Dr.

Prof. Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

Safdar Ali Kiyani (20 June 1948 – 22 April 2008) was a Pakistani ecologist,

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

, professor and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Balochistan, which is located in Quetta, Pakistan.

Murder

Kiyani was shot and killed by a gunman riding a motorbike on 22 April 2008, while he was walking near his home in Quetta. He was 60 years old at the time of his murder. The

Baloch Liberation Army The Balochistan Liberation Army ( bal, بلۏچستان آجوییء لشکر; Abbreviation, abbreviated BLA), also known as the Baloch Liberation Army, is a Baloch people, Baloch ethnonationalist militant organization based in Afghanistan. The ...

, a

Baloch Baloch, also spelled Baloch, Beluch and in other ways, may refer to: * Baloch people, an ethnic group of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan * Baluch, a small itinerant community of Afghanistan * Balouch, Azad Kashmir, a town in Pakistan * Baloch (s ...

separatist Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...

organisation, claimed responsibility for Kiyani's killing.

Burial ceremony

Kiyani was buried in the city of

Jhelum Jhelum ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city on the east bank of the Jhelum River, which is located in the district of Jhelum in the north of Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the 44th largest city of Pakistan by population. Jhelum is known for p ...

in Punjab. The University of Balochistan closed for one day to mark Kiyani's murder. The

Punjab University Punjab University may refer to: India * Punjab Agricultural University, a state agricultural university in Ludhiana, Punjab * I. K. Gujral Punjab Technical University, a State university in Jalandhar, Punjab * Panjab University, a public collegia ...

teachers' association also condemned Kiyani's killing and held a day of mourning. His full name was Dr Safdar Ali Kayani and his date of birth was 20 June 1948, his religion was Islam. He did his Matriculation in March 1964 in Agriculture Group from Government High school, Renala Khurd, then Intermediate in 1967 from Sahiwal district in the premedical group, he did his graduated from Government College, Jehlum in August 1969. He then got his master's degree from Punjab University in 1971 in the field of Botany.

Education

He started his career in 1971 as a demonstrator of the botany department of Punjab University up to 1973. then as a research officer in Punjab University, meanwhile he did his PhD in ecology in which he wrote his thesis on "Some Ecological Studies on Soil and Vegetation of Termite Affected Areas of Pakistan" from University of the Punjab.

Career

In 1980 he came to Quetta and joined University of Balochistan as a

lecturer Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...

and remained on the same post till 1981. In 1981, he was promoted to the seat of assistant professor and in 1984 to

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...

. Meanwhile, in 1984, he took the charge of chairman of the botany department, and then in 1998 he became the meritorious professor. Afterwards, he achieved the status of dean of the Faculty of Sciences and then became the dean of the Faculty of Biological Sciences. In 2000, he was promoted to dean of student affairs, and in 2005, he became a pro-vice-chancellor of the University of Balochistan.

Family

Kayani left a widow, one daughter and three sons as his successor. His eldest son, Dr Adnan Safdar Kayani, is currently working as principal scientific officer at Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), and his youngest son, Dr Umar Safdar Ali Kayan,i is a Ph.D in the field of innovation and technology management and is currently working as an associate professor in a private institution.

References

Baloch Liberation; from whom? at WTF: What The Fork?
2008 deaths Scientists from Lahore People from Quetta Pakistani ecologists Punjabi academics Pakistani murder victims People murdered in Balochistan, Pakistan Deaths by firearm in Balochistan, Pakistan Pakistani botanists University of the Punjab alumni Academic staff of the University of Balochistan Pakistani botanical writers 1948 births {{Pakistan-scientist-stub