| Abdul Hafeez | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1882 Aligarh, Aligarh district, tate of Uttar Pradesh, British India. |
| Died | 1964 Vienna, Republic of Austria |
| Residence | Vienna, Republic of Austria and Lahore, West Pakistan. |
| Citizenship | Pakistan |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Fields | Radiochemistry |
| Institutions | Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) Pakistan Army Chemical Laboratories (PACL) Punjab University (PU) Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MACIC) Steyr Mannlicher (Austria) Steyr-Daimler-Puch (Austria) |
| Alma mater | Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) University of Marburg (UM) |
| Doctoral advisor | Dr. Otto Hahn |
| Doctoral students | Hakim Nayyar Wasti Muhammad Yousaf Mohsin |
| Known for | Founder of Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) and his work in Explosives engineering |
| Influences | Dr. Richard Abegg |
Dr. Prof. Abdul Hafeez was a Pakistani weapon scientist and radiochemist. Hafeez was one of the early pioneer of Pakistan Ordnance Factories at Wah Cantt who made an extraordanary efforts to build and develop medium and high-tech weapons for Pakistan Armed Forces. Hafeez was also a Pan-Islamist and political analyst who had long criticized British imperialism and influence in Muslim world[1].
He was a distinguished political activist of Pakistan Movement. He published numerous papers and supported Pakistan Movement, criticizing both Anglo-Hindu alliance. After his open-protest, the Her Majesty's Government banned him from entering into India[1]. He migrated to Pakistan in late 1950s. He played an important and crucial role in Pakistan's Armed Defence Industries and helped Pakistani scientists to established high-powered Chemistry research institutes in Pakistan.
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Abdul Hafeez received his intermediate education from Aligarh, British India, attending Aligarh Muslim University where he studied double majors, receiving B.Sc. with honors in Chemistry and Mathematics from there. He later completed his M.Sc. in Theoretical Chemistry from there. In 1905, he went to Great Britain on a University Scholarship and attended University of Birmingham. While at University of Birmingham, he studied and research in the field of Explosive materials and Radiochemisrty[1].
However, he irritated the Birmingham University officials when he published his Ph.D. thesis in the name of Afghanistan’s Habibullāh Kalakāni. The University refused to give him the Doctoral Degree. Soon after, Hafeez left Great Britain and moved to Germany where he, then, attended University of Marburg where he was awarded his Ph.D in Radiochemistry and Explosive Chemistry under the supervision of dr. Otto Hahn in 1908[1]. He also specialized in weapon technology and explosive materials from there[1].
After his doctoral studies, Hafeez was asked by United States Government to joined and served in American Weapon Production industries. However, Hafeez turned American offers down and moved to Constantinopole, Turkey. He joined Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation. During 1920s, the Khilafat Movement was on taking place; Hafeez, with Islamist Ideology and Islamic Ideas, supported the idea of movement. However, after the collapse of the movement, he immediately left Turkey and went back to Austria.
Hafeez joined Steyr Mannlicher as a chief weapon scientist and radiation weapon technologist where he worked closely with fellow soviet weapon scientists in 1924. After having a long and distinguished career at Steyr Mannlicher, Hafeez successfully manufactured and developed high power machine guns and provided technical assistance to Austrian Army. A a t Hafeez continued working at Steyr Mannlicher till 1957 until he was personally asked by the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Khwaja Nazimuddin.
Hafeez joined Pakistan Ordnance Factories at Wah Cantt on 1957. He was put incharge of POF where he was responsible to produced man-power and technical labs for ammunition and explosive materials. As weapon scientist, he inducted the explosives and chemical-biological laboratory under Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers. Hafeez successfully founded the radiological science research institutes at POF where inm future, the laboratory provides critical training in the manufacture and testing of chemical explosives and allied products. Received initial training in Ordnance Training Laboratory at the Punjab University's Chemistry department.
However, after Ayub Khan's Government signed a weapon-cooperation deal with Royal Ordnance Factory, Hafeez resigned from his position in 1960s. After his retirement from POF, he joined Punjab University's Chemistry department as a full time professor. At the university, he also taught Turkish Language as well.
In 1960, Hafeez moved to Austria where he re-joined Steyr Mannlicher. During the time, his Austrian-Pakistani wife was suffering from Acute myeloid leukemia[2]. His wife, Aynmar Rishta Mehrun Nisa, died in 1964. The same year, he suffered a cardial arrest and was immediately taken to hospital where it was announced that he died. Hafeez and his wife's body was taken to Pakistan where they are buried in Karachi Cemetery[2].
Due to his contribution to Pakistan's Armed Forces but he was refused to give credit of his achievements. That is why, his comrades and collaborators at POF, have called his as "Pakistan’s unsung, uncared for and unused scientist".