ISLAMABAD: A ceremony to confer medals on top 10 scientists of the country was held at the auditorium of Pakistan Academy of Sciences here on Tuesday. 

Science and Technology Minister Azam Khan Swati conferred the President’s Medal for Technology on them at the ceremony that was attended by a large of scientists, including those who came to witness the event from outside the federal capital.

Talking to Dawn, the scientists said the event was reflective of the country’s resolve to use science and technology as a tool for achieving sustained national growth.

Mr Swati on the occasion said it was a critical time for Pakistan and that the country’s scientists must rise to make fruitful contribution to creation of more resources and manpower for the development of knowledge and to speed up the growth of science and technology to enhance economic development.

‘Promotion of science and technology is essential to help create enlightened society,’ said the minister. Dr Ghulam Habib was awarded the medal for upgrading nutrition value of poor feed and developing supplementary strategies for increasing milk in small scale livestock farming.

Dr Azhar Mehmood was given the medal for making ‘an exciting discovery’ in the field of corrosion science and non-material and Dr Muhammad Javaid Iqbal for indigenously developing more than 20 high purity chemicals of strategic and industrial significance in defence which led to achieving self-reliance and import substitution.
Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan, who synthesised various genes to develop bio-safe transgenic plants as well genes of agronomic importance, was also awarded the medal. 

Professor Dr Najma Sultana was given the medal for developing new methods for quality control of drugs as well as improved curricula in pharmacy; Professor Dr Ahmad Khalid for ‘placing Pakistan on the map of biological technology for minerals and fossil fuels as well as for establishing bio-technology for minerals and fossil fuels’ and Dr Muhammad Akhtar Kassi who mapped and described several new aspects of rock formation of high commercial value in Balochistan.

Professor Dr Khan Bahadur Marwat was awarded the medal for registering the Ghanavi-98 seeds of wheat and maize and Muhammad Akhtar for designing and fabricating first ever angle indigenous x-ray as well as designing mechanical parts, electronic controls, computer inter-facing and software for control and data acquisition and also for fabricating the equipments indigenously at Pinstech. Professor Dr Zafar Iqbal was awarded the medal as he developed hydatid disease control package as well as bioclimatograph and anthelmintic techniques.

Earlier, S & T Secretary Kashif Murtaza informed the audience that the awards for technology were instituted in 2007 and announced by the President on August 14 and conferred on March 23.