| Ghulam Ahmad | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 May 1923 Poonch, Poonch district, State of Kashmir, British India present-day India |
| Died | September 20, 2003 (aged 80) New Jersey, United States of America |
| Residence | Rawalakot, Pakistani Azad Kashmir. |
| Citizenship | Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Fields | Civil and Military Engineering |
| Institutions | Pakistan Forest Service (PFS) Colorado Department of Military Affairs (DMA) Pakistan Chrome Mines Ltd (PCM) Military Engineering Service (MES) Air Force Engineering Corps |
| Known for | Environmental Sciences |
| Spouse | Jamila Begum |
Shaikh Ghulam Ahmad (23 May 1923 – 20 September 2003) was a Pakistan Air Force engineer officer, fighter pilot and military engineer who formed Resources Company Limited, a holding company that promotes resource development in Pakistan. He was Managing Director and former chairman of Pakistan Chrome Mines Ltd., the largest and oldest chrome mining company in Pakistan.[1]
He wrote Unique and Everliving, a biography of prophet Muhammad. The book was written over a period of five years. The book is published by Ferozeson's Ltd., a book publisher in Pakistan.[2]
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He was born in the city of Poonch, in Poonch District of Kashmir, on 23 May 1923. He was educated in Poonch at a school where his father, Shaikh Ghulam Rasul, was the headmaster. He migrated to Pakistan, from Kashmir along with his family. Before partition of India, his father was Head Master of High School in Poonch, while his younger brother Ghulam Rabani was has graduated from Aligarh University with a degree in Law. Shaikh Ghulam Rabani, migrated to Pakistan and was appointed as a district court Judge. Later Shaikh Ghulam Rabani joined the Pakistan Foreign Service and served as Pakistan Ambassador to numerous countries in Asia and North Africa. He married Jamila Begum at Rehara, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan on 11 May 1949. He had three sons and two daughters, he received a B.Sc (honours) degree in Physics and a Masters in Statistics from the University of Punjab in Lahore. He received a Postgraduate Diploma in Natural Resource Development ITC, Delft, Holland and completed postgraduate studies for a Phd in Civil Engineering at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
His grand father fought with Tipu Sultan against the British East India Company. While his father Shaikh Ghulam Rasul was the head master of the middle school in Poonch and Rawalakot. His father-in law fought against the Nazis in North Africa and Europe.
His daughter, Dr. Rehana Kausar MD was the first woman doctor from the Sudhan tribe. His daughter, Dr. Khalida Yasmin MD[3] is a family practice doctor and member of the Texas Family Practice Board, Yasmin was a Captain in the United States Air Force Reserve. His Son Tariq Ahmad is a resident of Reno, Nevada and a Petroleum Engineer.[4] Mobashir Ahmad is a Geophysicist, Petroleum and Metallurgical Engineer, resident of Wyoming who was a United States Army officer in the United States Army Corp of Engineers, while the eldest son Khalid Adnan is an Electrical Engineer in New Jersey. His grandson is a winner of the Purple Heart for his military service as a United States Army Officer in Iraq.
He had three brothers, Shaikh Ghulam Rabbani was the Ambassador of Pakistan to North Korea, Tunisia and Romania. Shaikh Gilani Kamran, was a Professor of English Literature at Government College Lahore and his youngest brother Saeed Ahmad was a Pakistani Businessman.
| Ghulam Ahmad | |
|---|---|
Ft.Lt. Ghulam Ahmad flew Hawker Hurricanes during World War II as an Royal Indian Air Force fighter pilot. |
|
| Allegiance | British India Pakistan |
| Service/branch | Indian Air Force Pakistan Air Force |
| Years of service | 1947-1948 |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Unit | No. 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force No. 9 Squadron Griffins, P. A. F. |
| Battles/wars | World War II Burma Campaign Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 |
| Other work | Educationist, Military advisor, and an environmental scientist |
He joined the Royal Indian Air Force as a Fighter Pilot. He fought against the Japanese Imperial Army in Burma during World War II, flying in a Hawker Hurricane fighter plane.
He was selected for the Forest Service after World War II and trained at the Forest Research Institute at Dehradun, India. After partition of India and Pakistan he joined the Pakistan Forest Service, becoming the Chief Conservator of Forests and Director of the Aerial Survey Project in Peshawar, Pakistan, where he surveyed the North-West Frontier Province for a Natural Resources Survey from 1965-1969. He introduced hybrid poplars in Pakistan, including Azad Kashmir, and especially Rawalakot, changing the living conditions of the rural population.
He supervised an aerial survey of the Indus River Basin for the development of natural resources. He moved to the United States in August 1971 to complete a PhD in Civil Engineering at Colorado State University. After retiring from the Pakistani Forest Service, Ahmad joined the Colorado Department of Military Affairs, where he helped draft the Emergency Response Plan for the State of Colorado. From 1983 until 1999 he was the Managing Director of Pakistan Chrome Mines Ltd.
He gave scholarships for education of residents of Poonch District, particularly members of the Sudhan tribe, resulting in hundreds of graduates in engineering and medicine. He died on September 20, 2003, at the age of 80 in New Jersey. He helped improve the living conditions of hundreds of Sudhans.
He was buried at his favourite place on earth, his apple orchard in Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir. His family, especially his daughter Dr. Rehana Kausar, continues giving scholarships for academic excellence, in Mr. Ahmad's name, for students studying science in Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir.