National Academy of Young Scientists Pakistan

Newsletter December 2010

Promoting Science

1
www.nays.com.pk
Contents
Editorial…………………………..……..02
Patron Message……………………......03
Stem Cell Research..………………….04
Hepatitis C and Pak….……………..…06
Biography of a Scientist…………….…09
Campus Corner………………………...10
Nayya Chirag Report…………………..12
Nazaria-e-Pakistan trust………………15
News Corner…………………………....16
Top Universities of Pak………………..17
Editorial
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God
who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect
has intended us to forgo their use." (Galileo Galilei)
Indeed Allah has given us all these powers and
strength to explore the nature and NAYS has come
up with the idea of gathering these efforts of
exploration and make it possible to be spread to as
many Young Scientists as possible. Hope this will be
a stepping stone for the new explorers. May Allah
help us to understand His Handiwork.

Muhammad Ilyas
Editorial Board

Editor in Chief Mr. Muhammad Ilyas

Sub Editor Ms. Aneela Yasmeen
Sub Editor Mr. Ghulam Ali
Biological Sci. Ms. Abida Shehzadi
Biomed. Sci. Dr.Farooq Azam Rathore
Chemistry Dr. Ejaz Ahmed
Comp. Sci Mr. Mubashir Hussain
Eng. Sciences Mr. Mubeen Shahid
Physics Mr. Mudassar Mumtaz

Leadership
Patron Prof. Dr. Anwar Nasim
President Mr. Aftab Ahmad Chatha
Vice President Dr. S. M. Shahid

Coordinators

Chief Co. Mr. Zaighum Abbas

Biological Sci. Muhammad Sajjad
Biomed. Sci. Dr Aftab Iqbal
Chemistry Dr. M. Najam-ul-Haq
Comp. Sci. Dr. Abdus Saboor
Physics Mr. Muhammad Hanif
Eng. Sciences Mr. Yawar Abbas Khan

Submit your articles National Academy of

Editor Mr. Muhammad Ilyas Youth Scientists
Email editor@nays.com.pk www.nays.com.pk 2
 Patron Message

I earnestly hope that NAYS will concentrate

on one promising approach which focuses
on the active involvement and participation
of younger generation in strengthening
science and technology in Pakistan. This
involvement is a time tested concept and
has shown tangible results. Currently in
Pakistan 63% of the present generation is
below the age of 25 years. This is an
enormous resource with unlimited potential
waiting to be explored.

I have always been convinced that young

scientists who are invaluable intellectual
resource can play a pivotal role in
developing future strategies for using
science and technology for socio-economic
uplift. At this stage this is important for all of
you to discuss and debate that the
(Prof. Dr. Anwar Nasim) individuals who are leading this organization
will develop well defined goals, and strive to
accomplish them.
The setting up of National Academy of
Young Scientists (NAYS) is a very timely
I am a very strong believer in the role of
and important initiative. The fact that youth
individuals in building a society. For such
plays a crucial role in building the future of
individuals I have coined the concept of
any nation has long been recognised and
non-government individuals (NGIs). The
documented. The real wealth of any nation
concept has been given wide publicity both
is not natural resources but the intellectual
in print and electronic media. I would
capabilities, commitment, honesty and
encourage your members to explore the
integrity of its youth.
concept further by going to my website
www.anwarnasim.com which has a link to
Youth participation has been used by
NGI.
government agencies, researchers,
educators, and policy makers to define and
I will always be wiling and happy to do
examine the active engagement of young
whatever I can to strengthen NAYS.
people in schools, sports, government,
Wish you all success in your future
community development and economic
endeavours
activity.

In some earlier documents meaningful

youth participation has been recognised as
nurturing the strengths, interests, and Dr. Anwar Nasim
abilities of young people through the Adviser Science
provision of real opportunities for youth to
become involved in decisions that affect
them at individual and systemic levels.

3

Stem Cell Research in Pakistan; Present
and Future
Asmat Salim, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor)
Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and
Drug Research, International Center for
Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of
Karachi. Email: salimasmat@yahoo.com
Overview
Stem cells are capable of developing into
different cell types of the body. They serve
as a repair system for the tissues and help
to replenish the dead or injured cells by
means of its ability to divide into another
stem cell or specialized type of cell, such as
a red blood cell, neuronal cell, a muscle cell
etc.
Stem cells are different from other cells in
that they are unspecialized cells, have the
ability to renew themselves for long periods
through cell division, and they can be
induced to become specialized cells under
certain physiological conditions. These
properties make them an interesting source
for use in cell-based therapies, screening
new drugs and toxins and understanding
mechanism of development.
Stem cell research mainly involves two
kinds of stem cells: embryonic and adult
stem cells, which have different
characteristics and functions. Embryonic
stem cells are derived from embryos that
are typically 4-5 days old having a hollow
microscopic ball of cells called the
blastocyst. Embryonic stem cells are
pluripotent i.e. they can become all cell
types of the body. An adult stem cell is an
undifferentiated cell present within the
differentiated cells in a tissue. They can
differentiate to yield the major specialized
cell types of the tissue. Their primary role is
to maintain and repair the tissue of their
origin.
Biology Corner
Stem Cell Research in Pakistan
Stem cell research in Pakistan primarily
focuses on exploring the reparative
capabilities of adult stem cells. These stem
cells isolated mainly from rodents have
been used to analyze their potential to
repair injured cells e.g. cardiac muscle cells,
endothelial cells, pancreatic cells, renal
epithelial cells etc. Following is the outline of
the ongoing research in the area of stem
cell regeneration in Pakistan.
Cardiovascular Research
Research related to cardiac cell
regeneration using adult stem cells was
initiated at the Center of Excellence in
Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of
Punjab, Lahore followed by Dr. Panjwani
Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug
Research (PCMD), University of Karachi,
Karachi and King Edward Medical College,
Lahore.
CEMB researchers have demonstrated that
the mice stem cells grown in the presence
of various cytokines can be a promising
treatment for myocardial infarction (1). In a
study conducted on C57BL/6 mice, they
also observed that repair potential of
mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is
dependent on the age of donors and the
repair of senescent infarcted myocardium
requires young healthy MSCs (2). In a
recent study they reported that bone
marrow derived MSCs possess mutilineage
differentiation potential and can be used for
the treatment of diabetic heart failure.
However, hyperglycemia can affect the
function of MSCs adversely (3). In this study
they used MSCs from C57BL/6 wild type
mice 60 days after induction of diabetes by
streptozotocin. MSCs were then
preconditioned with IGF-1 and FGF-2
followed by hypoxic and high glucose insults
to mimic diabetic heart microenvironment.
They hypothesized that preconditioning
represents a novel strategy to augment
MSC function affected by diabetes and
4

therefore holds promise as a future strategy
to treat diabetic heart failure.
At PCMD, the stem cell study is mainly
related to the mechanism of differentiation
of bone marrow derived stem cells into
cardiac micro-environment. The in vitro
analysis includes studies related to fusion of
different cell types in culture and analysis of
the fused cells by identification of surface
markers they express (4) Different projects
currently going on at PCMD include the
study of differentiation potential of various
populations of rat bone marrow stem stem
cells into cardiomyocytes and endothelial
cells, exploring the role of cytokines and
growth factors in the stimulation of stem
cells for the regeneration of injured cardiac
tissue, study of the effect of free radicals
and antioxidants in young and aging bone
marrow mesenchymal stem cells and role of
GTPases in the differentiation process of
bone marrow stem cells to cardiac cells.
At King Edward Medical College, Lahore, a
project on development of stem cell therapy
for patients suffering from heart diseases in
Pakistan has been currently under progress.
Renal Tissue Regeneration
Recently a couple of projects have been
initiated at PCMD related to the
regeneration of renal tissue following acute
kidney injury in rats. Normal and modified
bone marrow stem cells will be used to
regenerate the injured renal tissue and
comparison will be made in terms of
restoration of tissue function.
Pancreatic β-cell Regeneration
Another project has recently been started at
PCMD related to the pancreatic β-cell
regeneration following STZ induced
diabetes in mice. Mesenchymal stem cells
transduced with various transcription factors
are being used to regenerate the injured β-
cells.
Biology Corner
Stem Cells in Clinical Practice
In Pakistan, peripheral stem cell
transplantation is being practiced by Dr
Tahir Shamsi and his team at the National
Institute of Blood Diseases and Bone
Marrow Transplantation, Karachi. Bone
marrow / peripheral stem cell
transplantation is recommended for those
hematological and some non hematological
disorders which are otherwise life
threatening like beta Thalassemia Major,
Aplastic Anemia, Acute and Chronic
Leukemia, Lymphoma, Breast Cancers etc.
Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation was
started at Bismillah Taqee Institute of Health
Sciences and Blood Diseases Centre,
Karachi in 1999. According to a review
published in 2008 over 350 allogeneic stem
cell transplants have been carried out in
these two centers till then. Cell
transplantation also started at the Aga Khan
Hospital in 2004. The early results were
promising, with transplant-related mortality
reported to be 10–20% (5-6).
Stem Cell Bank
Cryo Cell Pakistan is Pakistan's first private
stem cell bank bringing the revolutionary
concept of umbilical cord stem cell banking
to Pakistan (7). The company has a
technological collaboration and exclusive
license agreement with Cryo-Cell
International Inc, the US first and largest
stem cell bank. This technological
partnership ensures that stem cells are
collected, processed and preserved using
international quality standards to meet
future requirements.
Outlook and Future Prospects
Stem cells are currently being explored as a
better therapeutic option as these cells have
the potential to replace the injured tissues.
In Pakistan, a few research centers have
started basic research in this field
particularly analyzing the molecular aspects
of differentiation mechanism. More research
is required in order to understand these
mechanisms which will lead to a better trans
5

differentiation potential of these cells, hence
an optimistic therapeutic approach.
The cell transplant program in Pakistan is
not very old. The success rate with no or
very few complications has yet to be
achieved. There is a need of more basic
sciences research regarding the choice of
the cells, routes of entry etc. in order to
reduce the complications and mortality rate.
Financial constraints, poor socioeconomic
status and lack of human resources are
major hurdles in this respect. Strengthening
of existing facilities and development of
more centers are indeed required to
improve the current knowledge in this new
and exciting field of research.
References
1. Khan M., Akhtar S., Mohsin S., Khan
SN., and Riazuddin S. Growth factor
preconditioning increases the function of
diabetes-impaired mesenchymal stem
cells. Stem Cells Dev. in press (2010).
2. Khan M., Mohsin S., Khan S.N., and
Riazuddin S. Repair of senescent
myocardium by mesenchymal stem cells
is dependent on the age of donor mice.
J. Cell. Mol. Med. In press (2009).
3. Khan M., Manzoor S., Mohsin S., Khan
S.N., and Ahmad F.J. IGF-1 and G-CSF
complement each other in BMSC
migration towards infarcted myocardium
in a novel in vitro model. Cell Biol. Int.,
33 650-7 (2009).
4. Haneef, K., Naeem, N., Iqbal H., Jamall,
S., Kabir, N. and Salim, A. Gene
expression pattern in rat bone marrow
mesenchymal stem cells in response to
hypoxia. Pak. J. Biochem. Mol. Biol. 43,
90-93 (2010).
5. Shamsi T. S., Hashmi K., Adil S.,
Ahmad P., Irfan M., Raza S., Masood
N., Shaikh U., Satti T., Farzana T., and
Biology Corner
Ansari S. The stem cell transplant
program in Pakistan-the first decade.
Bone Marrow Transplantation 42, S114–
7 (2008).
6. Ullah K., Ahmed P., Raza S., Satti T.,
Nisa Q., Mirza S., Akhtar F., Kamal
M.K., and Akhtar F.M. Allogeneic Stem
Cell Transplantation in Hematological
Disorders: Single Center Experience
From Pakistan. Transplantation
Proceedings 39, 3347–57 (2007).
7. http://www.cryocell.com.pk/index.htm
Hepatitis-C and Pakistan: A Molecular
Epidemiology
1 2
Waseem Safdar , Hamid Majeed
1. Research Officer, Pharmacology and
Biochemistry,Clinical Health Sciences Shifa
College of Medicine Islamabad, Pakistan
Email: waseem.safdar@yahoo.com
2. Research Associate, Molecular Diagnostic
and Research Laboratory, Nuclear Oncology
and radiotherapy institute, Islamabad, Pakistan
One of the most actively mutating viruses
that have affected the lives of millions of
people globally is hepatitis C virus (HCV),
causing not only affected individuals to
suffer irritably but also the investment of
trillions of rupees for the treatment at
government and public level. After the tiring
and exhaustive work on HCV since its
discovery, it has become a challenge for the
scientists. Viral epidemiology and its
genotyping are two major fields to
determine the natural history of the virus,
modes of spread of disease and treatment
responses in patients. Besides viral
phylogenetic studies are equally good tools
to determine the network of disease spread
in the form of an epidemic, and to explore
the disease endemicity etc.
Epidemiological data collected from 2000
patients (later, a total of 1875, 613 males
6

and 1262 females, were selected on the
basis of scarcity of required information),
enlightened that most of the studied
participants were chronic HCV carriers
(93%) because the disease remains
asymptomatic till it becomes chronic. The
disease was more pronounced in people of
low socioeconomic status and in people
with no formal education; in fact it affected
the individuals from all professions.
Therefore the need of time is to educate the
people of low socioeconomic status with
reference to its modes of spread and
consequences. It is advisable that screening
of the blood after every six months should
be a routine practice in the country. It was
observed that most affected people were
married (84%); therefore a blood screening
test of the individuals should be performed
before marriage. Bounteous age group
affected was 40-49 years and most ambient
reason for this might be the time before
1990s when there was no blood screening
facility available and majority of the people
had acquired disease at that time are now in
ages between 30-50 years. Overall results
of gender and marital status associated
mode of HCV transmission were statistically
non-significant and showed no association
between risk factors and any specific age
group.
Prevalent reported risk factors were
therapeutic injections, blood transfusions,
surgeries and dental procedures, were
equally prompt in patients suffering from
different genotypes. Therefore, it is strongly
recommended that screening of blood,
proper sterilization of the equipments and
surgical tools, and safe injection practices
should be followed to avoid the further
spread of disease. Subtype 1b was
significantly associated with the combination
of multiple risk factors i.e. blood transfusion
and dental procedures, while genotype 3b
was significantly related to multiple risk
factor, of surgery and dental procedures, on
the other hand the remaining genotypes
were equally involved in all reported risk
Biology Corner
factors. From analysis of HCV samples, it
was found that 60.5% of the samples were
the representatives of genotype 3 (76.6%
samples were genotype 3a and 23.4% were
found to be genotype 3b), whereas
genotype 1 was 22.5% (57.14% were sub
typed to be genotype 1a and 42.86% were
sub typed as 1b). Only 2.75% samples were
the genotype 4 and 14.13% samples were
untypable. In earlier reports genotype 1 was
not much prevalent. This changing rate of
genotype prevalence is alarming, probably
an indication of expected genetic drift from
genotype 3 to 1.
The multiplicity of the risk factors presented
some important off shooting with respect to
disease surveillance. Many of the disease
examination networks employ a scaling
algorithm to determine the routs for HCV
acquisition when multiple risk factors are
present in an individual. Therefore, health
policy formulators should consider the
changing tendency in genotype distribution
for next 10-20 years health policy designing.
Blast analysis resolved 24.56% genotype 3
descendents, 5.263% and 21.05% subtype
1a and 1b respectively, 14% diversified
genotype 4, 3.5% subtype 2k, 1.75% each
of 1d and 6v and 19.29% were unresolved
novel variants belonging to some common
genotype/subtype because they branched
them as sister subgroups of the single
cluster. While 8.77% of the samples
mounted no significant similarities with the
existing variants of HCV and full genome
sequencing will be the only tool for their
further resolution and classification. The
emergence of unique subtypes 1d, 2k and
6v had raised many questions with
reference to their distribution in Pakistani
population, their treatment responses and
their comprehensive epidemiology. It is
therefore advisable to further explore these
new emergent and to design the treatment
plans accordingly. Future research in the
field of HCV infection will need to be
continued, to evaluate the incidence of virus
in developing and under developed
7

countries, as well as the transmissibility of
the various genotypes. Awareness of better
prevention, screening and treatment
methods of HCV infection need to be
promoted. Phylogenetic analysis was also
performed to root out the evolution network
of HCV variants and the degree of
association among them. Further,
comparative analyses were performed for
studied sequences with neighboring
countries and with the representatives’
sequences from all over world. The analysis
unveiled that studied samples assorted
them independently during the course of
evolution, though they had evolved from
some common ancestor. Moreover the
history of endemicity of HCV in Pakistan is
quite ancient and viral dispersal in
subcontinent seems to be associated with
Pakistan.
2004. Health Care Waste Management.
WHO. 24(4): 347-352.
Mr. Muhammad Zahir Iqbal
Lecturer in Department of Physics
Govt College University Lahore
E.mail: zahir@fa.upc.edu
Selected as Uni-Coordinator for GCU,
Lahore, Pakistan.
Mr. Hussain Ali
MSc (Hons) Agriculture Entomology
E.mail: hussaintanha@yahoo.com
Selected as Uni-Coordinator for KPK
Agriculture University Peshawar
Miss Maha Nadeem Akhtar and
Mr. Bilal Zulfiqar have been selected as
Sub-Editor NAYS E Bulletin
Biology Corner
INSTRUCTION TO AUTHORS
 Article should be sent directly to relevant
science editor by e.mail (See NAYS body
for the relevant editor)
 Article should be original writing and it
should not be submitted elsewhere for
publication.
 An electronic article including illustrations
should be provided with 1.5 spacing and
2.5cm margins.
 Kindly write your email address too with
your name and institute below the title
 Figure or table should be added to
represent large data and results should not
be duplicated (either figure or table). Figure
and table will be with Roman Numeral with
short title (table) and short description
(figure)
 The references must be provided with the
artilce
 The quality of photographs, images and
figures should be good.
 The acceptance or rejection of the article to
publish in e.newsletter will be done by
editorial board.
8

PROF. ATTA-UR-RAHMAN, FRS
Prof. Atta-ur-Rahman obtained his Ph.D. in
organic chemistry from Cambridge
University (1968). He has over 830
publications in leading international journals
in several fields of organic chemistry
including 654 research publications, 18
patents, 99 books and 59 chapters in books
published by major U.S. and European
presses. Seventy two students have
completed their Ph.D. degrees under his
supervision.
Prof. Rahman is the first scientist from the
Muslim world to have won the prestigious
UNESCO Science Prize (1999) in the 35
year old history of the Prize. He was elected
as Fellow of Royal Society (London) in July
2006 thereby becoming the one of the 4
scientists from the Muslim world to have
ever won this honour conferred by the
prestigious 360 year old scientific Society.
He has been conferred honorary doctorate
degrees by many universities including the
degree of Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) by the
Cambridge University (UK) (1987) and an
Honorary degree of Doctor of Education by
Coventry University UK in November 2007.
He was elected Honorary Life Fellow of
Kings College, Cambridge University, UK in
2007. Prof. Atta-ur-Rahman was conferred
the TWAS Prize for Institution Building in
Durban, South Africa in October 2009 in
recognition of his contributions for bringing
about revolutionary changes in the higher
education sector in Pakistan . He has been
conferred the honorary Degree of Doctor of
Science by the University of Bradford in
September 2010.
He is President of Network of Academies of
Sciences of Islamic Countries (NASIC)
and the Vice-President (Central & South
Asia) of the Academy of Sciences for the
Developing World (TWAS) Council, and
Foreign Fellow of Korean Academy of
Sciences. Prof. Atta-ur-Rahman was the
Biography Corner
President of the Pakistan Academy of
Sciences (2003-2006). Prof. Atta-ur-
Rahman was the Federal Minister for
Science and Technology (14th March, 2000
– 20th November, 2002), Federal Minister of
Education (2002) and Chairman of the
Higher Education Commission with the
status of a Federal Minister from 2002-
2008.
The Government of Pakistan has conferred
four civil awards, including Tamgha-i-Imtiaz
(1983), Sitara-i-Imtiaz (1991), Hilal-i-Imtiaz
(1998), and the highest national civil award
Nishan-i-Imtiaz (2002), on him. The Austrian
government also honoured him with its
highest civil award (Grosse Goldene
Ehrenzeischen am Bande" (2007) in
recognition of his eminent contributions.
Prof. Atta-ur-Rahman is presently the
Coordinator General of COMSTECH, an
OIC Ministerial Committee comprising the
57 Ministers of Science & Technology from
57 OIC member countries. He is also the
Patron of International Centre of Chemical
and Biological Sciences (which comprises a
number of institutes, including the Husein
Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of
Chemistry and the Dr. Panjwani Center of
Molecular Medicine and Drug Development)
at Karachi University.
9

Department of Biotechnology & biotechnology and bioinformatics.
Informatics, Balochistan University of
Information Technology, Engineering
and Management Sciences
Vision
To share the global community integrating
the life sciences with technology of other
sciences for betterment of life.
Mission
Biotechnical approaches in microbial, plant
and animal sciences are the hope for
human kind in the 21 century. With the help
of Bioinformatics, Biotechnology
researchers are vigorously exploring the
boundaries of science to benefit mankind by
finding remedies for diseases, increasing
the food production and protecting the
ecology and environment.
Our mission is to produce well-trained
young scientists with theoretical knowledge,
technical skills, and experience for
understanding developments in the rapidly
evolving field of Biotechnology and
Informatics.
Objectives
 Study of cellular, molecular and
chemical mechanisms of life.
 Learning the unanimity of diversified life
at chemical, molecular and cellular
levels and understanding the
mechanisms contributing in diversity in
structures and functions in organisms.
 Application of the acquired knowledge of
technological procedures in agriculture,
health, industry & environment.
 Skills in understanding, sorting and
identifying the massive chemical and
molecular information of living
organisms obtained thorough
researches.
 Understanding the concepts in use of
bioinformatics for biotechnological
procedures i n agriculture, health,
industry and environment.
 Know how of use of global network of
Campus Corner
 To adapt multidisciplinary approach as
to equip the students with
multidisciplinary career opportunities.
Programs Offered by Department
 Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology &
Informatics (BS)
 Master of Science in Biotechnology &
Informatics (MS)
 Doctor of Philosophy Biotechnology &
Informatics. (PhD)
Laboratory for Molecular Biology and
Human genetics
Laboratory for Molecular Biology and
Human genetics was established in June
2006 by Dr. Jamil Ahmad. The laboratory
has the facility for the research groups to
conduct the research on Molecular Bases of
different Genetic diseases prevalent in the
region and Molecular diagnosis of infectious
diseases such as HBV (Hepatitis B Virus),
HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) and Tuberculosis
patients through PCR. Equipment used by
Laboratory f or Molecular Biology and
Human Genetics includes:-
*Thermal Cycler from BIO-RAD (for
multifold amplification of desired segment of
genome).
* Electrophoresis system from SCIE PLAS
and Consort
* U.V. Transilluminator from UVP, UK (for
visualizing ethidim bromide stained bands in
agarose gel).
* Ultra-pure system water purification
10

system by LAB-TECH.
* Micro centrifuge from Micro, Hettich,
Germany.
Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory
The tissue culture laboratory was
established in 2005 to use clean
propagation technology utilizing plant
growth regulators to develop and optimize
protocols for the large scale production of
economically important plants. A large
number of Orchids, Pine apple, Ixora and
banana were produced successfully through
tissue culture technique using different
media and were distributed further. They
grew fast and well during last two years.
More emphasis was given on pine apple
and banana as they have a high economic
value and have become the most important
plants industry in the world. More than 250
different varieties of rare, endangered,
medicinal, ornamental, drought resistant,
unique herbs, shrubs and tree s were grown
in covered area at Chiltan campus BUITMS,
for the purpose of conservation, education
and sustainable use.
Health Biotechnology Laboratory
The laboratory has the facility for the
research groups to conduct the research in
life style related health profile in various
ethnic groups in Balochistan and also to
investigate specific biochemical parameters
for their adaptations at higher altitude region
of Balochistan.
Natural Product Laboratory
The main objective of the lab is to explore
natural products in every respect. The work
is based upon the combined approaches of
both development and exploration of
medicinal plants and other natural products
which can be utilized in future to pursue a
new line of investigation. The main focus of
investigation being in the domain of natural
product research, specifically herbal
medicine and allied approaches relating to
their quality, safety, efficacy and
conservation, by cultivation and dry
Campus Corner
medicinal plant herbarium development.
Vouchers and all other selected medicinal
plants from different localities of Balochistan
province are collected and mounted for dry
herbarium using herbarium techniques.
These materials are identified and kept in
the medicinal plant herbariums which are
valuable sources of information. Herbaria
are also important resources as DNA banks
of innumerable species used in evolutionary
studies. Therefore, medicinal plants are
correctly collected and stored to be usable
for DNA analysis in future.
Plant Regeneration Laboratory
A climatically controlled facility for the
studies in regeneration of economically and
environmentally medicinally importance
plants is being established in this laboratory,
those include important plants like juniper
and pine species.
Computer Laboratories
Two sate of art computer laboratories are
equipped with more than twenty five
computers each to teach the courses of
computer sciences and bioinformatics. The
researchers can access to on line library of
Higher Education Commission from here.
The courses of object oriented programming
and data bases are also taught in the
laboratories. International online data bases
like FASTA, BLAST, PDB and EMBOSS
can be accessed for their research work.
Undergraduate Laboratory
The general labs are equipped with basic
facility to conduct the practical of
biochemistry, cell biology and microbiology.
Cell Culture and Fermentation
Laboratory
An advanced fermentor is installed for the
fermentation studies related to
biotechnological aspects are being
established in the laboratory
11
 Naeay Charagh

Theoretical and Practical Course (4 weeks)

DR. Abdul Qayyum Rao including Plant cell and tissue culture,
Genetic engineering, Natural Products-
As arrow of time moves, the Will of God isolation and investigation, Phyto-
prevails and is focused on the emergence of pathology, Modern methods in plant
humans endowed with exceptional breeding, Module 2: Plant Biotechnology
intellectual capabilities and creative abilities. and Biosafety (5 weeks) including Current
Such are the men who, by their good deeds, topics in biotechnology, Safety research and
fulfill the edict of God, as revealed in the liability issues, coexistence, International
Holy Qurran: treaties and organizations (e.g. Cartagena
Protocol, WTO), Political and Economic
"I have created man in the best of forms." aspects of plant biotechnology, Legal
(Al Qurran; Surah 95; Ayah 04). aspects and intellectual property, Project
Management and Financial source in
By their deeds and actions such persons, international research, Science
though not prophets, demonstrate that they communication and Marketing of the results,
are an extension of the will of the Module 3: Planning and Change
transcendental. These are the people, who Management (4 Weeks) including Team
are destined to make history in the elevation Development and Team Work, Channels of
of nations. Such is the personality of Dr. Learning, Meeting Management,
Abdul Qayyum Rao, who was born in Presentation and Visualization, Time
Multan, a city of Pakistan on February 18, Management, Harvard Negotiation
1977. As the time has unfolded itself, the Technique, Planning Procedures, Module 4:
Godly qualities enshrined in the words International Management Competence (4
"Qayyum" symbolized in the names of Dr. weeks) including introduction to SWOT
Abdul Qayyum Rao have raised the analysis (strength, weakness, opportunities,
Pakistani nation to new heights in high threats), Introduction to institutional
technology. analysis, Design and implementation of
change projects, Human resource
After receiving his early education in small management: Balanced scorecard,
village of Multan in Pakistan, Dr. Abdul Monitoring and evaluation, Important
Qayyum Rao obtained the degree of elements to consider for project proposals,
Bachelor of Science in 1998 from Elaboration of an action plan, Module 5:
Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Characterization of plant virus protein in
Pakistan. This was the beginning of the plant virus interaction Characterization of
unfolding of his intellectual power. He Johanesgrass chloric stripe mosaic virus
obtained the degree of Master of Science p15 protein.
(Botany) in 2000 from Bahauddin Zakariya
University Multan, Pakistan, Masters of
Philosphy in Molecular Biology degree in
2002 from University of the Punjab,
Pakistan and Doctor of Philosphy in
Molecular Biology Degree in 2009 from the
University of the Punjab, Pakistan. The
restless soul of Dr. Rao took him to several
laboratories and he got specific training in
Plant on Module 1: Getting an overview on
state-of-art methods and techniques used in
biotechnology and genetic engineering-

12

It was the essence of his being sharpened
by high scholastic achievements in Plant
Biotechnology and Biosafety that his will
and essence at all times remained directed
towards the welfare of Pakistan.
In 2000, he joined the Molecular Biology
Research Laboratories in Pakistan and
worked on many projects including
Transformation of Bt (Cry1Ac and Cry2A
gene) in Cotton Varieties MK 786 & 185 as
a part of the Research officer job. The
project was done at CEMB, University of the
Punjab, under the supervision of Prof. Dr.
Tayyab Husnain in the division of Plant
Biotechnology. The overall objectives of the
project were: transformation of Cotton
Plants with Cry1Ac and Cry2A Gene,
expression of Cry1Ac and Cry2A gene in E.
coli, Molecular analysis of Cry1Ac and
Cry2A transformed plants, event
identification of Cry1Ac transformed plants,
insect bioassay of Cry1Ac and Cry2A
transformed plants, yield analysis and field
evaluation; He also worked on regeneration
studies of different local and wild relatives of
cotton as a part of the research officer job.
The objectives of this project were: selection
of different local varieties on the basis of
shoot tip regeneration and germination
percentage, tissue culture of local and wild
cotton varieties, use of transgenic callus for
gene expression and quantification of
protein in suspension culture, application of
different medias for cotton regeneration and
Naeay Charagh
use of tissue culture for production virus
free plants;
He continued his Scientific destiny and
worked on “Characterization of Johansgrash
chloric stripe mosaic virus P15 Protein” as a
part of one year training in DSMZ TU
Braunschweig, Germany with objectives:
evaluation of different viral suppressors for
their suppression qualities, to evaluate their
individual power to suppress silencing in a
quantitative approach, to investigate their
effect in plant virus mixed infections, to
localize the position of suppression in plant
tissues; He has completed his PhD with
sound Project “Expression of Phytochrome
B gene in Cotton” from CEMB university of
Punjab, under the supervision of Prof. Dr.
Tayyab Husnain. The overall objectives of
his PhD project were: transformation of
Cotton Plants with Phytochrome-B Gene,
expression of Phytochrome B gene in
E.Coli., molecular analysis of Phy B
transformed plants, morphological and
Physiological analysis of Phy B Plants,
location of transgene position by using
FISH, growth studies of Phy B transformed
plants, yield analysis and field evaluation;
Before this he has completed his M.Phil in
Project entitled “Transformation of cotton
variety CIM-497 with phytochrome B gene”
with objectives: selection of the best variety
of cotton for regeneration and gene
transformation, to show the different
embryogenic stages in wild variety of cotton,
transformation of Cotton Plants with
Phytochrome-B Gene, to Determine the
Integration and Expression of Transgene in
Cotton, to Show the multiple shoot
regeneration in BH -118; His masters
research mainly focuses on “Effect of saline
water on Soil characteristics and
physiological performance of Maize (Zea
13

mays L)” done at B.Z.U Multan, under the
supervision of prof. Dr. Altaf Ahmad Dasti in
the division of Applied Biology. Objectives of
this project were: to assess the effect of
various treatments of EC and SAR on
various physiological plant parameters, to
monitor the effect of various EC and SAR
levels on the uptake of Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+.,
K+ and chloride contents of leaves, to
assess the effect of brackish water irrigation
on EC, SAR and pH of soil and to study the
effect of poor quality water on fresh and dry
matter yield of maize crop.
Over the years, the laboratories became a
focal point for a large number of scientists,
engineers and technologists who seek
advice from Dr. Rao and receive proper
guidance to the tasks which have led to
unparallel advances in Plant science and
technology in Pakistan. This was done
under very challenging and difficult
circumstances. It was only his courage,
devotion, determination and persistence,
which earned success for him, his
colleagues and indeed for the nation.
The scientific contributions of Dr. A. Q. Rao
have been recognized in several ways. As
an active scientist and technologist, he has
published more than 15 scientific research
papers in international journals of high
repute. His academic and scholastic
activities have attracted the attention of
number of western countries and he was
offered scholarships to work in their
laboratories. His work on transformation of
Phytochrome B gene in cotton has resulted
in a breakthrough in the field of plant
biotechnology because phytochrome B,
transgenic plant, has three times more
photosynthetic rate as compared to normal.
There are numerous contributions of Dr.
Rao which have strengthened the cotton
crop efficiency in Pakistan. The list of his
contribution and achievement is far too long
Naeay Charagh
to be mentioned in this short citation. He is
a person imbued with the spirit of serving
the cause of Pakistan and Muslim Ummah
through his researches, high acumen,
intellectual robustness and unwavering
devotion. So numerous are his activities that
every segment of society has praised him in
different forms. He is a member of many
national and international educational
organizations. He got one year training on
Plant biotechnology and Biosafety in
Germany, two years work experience in
Plant Biotechnology Lab. for Regeneration
and Gene Transformation as a Research
Scholar at Center of excellence in Molecular
Biology Punjab University Lahore Pakistan
(1999 to 2001), work on Microbiological,
Biochemical and Molecular Biological
Techniques e.g. Bacterial culture, Staining,
DNA extraction, Plasmid or Genomic
DNA/RNA extraction, Gel Electrophoresis,
PAGE, Primer Designing, Western Blotting,
Southern Blotting, PCR, Cloning and DNA
Sequencing, one month theoretical and
practical training in Halle University in
Biocentrum on Biotechnology (2006), Six
Month practical training on project
“Chemical Characterization of silencing
protein in plant virus in virus disinfection” in
DSMZ Braunschweig Germany, currently
working as Assistant Professor in CEMB.
He is also HEC approved supervisor.
He has contributed immensely to the new
researchers in National Centre of
Excellence in Molecular Biology in Pakistan.
It is rare that a person in single life time
accomplishes so much. This is done only by
men who are endowed with special abilities
by God and who prepare themselves
through hard work and devotion to fulfill the
mission of serving mankind.
Report by: Sayyda Samra Jafri
14

Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust
Name: Nazraria Pakistan Trust
URL: http://www.nazariapak.info/
Vsion: To make Pakistan, A modern, Islamic,
ideological, welfare, Democratic State
Chairman: Majid Nizami
Vice Chairman: Dr. Rafiq Ahmad
Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust is a national,
intellectual institution which, since early
1999, is engaged in highlighting the
Ideology of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
as enunciated in the words and deed of
Allama Mohammad Iqbal and Quaid-i-Azam
Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The scope of the
Trust's Objectives is wide and varied,
requiring long and sustained efforts. Since
its inception the Trust has undertaken a
series of steps for popularizing Pakistan's
Ideology through speeches, addresses,
seminars, discussions, debating contests
among college and school students, essay
writing and book exhibitions on related
themes. The Trust also brings out a monthly
magazine Nazaria-i-Pakistan besides
research publications on the Pakistan
Movement. It was a unique honour for the
Trust to get its suggestion to observe the
year 2001, the 125th year of Quaid's and
year 2002 the 125th year of Allama
Mohammad Iqbal's birthday and 2003 as
Madar-e-Millat year accepted by the
Government of Pakistan as the year of the
Quaid, year of Allama Mohammad Iqbal and
year of Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima
Jinnah. The Ideology of Pakistan The
Society Introduction
Nazaria-i-Pakistan is in fact another name
for our Islamic spirit and character.
Life in our brother Islamic countries, in
general, is in consonance with Islamic
values and may not require this aspect to be
stressed. In South Asia, however, the
situation is different because of the Hindu
population which poses a perpetual
challenge to our ideology and way of life.
This Hindu confrontation springs from their
polytheistic and caste-ridden religious and
emotional makeup against Islam's
monotheism and casteless creed. This
ideological chasm between the Hindu and
the Muslim ways of life resulted in the
parting of ways in almost all spheres of life,
customs and culture, names and
nomenclature, history and tradition,
language and literature, art and
architecture, laws and moral codes, beliefs
and sense of values. There are sharp
differences even in what they eat. These
very disparities combined form the basis of
the Two Nation Theory. This was not a
matter of mere hair-splitting but an everyday
fact of life, which one cannot fail to feel in
almost every sphere of human activity. This
then is the crux and substance of the Two
Nation Theory, which formed the basis of
British India's partition in two independent
Hindu and Muslim States. The Hindu
majority areas of India formed India and the
Muslim majority regions came together
under the unique name of Pakistan. On this
very principle the Muslim majority state of
Jammu and Kashmir was to be part of
Pakistan. But the Hindus, deceitfully, landed
their troops in Kashmir and established their
hegemony in half of the state. It is this
Hindu treachery which the freedom fighters
of Kashmir are now striving to undo. On the
same premises Quaid-i-Azam dismissed the
wishes of the Hindus and the British
colonialists for a joint Hindu Muslim
nationhood as a pipe dream. With single-
minded devotion be fought against this
menace and succeeded in getting the idea
of a separate Muslim identity recognized. In
15

the 28th annual session of the Muslim
League in 1941 in Madras, Quaid-i-Azam
formally declared this objective as the
ideology of the Muslim League. It is this
very ideology which is known today as
'Nazaria-i-Pakistan'.
Scholarships/Fellowships:
BioVision Lilly Award - for 3 young
scientists, in the field of infectious
diseases
http://www.biovision.org/bv2011/biovision-
twas-lilly-award.html
International summer research program
2011
http://sv.epfl.ch/summer-research
Scholarship 2010-AFRO Asian Institute
GRAZ AUSTRIA
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/sea
rch?q=cache:http://www.scholarshipsworld.
org/scholarship-2010-afro-asian-institute-
graz-austria/
Chinese Government Scholarship
scheme 2011
http://beasiswascholarships.com/search/chi
nese%20government%20scholarship%20sc
heme%202011/2012
Microsoft scholarship 2011-2012
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/sea
rch?q=cache:http://careers.microsoft.com/c
areers/en/us/collegescholarship.aspx
Merit Scholarship Programme for High
Technology (MSP)
http://www.advance-africa.com/Merit-
Scholarship-Programme-for-High-
Technology.html
The Singapore International Graduate
Award (SINGA), Singapore
https://www.singa.a-star.edu.sg/
News Corner
International Fulbright Science &
Technology Award
http://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/scienceandt
ech.html
Conferences:
3rd International Symposium-cum-
Training Course on Molecular Medicine
and Drug Research
Darte: January 3 – 6, 2011
Venue: International Center for Chemical
and Biological Sciences, University of
Karachi, Karachi-75270 Pakistan.
URL:http://www.iccs.edu/ISNPC3.html
6th Conference on Recombinant Protein
Production
Date: from 16 - 19 February 2011
Venue: Vienna, Austria (BOKU)
URL : http://www.rpp2011.at/
Ist International Conference of Chemistry
and its role in Science
Date: 3-5 January 2011
Venue: Karachi, Pakistan
URL: http://www.iccrs.juw.edu.pk/
First International Conference on Value
addition & innovation in Textile
Date:13-14 March 2011
Venue: Faisalabad, Pakistan
URL: http://covitex2011.com
International Workshop on Dairy Science
Park
Date: 15-17 March
Venue: Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtoon
Khwa
16
 Top Universities in Pakistan 2010

Ranking of Universities by Type of University based on Revised Criteria

by the Board Final of HEC. Only those universities were considered in the
ranking list which was charted before 2002.

Note: Ranking of Universities has been revised on the request of

Universities which have recently been upgraded to category X and has
enrollment of > 200 students.

University Name Research Student Facilities Finances Faculty Rank

Max 26 Max = 17 Max = 15 Max = 15 Max = 27 Score
Agriculture / Veterinary
University of Agriculture (UAF),
17.4 14.26 10.51 7.98 16.34 66.44
Faisalabad
NWFP University of Agriculture
19.2 7.49 8.97 8.22 20.25 64.1
, Peshawar
University of Arid Agriculture,
6.5 9.16 1.65 12.48 13.78 43.57
Rawalpindi
Sindh Agriculture University,
3.57 5.09 9.49 9.32 11.85 39.31
Tandojam
Business/I.T.

Lahore Uni. of Management

12.37 6.08 8.68 9.66 20.41 57.2
Sciences (LUMS), Lahore
Institute of Business
7.45 9.01 5.75 8.08 10 40.3
Administration (IBA), Karachi
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
4.97 7.48 5.21 5 11.07 33.73
Institute of Sci. & Tech. Karachi
Iqra University, Defence View,
6.37 4.48 3.47 6.5 7.99 28.82
Karachi
Lahore School of Economics,
2.48 2.71 4.43 10.07 6.69 26.37
Lahore
Institute of Business
7.06 2.54 1.63 6.47 4.72 22.41
Management (IBM), Karachi
Qurtuba University of Science
& Information Technology D.I 1 1.54 3.7 3.09 8.35 17.67
Khan
Karachi Institute of Economic &
1.02 2.84 4.6 3.79 3.49 15.74
Technology (KIET), Karachi
CECOS , Peshawar 0 3.03 4.43 2.38 3.57 13.4
City University of Science &
0 2.11 1.43 3 3.76 10.3
Information Tech., Peshawar

Engineering

Pakistan Institute of Engg. and

11.7 9.73 6.52 12.42 20.98 61.35
Applied Sciences, Islamabad

17
 Top Universities in Pakistan 2010

National University of Sciences

and Technology (NUST), 10.1 9.27 8.33 6.84 14.53 49.07
Islamabad
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of
10.1 7.69 6.05 8.73 13.24 45.78
Engineering, Swabi

University of Engg. &

7.87 13 6.23 2.36 12.81 42.26
Technology (UET), Lahore

Mehran University of Engg. &

6.3 6.27 4.51 1.8 10.29 29.17
Technology (MUET), Jamshoro

University of Engg. &

4.9 5.94 3.3 5.72 5.15 25
Technology (UET), Taxila

National Univ. of Computer and

2.47 5.53 3.69 3.88 9.26 24.84
Emerging Sciences, Islamabad
COMSATS Institute of
Information Technology, 3.36 4.35 2.55 3.26 8.91 22.42
Islamabad
NWFP University of Engg. &
2.7 5.23 2.87 2.05 6 18.85
Technology, Peshawar

NED University of Engg. &

2.79 5.52 4.4 1.5 4.44 18.65
Technology, Karachi
Quaid-e-Awam University,
2.23 3.58 3.5 3.72 5.61 18.64
Nawabshsh
Sir Syed University of
Engineering & Technology, 1.56 4.95 3 4.64 2.91 17.06
Karachi
Balochistan University of Engg
0 2.49 4.18 3.17 5.74 15.57
& Tech. Khuzdar

General

Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU),

17.6 8.14 7.98 4.91 19.5 58.16
Islamabad
University of the Punjab,
10.5 12.04 6.91 5.07 11.41 45.92
Lahore
University of Karachi, Karachi 9.71 7.97 6.99 5.48 11.87 42.01
University of Peshawar,
10.2 10.86 3.49 3.28 8.98 36.78
Peshawar
Bahauddin Zakariya University,
8.56 7.49 3.04 4.03 10.23 33.34
Multan
Government College Lahore
6.44 4.98 4.19 7.03 9.14 31.78
University, Lahore
Isra University, Hyderabad 2.16 4.28 2.67 11.65 9.08 29.84
International Islamic University,
6.45 6.33 4.58 4.15 8.31 29.82
Islamabad
University of Sindh, Jamshoro 6.67 6.65 3.46 3.68 8.54 29

18
 Top Universities in Pakistan 2010

Hamdard University, Karachi 0.96 2.99 8.65 10.43 4.65 27.68

University of Balochistan,
5.6 2.16 2.74 7.15 7.04 24.69
Sariab Road, Quetta
Gomal University, D.I.Khan 3.6 5.45 2.68 4.49 7.37 23.6
Islamia University, Bahawalpur 3.65 5.34 2.32 3.45 8.16 22.92
University of Azad Jammu &
2.2 2.86 2.31 4.87 9.81 22.05
Kashmir , Muzaffarabad
Lahore College for Women
1.18 4.66 2.84 6.65 5.66 20.99
University, Lahore
Hazara University , Dhodial,
2 2.97 2.6 5.38 7.52 20.47
Mansehra
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
0.73 3.33 2.43 8.23 4.81 19.52
University, Karachi
Fatima Jinnah Women
1.48 6.42 2.24 5.42 3.73 19.29
University, Rawalpindi
Bahria University, Islamabad 0.61 5.97 2.66 5.87 3.49 18.6
Shah Abdul Latif University,
1.69 1.21 2.08 6.27 5.95 17.2
Khairpur
University of Malakand
0.66 7.36 1.36 2.01 2.1 13.49
Chakdara, Dir, Malakand

Kohat University of Science &

1.26 2.16 2.17 5.22 2.03 12.84
Technology, Kohat

National University of Modern

1.82 2.06 2.56 2.94 2.85 12.23
Languages, Islamabad,

* Jinnah University for Women

0.64 2.44 0.84 3.41 1.91 9.24
(JUW), Karachi

Health Sciences

Aga Khan University, Karachi 15.9 7.27 10.68 14.85 21.24 69.91
Liaquat University of Medical
8.4 11.47 7.67 5.81 14.94 48.29
and Health Sciences, Jamshoro
Baqai Medical University,
7.64 9.88 4.11 5.19 5.87 32.69
Karachi
Zia-ud-din Medical University,
6.47 3.52 4.29 7.67 8.43 30.38
Karachi

19