Mohammed Naseer Khan ( ur, محمد نصیر خان; 1941 – 10 July 2006) was a Pakistani

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...

and

academic administrator Academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the Faculty (academic staff), faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint ...

, the former Rector of the

Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology The Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology ( ur, ; commonly referred as GIKI), is a private research university located in Topi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. The institute has a campus that is located in the vici ...

and Vice-Chancellor of

Bahauddin Zakariya University Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) ( ur, ) is a public university with its main campus in Multan, Pakistan. Bahauddin Zakariya University was founded in 1975 as Multan University, and is the 2nd largest university in Punjab. It was renamed i ...

. He also served as a special advisor to the government for education, Federal Minister, Grade MP-1.

Early life

Khan was born in 1941 in

Abbottabad, Pakistan Abbottabad (; Urdu, Punjabi language(HINDKO dialect) آباد, translit=aibṭabād, ) is the capital city of Abbottabad District in the Hazara region of eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in Pakistan and fourth ...

. His family were local nobility and from the

Jadoon The Jadoon (also Gadoon) ( Hindko/ ur, جدون; ps, جدون ,ګدون) is a Pashtun Afghan tribe in Pakistan, partly in Gadoon in Swabi, and partly in Abbottabad and Haripur districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Across the Durand line, s ...

tribe; his father was a police officer and his mother a homemaker.

Education and career

In 1996, he took a position as the

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences at the GIKI Institute in Topi, Pakistan, and later became the university's

Prorector Academic rank (also scientific rank) is the rank of a scientist or teacher in a college, high school, university or research establishment. The academic ranks indicate relative importance and power of individuals in academia. The academic rank ...

and then

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

. He also established a research laboratory on the ‘Fabrication and Characterisation of Advanced Materials’ in the Faculty of Engineering Sciences. After serving as Rector of GIKI, Khan became the Vice-Chancellor of

in May 2005. There "he endeavoured to create conducive work environment in the previously politicised and troubled institution and took unprecedented bold steps to achieve outstanding results."

Death

Khan was killed on Pakistan International Airways Flight 688, which crashed in

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the List ...

on 10 July 2006, killing all 45 passengers and crew aboard. Following his death, ''

The News International ''The News International'', published in broadsheet size, is one of the largest English language newspapers in Pakistan. It is published daily from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad. An overseas edition is published from London that cater ...

'' described him as one of the "most productive" scientists in Pakistan. A memorial service was also held in Bahrain.

Awards

Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the ...

, awarded for services to education in the field of physics, 2002

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Mohammed Naseer 1941 births 2006 deaths Pakistani physicists Academic staff of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology Academic staff of Bahauddin Zakariya University People from Abbottabad Alumni of Brunel University London University of Sindh alumni Academic staff of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals Academic staff of the University of Bahrain Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Pakistan Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2006