Science and technology in Pakistan

Science and technology have been pivotal in Pakistan's development since its inception. The country boasts a large pool of scientists, engineers, doctors, and technicians actively contributing to these fields.

Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan's first Prime Minister, initiated reforms to improve higher education and scientific research. However, significant growth in science occurred after the establishment of the Higher Education Commission in 2002, which supported science initiatives and sponsored the Pakistan Academy of Sciences.

Pakistan has made significant contributions in various scientific fields, with chemistry being particularly strong. The International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences is a institution in this area, offering one of the largest postgraduate research programs in the country. Other notable fields include physics, material science, metallurgy, biology, and mathematics.

Pakistani scientists have achieved international acclaim in mathematics and several branches of physical science. Professor Abdus Salam, a theoretical physicist, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979, while Professor Atta-ur-Rahman, an organic chemist, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2006.

In terms of technology, Pakistan has made significant strides in nuclear physics and explosives engineering, primarily driven by security concerns. The country is also involved in space exploration, with a focus on military applications. Pakistan is an associate member of CERN, a prestigious international research organization.

The Scientific and Technological Research Division (S&TR) was established in 1964 to coordinate and implement national science and technology policy, promote research, and facilitate the utilization of research results and scientific and technological manpower.

Since 1972, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has been the national focal point for the Government of Pakistan, planning and coordinating scientific and technological programs aligned with the national agenda. Its goal is to build a strong and sustainable research base for socio-economic development. The Ministry promotes technological advancements in industrial development, renewable energy, and rural development to boost growth and improve living standards. Its main focus is on enhancing Pakistan's technological skills, increasing human resources to combat brain drain, and integrating technological infrastructure to strengthen institutions, improve governance of the S&TR, and support local innovation systems.

The 1960s and 1970s marked the initial rise of Pakistan's science, which gained international recognition in various science communities. During this period, scientists contributed significantly to the fields of Natural Product Chemistry, theoretical, particle, mathematical, and nuclear physics, as well as other major and subfields of Chemistry and Physics. The research was spearheaded by scientists such as Riazuddin, Ishfaq Ahmad, Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, Atta-ur-Rahman and Samar Mubarakmand.