Government of Pakistan Honours AKU’s President Kassim-Lakha and Dr. Mohammad Khurshid with Prestigious Civil Awards

The President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, conferring the Hilal-i-Imtiaz award on Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, President of Aga Khan University, at the investiture ceremony, which recognised his outstanding civic service in the fields of environmental protection, economic development, health, culture and education in Pakistan.

The President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, honoured Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, President and founding trustee of Aga Khan University, by conferring on him the prestigious civil award of Hilal-i-Imtiaz at an investiture ceremony in Islamabad in March 2003.

Also honoured on this occasion was Dr.Mohammad Khurshid, Medical Director and Associate Dean, Clinical Affairs of Aga Khan University Hospital, who was awarded the Pride of Performance for his significant contributions to medical education and research.

The second highest honour awarded for civic service in the nation, the Hilal-i-Imtiaz recognised Kassim-Lakha's "contributions on the boards of numerous government, professional and research institutions, and outstanding civic service in the fields of environmental protection, economic development, health, culture and education in Pakistan."

Expressing his sentiments on this occasion, Kassim-Lakha said, "This is a great honour not only for me but also for everyone at Aga Khan University and other institutions with whom I have had the privilege of working. I am fortunate that the government has allowed me to make a humble contribution towards the uplift of our society." He appreciated that the University had allowed him to devote time to public service and noted that the Institution is increasingly becoming an agent of change by focusing on research and high quality academic and service standards in programmes relevant to the needs of developing countries. Under the direction and vision of the founder and Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan, Kassim-Lakha has led the overall planning, construction, commissioning and operations of Pakistan’s first private university. In 2002, President Pervez Musharraf assigned Kassim-Lakha the task of overseeing reforms in Pakistan's higher education as Chairman of the Steering Committee on Higher Education with the status of Minister of State. Prior to this, he was co-chair of the Task Force for Improvement of Higher Education. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of the newly established, independent Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy and has served in the past as member of the Board of Habib Bank Ltd. and Pakistan Medical Research Council as well as the Economic Development Council for Karachi. Kassim-Lakha also served on the Pakistan Environmental Protection Council, and chaired the Council's tripartite Environmental Standards Committee as well as the Advisory Board on Environment. A recipient of several noteworthy awards, President Kassim-Lakha was conferred the Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by the President of France in 2001, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan in 1998, and the degree of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, by McMaster University, Canada, in 1994.

Dr. Mohammad Khurshid, Medical Director and Associate Dean, Clinical Affairs of Aga Khan University Hospital, receiving the Pride of Performance award, which recognised his significant contributions to medical education and research.

Professor Mohamma` Khurshid of AKU, recipient of the Pride of Performance Award, said, "I feel happy that such an honour will be in actuality a recognition of the efforts of all my colleagues at  Aga Khan University … that in some way we are making a contribution to society." Professor Khurshid has been a faculty member and clinical practitioner at AKU since 1985, when the University's campus was inaugurated. As Director of Aga Khan University Laboratory Services from 1985 to 2000, he set up a modern scientific clinical laboratory at the University Hospital with laboratory specimen collection units across Pakistan.

Professor Khurshid has a distinguished academic record and has excelled in teaching and research. His research contributions in the field of haematology, particularly leukaemia, are well documented in renowned international journals. Based on his national role in the development of haematology, he was  elected President of the Pakistan Society of Haematology (2001-2003) and European Council Member, the International Society of Haematology (Asia Division). With over 73 research papers to his credit, he holds the second highest rank on the list of scientists in Health Sciences, as published by the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology.

For more information, please visit: http://www.aku.edu/news/archives/sklawards.shtml