Abdus Salam was a Pakistani theoretical physicist who became the first Pakistani to be honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics. He was also the second person from an Islamic country to receive any Nobel Prize. He won the award in 1979 for his work concerning the electroweak unification theory. Salam played a major role in popularizing physics in Pakistan.
Satish Dhawan was an Indian aerospace engineer and mathematician remembered for his research in the field of boundary layers and turbulence. From 1972 to 1984, Dhawan served as the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization during which he played a key role in the development of the space program in India. In 1981, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan.
Tariq Ali is a British writer, journalist, political activist, filmmaker, public intellectual, and historian. Over the years, he has contributed immensely to popular publications like The Guardian and The London Review of Books. Tariq Ali is also credited with authoring many influential books like Bush in Babylon and The Obama Syndrome.
Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri is a Pakistani–Canadian Islamic scholar who founded the non-governmental organization Minhaj-ul-Quran. A former politician, he is also credited with founding a political party called Pakistan Awami Tehreek. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has also served as a professor of constitutional law at the Punjab University in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Known as the father of research laboratories, Indian physical chemist Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar was a BHU professor. An avid poet, he also penned the kulgeet of the university. He was the first chairman of UGC, headed CSIR, and played a key role in setting up many R&D labs in India.
Birbal Sahni was a pioneer of palaeobotanical research in India. The founder of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, he also taught botany at BHU and Lucknow University. He was also interested in music and tennis, and loved collecting coins. He was a Fellow of The Royal Society, too.
Choudhry Rahmat Ali was a Pakistani nationalist best remembered for playing a key role in the creation of Pakistan. Regarded as the pioneer of Pakistan Movement, Rahmat Ali is credited with coining the name Pakistan. Rahmat Ali is also credited with conceptualizing the idea of Pakistan and for publishing the Pakistan Declaration in the form of a pamphlet in 1933.
Yousaf Raza Gillani is a Pakistani politician who served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2008 to 2012. One of the most controversial leaders in Pakistan, Yousaf Raza Gillani was stripped of his position as the Prime Minister by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2012. His government was accused of corruption among other charges.
Asma Jahangir was a Pakistani human rights lawyer and social activist. She was a co-founder of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. A lawyer by profession, she played a prominent role in the Lawyers' Movement and also served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. She was posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz.
Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad is a Pakistani politician who has served many important positions. After serving as the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting from 2004 to 2006, Ahmad served as Minister of Railways from 2006 to 2007. He served as the Minister of Railways again from 2018 to 2020. He served as the Minister of Interior from 2020 to 2022.
Mahbub ul Haq was a Pakistani economist and international development theorist turned politician. He served as the Minister of Finance of Pakistan from April 1985 to January 1986. He studied at the University of Cambridge in England on a scholarship and received his Ph.D. from Yale University in the United States before returning to Pakistan.
Ishtiaq Ahmed is a Swedish author and political scientist. He is best known for his association with Stockholm University where he serves as Professor Emeritus of Political Science. At the University of Stockholm, Ishtiaq Ahmed taught a range of subjects including political theory.
Farhat Hashmi is a Pakistani Canadian Islamic scholar and television preacher. She is credited with founding a Salafist organization called Al-Huda International, which aims at helping women understand the Quran better and become better observant Muslims. Farhat Hashmi has achieved popularity as a feminist scholar, not only in Pakistan but also abroad.
Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi is a tennis player. In 2010, he reached the finals of the US Open in mixed doubles and men's doubles events, becoming the first Pakistani player to reach a Grand Slam final. In 2010, he received the Peace and Sport Image of the Year award along with Rohan Bopanna for their efforts to promote world peace through tennis.
Munir Ahmad Khan was a Pakistani nuclear physicist. He is also known as the "father of the atomic bomb program" of Pakistan for his role in the development of the country’s nuclear weapons. He served as the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) chairman from 1972 to 1991. He was posthumously honored with the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence).
Fauzia Ilyas is a Pakistani Dutch speaker and political activist. Born in Pakistan, she struggled with forced marriage and sexual abuse before managing to escape to the Netherlands. She now identifies as an atheist and is a campaigner for feminism, secularism, and atheist rights in Pakistan. She is currently married to a fellow atheist named Sayed Gillani.
Chaudhry Muhammad Ali was a Pakistani politician who served as the fourth prime minister of Pakistan from August 1955 to September 1956. After completing his education at Punjab University, he began an academic career. Born in British India, he moved to Pakistan during the partition and entered Pakistani politics. His son, Khalid Anwer, is a well-known lawyer and jurist.
Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi was a Pakistani poet, dramatist, short story writer, literary critic, and journalist who wrote in Urdu language. An important personality in contemporary Urdu literature, Qasmi is credited with inspiring other famous poets like Gulzar. In 1968, he was honored with the Pride of Performance award. In 1980, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi was awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz for his literary work.
Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury was a Bangladeshi politician who served under Prime Minister Khaleda Zia as the adviser of parliamentary affairs from 2001 to 2006. In 2013, he was convicted of war crime charges and sentenced to death for his actions during the Bangladesh War of Independence. Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury was executed by hanging in 2015.
Pakistani-American neurologist Teepu Siddique initially studied botany and then switched to medicine. He is best remembered for his efforts to find out the reasons behind the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He was also known for his association with institutes such as the Northwestern University and the University of Southern California.