ISLAMABAD, Sept 29: The Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, expressing the hope for the success of his efforts to establish a Pan-Islamic Research and Development Fund (PIRDF), said results might come to surface within next two to three months.

The minister, who had recently completed a tour of Middle East countries in this connection, was talking to BBC radio.

He said the heads of government, state and monarchs were approached by him in various Middle East countries, and were requested to have a PIRDF for the promotion of modern knowledge in these countries.

He met the Saudi King and heads of state of Egypt, Tunisia, the UAE, Malaysia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Syria, besides Brunei, and apprised them of the proposal, Dr Atta said, adding “they termed the initiative timely.”

In this regard, Amir of Qatar, who is the current OIC Chairman, had written letters to the heads of state of Islamic countries to adopt a united approach, and a meeting would be convened to discuss the initiative and how to advance it, he said.

The centres of the fund, he said, would be set up in different countries and these countries themselves would decide their area of priorities.

The countries which would join the fund were to contribute only 0.1 per cent of their gross national product annually, he said. Dr Atta said the centres would be established in different sciences such as engineering sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences, renewable energy, etc.

He said the research of international standard would be conducted in these centres. The research, he said, would be linked with the industry so that the countries rich in resources but poor in human resource development, could progress towards self-reliance, leading to creating their own scientists and engineers instead of looking towards the West.—APP