Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan

Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Speaker Punjab Assembly, son of Rana Phool Muhammad Khan (former MPA and Minister) was born on April 20, 1945 at Gumthala Garhu, Tehsil Pehowa, District Karnal, . He obtained his early education from D.B. High School, Bhai Pheroo (now Phool Nagar). He graduated from Islamia College, Civil Lines, Lahore in 1968 and obtained the degree of LL.B. from University of the Punjab, Lahore in 1971. He is an advocate and agriculturist. He served as Secretary, Tehsil Bar Associate, Bar Association, Chunian during 1975-76. He started his political career from Markaz Council and served as Chairman Markaz Council and Union Council, Phool Nagar during 1979-83, remained Vice Chairman, Zila Council, Kasur during 1983-87; functioned as Chairman Zila Council Kasur for two consecutive terms during 1987-93. He was first elected unopposed, to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in the bye-election in 1993, but before he could make oath as a Member, the Assembly was dissolved in June 1993. He was elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab and served as Member during 1993-96. 

He returned again to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab for the third consecutive term in 1997 and served as Provincial Minister and held the portfolios of Livestock & Dairy Development, Forest, Wildlife, Fisheries and Tourism during 1997-99. He has returned to the Punjab Assembly for the fourth term and is functioning as Speaker since April 11, 2008, having been elected unopposed as such. He has visited United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, India and France. He belongs to a noble family of politicians. His father was elected as Member for six consecutive terms, to Provincial Assembly of West Pakistan during 1965-69, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab during 1972-77, 1977, 1985-88, 1988-90 and 1990-93, and also served as Provincial Minister during 1988-90 and 1990-93. His cousin, Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan remained MNA and Parliamentary Secretary during 1990-2007. His another cousin Rana Muhammad Ishaq Khan is a sitting MNA.

Salman Taseer

Mr. Salman Taseer is a Chartered Accountant. Early in his career he successfully set up two chartered accountancy and management consultancy firms KPMG , UAE and Taseer Hadi Khalid & Company Chartered Accountants, Pakistan. In 1994, he established First Capital Securities Corporation Limited (FCSC), a full service brokerage house and has been actively involved in establishing other companies in the financial services sector as well as the telecommunications, media, insurance and real estate / property development sectors in Pakistan.

He has now established a strong foothold in the property /real estate development business as well Pace is a multi faceted real estate group building the Hyatt Regency Hotels in Lahore & now Karachi. He has also been an author of a number of articles on investment and Financial subjects. He has participated and spoken at numerous telecommunication and financial conferences within and outside Pakistan. He is the driving force behind the First Capital & World Call group.

The current market capitalization is around US $ 1 billion. He was Federal Minister for industry and production in the interim government in 2007 to 2008. He was member of the Punjab Assembly and Leader of opposition. He owns several media print and electronic networks which include Wikkid Plus, Business Plus and National dailies, The Daily Times & Aaj Kal. As Governor of the Punjab he is committed to bring socio-economic revolution in the province.

Salman Siddique

Mr Salman Siddique is a nominated Director in Pakistan International Airlines Corporation since March, 2009. He holds Masters Degrees in English from Punjab University, Social Sciences and Planning from London School of Economics & Political Science from University of London. He is presently Federal Secretary Finance. He held various senior positions during his service with the Government of Pakistan and Government of Punjab, which include Federal Secretary Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas, Joint Secretary Cabinet Division, Chief Secretary Punjab, Provincial Census Commissioner Punjab, Commissioner Lahore Division, Secretary S&GA Department. Mr Siddique played a vital role in acquiring World Bank and International Monetary Fund assistance for development of education and health in Punjab. Mr Siddique is also Chairman of Board’s Finance Committee.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Date of Birth: February 13th, 1911

Place: Sialkot (Punjab), Pakistan

Faiz's mother was Sultan Fatima. Faiz's father died in Sialkot in 1913. Faiz's father was a learned man and enjoyed the company of well-known literary persons. Wrote the biography of Amir Abdur Rehman. Faiz was therefore, born in a respectable and literary environment and was a very promising student with a religious background.Primary Education: Started memorizing the Holy Quran at the age of four and in 1916 started his formal education in the famous school of Moulvi Ibrahim Sialkoti, and learnt Urdu, Persian and Arabic. Was admitted to the Scotch Mission High School in 1921 in Class IV. Passed his Matriculation Examination in the 1st Division from Murray College, Sialkot and during this period learnt Persian and Arabic from Allama Iqbal's teacher, Shamsul Ullama Moulvi Syed Meer Hasan.

College Education: Passed his B.A. (Honours) in Arabic from the Government College, Lahore and then M.A. in English from the same College in 1932. Passed his M.A. in Arabic in the 1st Division, from Oriental College, Lahore.

Employment: Lecturer in English at M. A. O. College, Amritsar in 1935 and then at Hailey College of Commerce, Lahore. Joined the Army as Captain in 1942 and worked in the department of Public Relations in Delhi. Was promoted to the rank of Major in 1943, and Lieut. Colonel in 1944. Resigned from The Army in 1947 and returned to Lahore, where, in 1959 appointed as Secretary, Pakistan Arts Council and worked in that capacity till 1962. Returning from London in 1964 he settled down in Karachi and was appointed as Principal, Abdullah Haroon College , Karachi. Editorship of the monthly magazine Adabe-Latif from 1947 to 1958. Worked as Editor under the Progressive Papers Ltd, of the Pakistan Times, the Urdu newspaper Imroze and the weekly Lailo-Nihar. In the 1965 war between India & Pakistan he worked in an honorary capacity in the Department of Information. Acted as Editor of the magazine Lotus in Moscow, London and Beirut.

Marriage & Children: In March 9th, arrested under Safety Act and charged in the Rawalpindi Conspiracy case, and having borne the hardships of imprisonment for four years and one month in the jails of Sargodha, Montgomery (now Sahiwal) Hyderabad and Karachi, was released on April 2nd, 1955.

S.M. Zafar

Mr. S.M. Zafar is a human rights activist, noted lawyer, politician and member of the Senate of Pakistan. He has served as a judge of the high court and as Pakistan’s minister for law and parliamentary affairs. He is chancellor of Hamdard University and Chairman of Human Rights Society of Pakistan. His efforts for recognition and promotion of human rights and fair practices have attained him acclaim and acknowledgment on national and international levels. In his capacity as an attorney, Mr. Zafar has been involved in some of the most important cases of country’s legal history. He is considered an authority on legal and constitutional issues and his opinions are quoted in national and international press. He is also the chairman of Cultural Association of Pakistan.

Prof. Muhammad Umar

Prof. Muhammad Umar graduated from King Edward Medical College Lahore in 1968. He completed his orthopaedic training at Albert Einstein College of medicine in New York. He received fellowship training in joint replacement surgery at Hospital for special surgery, University of Cornell, New York. He was appointed consultant at University of Rochester affiliated hospital in 1975. He established a four-man orthopaedic group practice as a senior partner. As a member of the clinical faculty at the University of Rochester, he took active part in undergraduate education and postgraduate orthopaedic training. 

In 1990 he came back to Pakistan and joined Aga Khan University Hospital (Karachi) as a full time academic faculty member. Here he pioneered the development of arthroscopic surgery and joint replacement work. He is the founding faculty member of orthopaedic residency training program at the Aga Khan University and its director from 1995-2000. he is also a founding member of Pakistan Society for surgery of the hand and has served as its general secretary and president from 1995 – 1998. 

 He also had the honor to serve as secretary general and president of Pakistan Orthopaedic Association from 1996 – 1999. Prof. Muhammad Umar M.D. is the founder and surgeon-in-chief of Institute of Orthopaedics and Surgery and head of orthopaedic service of South City Hospital. He is recognized for his expertise in total joint replacement and revision surgery.

Dr. Saadia Virk

Dr. Saadia Virk, CEO at South City Hospital Karachi is a graduate of Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore. After completing her postgraduate training at the Aga Khan University she went for further training to UK and obtained Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. In the UK she worked in institutions of excellence and obtained special training in general Gynaecology, Urogynaecolgoy, Oncology, Assisted Reproduction and high risk Obstetrics.

On return to Pakistan, with her leadership skills, she established departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Mid East Hospital and a centre of Assisted Reproduction at Australian Concept Infertility Centre in Karachi.

In 2008 she took the lead in establishing and inaugurating South City Hospital which is a state-of-the-art facility for surgical specialties. At present she is the Chief Executive Officer and the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of this Hospital.

Clinical work is her second area of excellence. Her expertise lies in management of high risk pregnancies, infertility, assisted reproduction, oncology and laparoscopic surgery including LAVH, ovarian cystectomies, myomectomies, ectopics and endometriosis. She is also well versed with conventional general gynaecology. In recognition of her clinical work and leadership skills she has recently been awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Under Dr. Saadia Virk’s supervision, South City Hospital is now an established and recognized centre for laparoscopic surgeries in gynaecology and general surgery.

Sara Taseer Shoaib

Sara Taseer Shoaib is a trained gemologist qualified from the Gemological Institute of America GIA. She graduated at the top of her class and completed the jewellery design segment of her training with outstanding honors. She is also a graduate from the London School of Economics and has a sound background in finance. She has worked internationally at Citibank, and ABN Amro Hong Kong. Sara has spent 10 years in the diamond industry in New York and Hong Kong and established a reputation for her design and flair. Her last exhibition in Hong Kong was at the renowned Harvey Nichols store.

Sara has opened her flag ship store in Lahore, in February 2009. Despite hailing from Pakistan’s premier business and political families, Sara has always charted her own course and become an internationally recognized name in elegant jewellery design. Sara has chosen to open in Pakistan, during one of the most trying periods in the history of Pakistan. This is a reflection of her ever strong love for her country and a belief in its viability and potential.

Sara manufactures in Hong Kong where she resides with her husband and three children. Her focus is keenly on quality. Unable to detach herself from her subcontinental roots, and a staunch patriot Sara is committed to the marriage of western modern straight line design with eastern color and motif. Sara produces pieces of insurmountable quality and presents them within the relevance of Pakistani culture. Sara shows through exhibitions in New York, Hong Kong, London, Singapore and Tokyo.

Sara is a true grass roots designer of our time and her passion and creativity brings a new standard of jewellery to Pakistan .

Jimmy Engineer

Jimmy Engineer was born in 1954 in Balochistan (Loralai), Pakistan. His Parsi family could not have known then that he would grow up to break all barriers of caste and creed and truly define multi-ethnicity through his art and altruism.

Jimmy completed his schooling from St. Anthony’s High school, Lahore, and after a brief interlude at the Forman Christian College, he spent the next three years at the National College of Arts (NCA), expanding his creative prowess. It was in 1976 that he turned into a professional painter but his achievements went much beyond his artist’s creativity when he discovered a deep love for all his fellow beings, specially for the downtrodden. His art pieces soon became expressions of truth and his images began to speak of his compassion for the people he saw.

Although an artist by profession, Jimmy Engineer’s life has revolved around supporting troubled individuals as well as social work institutions, though he himself prefers to remain undocumented and unsung. His artistic performance has been acclaimed internationally particularly his series on canvas which depicts the Muslim toil in the wake of Pakistan’s Independence in 1947. The minute details, the layered imagery and the fine lines illustrating the transition of humans into tragic victims equal the skill applied by the Great Masters. His works have never failed to captivate successive generations of art lovers in Pakistan and abroad. Jimmy’s speaking impressions which have the power to move young minds and imbue them with a renewed sense of dedication for the country, have been exhibited extensively in Pakistan as well as abroad. The fortu! ! nes that he has earned have been generously spent on charitable work, which is what gives him satisfaction and he is content in leading a simple life.

A peace-loving man, he is widely known as Pakistan’s indefatigable crusader for the oppressed, disabled, mentally handicapped, impoverished and generally for all who need him as he has the ability to communicate with people from all walks of life. Jimmy’s many ‘walk-a-cause’ have earned him a special standing amongst Pakistan’s philanthropists as he has undertaken long, arduous journeys on foot to create awareness for many human rights issues.

As for his paintings, he has mastered many mediums and from realism (landscape, still life, abstract et all) to calligraphy, in water, oil, pastels etc, be it on canvas, wood or ceramics, he has explored and introduced numerous textures in his works and the amazing versatility is more than evident in his creations. His collection also includes miniatures and self-portraits, many of which are in private collections in Italy, France, Switzerland, Russia, India, China, England, USA in fact almost in every part of the world, validating his status as an International artist. But for Jimmy Engineer, Pakistan is the only identity he wishes for as he continues to work towards merging all cultures for the common good of his soil. Though he already has over 2000 paintings and more than 1000 calligraphies to his name besides the 20,000 or so prints in! ! private collection, selling his work is not why he paints. Like his art he simply aspires to spread his love for people wherever he goes and is ceaselessly pursuing the course of charity as his heart is sold to humanity for the rest of his life

Prof Anna Molka Ahmed

Prof Anna Molka Ahmed (1917 - 1994) was a famous Pakistani artist and pioneer of fine arts in the newly born Pakistan in 1947. She was a professor of fine arts at the University of the Punjab in Lahore. She was among the pioneers of women artists in Pakistan and had been a long-time director and moving spirit behind the Fine Arts Department of the Punjab University, Lahore - the first institution that was opened to the women artists in Pakistan. "In fact she has been the facilitator of a movement that made the proactive role of women artists a possibility". writes Nilofur Farrukh (president of International Art Critics Association, Pakistan Section). It is because of trendsetters like her that the feminist art in Pakistan is gaining strength away from traditional gender discriminatory dominance. In fact these days we are witnessing a gradual dismantling of social and gender classifications. Well this has not been easy, since a lot of women had to struggle hard to bring women atop many a prestigious positions - above men, Ana Molka Ahmed is one such women. She started evening art classes at Lahore Arts Council (Alhamra) and later in a village near Lahore. Her untiring efforts gradually upgraded art education beyond B.A to M.A. in fine art at the Punjab University. She was Head of fine art department from 1940-1978. Her contribution to art education and its promotion heas been most influential. Her paintings and sculpture are found in many public and private collections in Pakistan and abroad.

She was born to Jewish parents, in London, UK in 1917. Her mother was Polish and father was a Russian. She studied painting, sculpture and design at St. Martin School of Arts, London. She converted to Islam at the age of 18 in 1935, before marrying Sheikh Ahmed, a would be Pakistani in October 1939. The couple moved to the Indian subcontinent in 1940-41 and settled in Lahore. Although, her marriage was over in 1951, but yet she lived in Pakistan with her two daughters. She was awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, for her services in the field of fine arts education in the country. Professor Emeritus Anna Molka Ahmed set up a department, which has now become a center of excellence for Fine Arts in Pakistan. At the time of independence, there were only five or six Muslim students in the art department, and Anna Molka Ahmed went from one college to another seeking students for the arts department and thus was able to introduce art courses in the Punjab University. Her students became famous artists in the country and many of them are playing their role globally.

Beside painting, she was an avid gardener. She would wear her trade mark while tending the garden, cutting hedges in new and artistic pattern, and went on painting and gardening till the very last time until she was ordered by the doctors to stop because it was straining her health badly. Anna Molka also took to writing poetry in later part of her life. She breathed her last in 1994.