In recognition of meritorious services rendered in the field of science and technology, and on the recommendations of the ministry of science & technology, President Islamic Republic of Pakistan decorated two scientists with prestigious civil awards “presidential award for technology” Whereas three others were awarded presidential award “Izaz-e-Fazeelat” on the recommendations of the ministry of education. Federal Minister for Science & Technology Azam Khan Sawati awarded Dr. M Sarwar Khan of Plant Molecular Biology, Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), and Prof. Dr. M. Zafar Iqbal Randhawa of Parasitology department and Executive Director Endowment Fund Secretariat with civil award “presidential award for technology” in a ceremony held at Islamabad. Prof. Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad Khan Dean Agriculture, Dr. M. Mumtaz Khan of Inst. of Horticultural Sciences, and Dr. Mehr-un-Nisa were honoured with presidential award “Izaz-e-Fazeelat” by federal minister for education Mir Hazar Khan Bajarani in a ceremony held at Quaid-e-Azam Library, Islamabad.



Prof. Dr. M. Sarwar Khan has a number of scientific achievements and publications in the highly impact factored international journals including Nature and Nature Biotechnology. This has indeed earned a good name to the University. Dr. Khan is pioneer to have established an internationally recognized research group developing biosafe transgenic plants at NIBGE and is developing the same at CABB. His research interests include; chloroplast biotechnology and expression of genes conferring economic traits related to agriculture and health sectors.

Dr. Iqbal is well recognized among national and international scientific arena in the field of Veterinary Parasitology. He has produced 07 PhDs as major supervisor, and 07 as co-supervisor. The total number of M.Sc.(Hons) produced by him is 25 as major supervisor, and 38 as co-supervisor. He has published 53 research papers with a total impact factor of > 70, and 80 papers in the local journals. Dr. Randhawa was ranked as an excellent researcher by the President of The Ohio State University based on his research out put in one year post-doctoral fellowship. He was awarded scientist of the year award and Professor A.R. Shakoori Gold Medal during 2004 by the Zoological Society of Pakistan. Dr. Iqbal was declared as the Best University Teacher 2007 by the Higher Education Commission, Islamabad-Pakistan.. Other than Pakistan, his research was accepted for presentation in USA, China, Korea, Malaysia, Argentina, India, Australia, Cuba, Senegal and Vietnam. Dr. Iqbal has authored 04 books and 03 manuals and has contributed three chapters to the books published by the Taylor and Francis (New York, USA), Studium Press (Houston, USA) and Signpost, Trivandrum (Kerala, India). One of the excellent academic and research contributions of Dr. Iqbal is regular publication of the International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, which was founded and headed by him as editor-in-chief from 1999 to 2006.

Dr. Iftkhar Ahmad Khan Dean Faculty of Agriculture who is already a recipient of presidential award “Tamgha-e-Imtiaz” earlier has now been awarded “Izaz-e-Fazeelat” by ministry of education. Dr. Khan who has served as Director CABB for many years is now holding the office of Principal Officer (Students’ Affairs). During thirty six years teaching and research he produced 13 PhDs and 90 students with M.Sc. (Hons.) as their major supervisor; produced 10 Ph.Ds and 120 post-graduate students as member of their supervisory committee; at present guiding 3 Ph.D. and 2 MSc leading to PhD students as their major supervisor. Recognized/identified as supervisor for Ph.D. students in PBG by PCST, Member S & T, HEC Pakistan and SALU, Khairpur, Sindh.

Dr. Muhammad Mumtaz Khan, a Professor of Horticulture, has undertaken several academic assignments at 4 universities including two international universities (University of Sheffield UK, and Sultan Qaboos University Sultanate of Oman). He produced 16 MSc and 4 PhD scholars as major supervisor and also served largely as thesis dissertation committee member of different department. He has established Citrus Nursery Sanitation Laboratory ever first in the country at Inst. of Horticultural Sciences UAF. Dr. Mumtaz has developed certified citrus trees to provide basis for high quality virus free citrus plants of the stakeholders. He has the honour to act as research coordinator for Australian (ASLP) citrus project at Faisalabad campus. Dr. Mumtaz Khan published two books entitled “Citrus Nursery Raising: Principles and Practices, and “Citrus Gene Pool of Pakistan”.

Dr. Mahr-un-Nisa of Institute of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology completed her PhD degree in 2002 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sarwar, founder director of the Institute. Higher Education Commission approved her name as HEC PhD supervisor. She has produced three PhDs, 07 MScs as major supervisor and nine PhDs, 13 MScs as member supervisory committee. At present three PhD and 06 MSc students are pursing their PhD and MSc under her direct guidance and she is a member supervisory committee of three PhD and four MSc students. With more than 45 impact factor and 56 international, 30 national research papers, 52 proceedings (national and international), she wrote 2 books and 2 monograph. From 2003 to onward she is regularly winning research productivity allowance by Pakistan Council for Science and Technology, Islamabad.