink deep from the fountains of learning.The crowning activity of his life is the establishment of Madinat-al-Hikmah. It comprises Hamdard University with such institutes as Hamdard College of Medicine and Dentistry, Hamdard Al-Majeed College of Eastern Medicine, Hafiz Mohammad Ilyas Institute of Herbal Sciences, Hamdard Institute of Education & Social Sciences, Hamdard Institute of Management Sciences, Hamdard Institute of Information Technology, Hamdard School of Law, Faculty of Engineering Science & Technology, Hamdard Public School and Hamdard Village School. . Bait-al-Hikmah (the Library) is also a constituent part of Madinat-al-Hikmah. This is one of the biggest and well-stocked libraries of Pakistan.

His Work
Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said wrote, edited or compiled over 200 books and journals in Urdu and English on Islam, Education, Pakistan, Science, Medicine and Health. Besides writing travelogues of countries he visited, he also wrote books especially for youth and children. He also edited some journals such as Hamdard Islamicus, Hamdard Medicus, Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society “Historicus”, Hamdard Sehat and Hamdard Naunehal. For several years he was also editor of “PAYAMI”- Urdu edition of UNESCO’S journal “Courier”. Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said participated in various international conferences on medicine, science, education and culture and traveled widely to many countries of the world. While in Pakistan he himself organized numerous international and national conferences on topics of prime importance.

IDARA-E-SAID Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said, Research and Documentation CentreIn order to preserve his works, a Research and Documentation Center by the name of Idara-e-Said has been set-up. It is a joint venture of Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Pakistan; Hamdard University; and Hamdard Foundation Pakistan. Idara-e-Said will project and focus the life and works of Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said, most particularly in the field of science, education and research, medicine and health care. The project is aimed at collection of Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said speeches, writings (both published and un-published), personal memorabilia, photographs and artifacts. After the collection of materials related to his life and works, all records will be preserved and displayed in a scientifically arranged and properly managed museum. Hakim Mohammed Said Archives / Museum is being set-up at Madinat-al-Hikmah.

Research Projects of Idara-e-SaidIdara-e-Said will also initiate research projects leading to the award of post graduate (M.Phil. & PhD) degrees on the contribution of Hakim Mohammed Said to Islam, education, medicine, sciences & culture. Idara-e-Said will also patronize publications of literature and books written by different authors on the life of Hakim Mohammed Said, his personality, leadership and his endeavors for the propagation and promotion of education and learning. It is a matter of great pleasure that first M.Phil degree on the life and works of Hakim Mohammed Said Shaheed was awarded to Mr. Javed Swati in Hamdard University convocation 2002. His topic of research was “Education Ideas & Perceptions of Hakim Mohammed Said”. Two students are doing PhD from University of Punjab and Sindh University. Some more scholars are doing M.Phil and Ph.D’s from other universities of Pakistan. A Web Site about Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said has also been developed. This website was launched in October 2002 on 4th death anniversary of Hakim Mohammed Said Shaheed. .