PM Nawaz Sharif approves renaming of National Physics Centre on Dr Abdus Salam

Lahore : Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in recognition to the services of the country’s nobel laureate physicist late Dr Abdul Salam gave approval to renaming of National Centre for Physics at Quaid-i-Azam University as ‘Professor Abdus
Salam Center for Physics’.

The prime minister directed Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training to put up formal summary for renaming of center,to be sent to president for approval, a statement from PM House said.

The prime minister also approved grant of five fellowships annually to Pakistani students for PhD in the field of physics through Higher Education Commission at reputed international universities. The fellowship programme is named as Professor Abdus Salam Fellowship.

The prime minister has taken this decision in recognition of the great contributions of renowned Pakistani physicist Dr Muhammad Abdus Salam who shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contribution in the field of physics.

“Renaming the National Centre for Physics as Dr. Abdus Salam’s Centre for Physics would be another step towards honouring the Pakistani scientist who served and brought a good name for Pakistan.” He was the first Pakistani to receive a Nobel Prize in science and the second from an Islamic country to receive Nobel Prize. “His remarkable achievement earned fame and prestige for the country which rightly deserves to be valued,” the statement added.

Dr. Salam also served the country as a top level science advisor to the government of Pakistan from 1960 to 1974, a position from which he played a major and influential role in the development of the country’s science infrastructure.

In 1998, following the country’s nuclear tests, the government issued a commemorative stamp, as a part of “Scientists of Pakistan”,to honour the services of Dr. Salam.