The University of Karachi’s (UOK) vice-chancellor, the renowned scholar Muhammad Ajmal Khan died in Karachi early Saturday morning, the institute’s spokesperson said. The spokesman added that chest pain had led to the death. He was laid to rest at KU graveyard Saturday. The funeral prayers were offered at Jamia Masjid Ibrahim, KU. Meanwhile, the KU Administration has announced that all classes and exams scheduled on Sunday (today) have been postponed and new dates would be announced later. The schedule academic activities remain suspended on Saturday as well.
The KU is also holding a reference meeting at 10am at the Arts Auditorium on Monday which would be followed by Quran Khawani at Jamia Masjid Ibrahim, KU.
Born on July 01, 1952, Dr Khan became the 17th vice chancellor of the public sector university in January 2017. The funeral was attended by the Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, provincial education minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah and others.
Professor Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan was a noted Pakistani botanist and his teaching and research career spans over 44 years. For his outstanding services in plant sciences he had received numerous prestigious local and international awards including Presidential Award of Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2008.
He has also received Fellow of Fulbright Academy of Sciences and The World Innovation Foundation, Switzerland in 2006, HEC-Distinguished National Professor and Honor Professor, Shijiazhuang Institute for Agriculture Modernization, P.R. China in 2005, Fellow Third World Academy of Science in 2003, Fellow Pakistan Academy of Science and Presidential Award of the Pride of Performance in August in 2001.
He was the recipient of Ohio University Teaching Assistantship (1980-1984); National Science Foundation, USA postdoctoral fellowship at Brigham Young University, USA (1984-1985); DAAD study visit to University of Munster, Germany (1994); Fulbright visiting scholar, Ohio University, USA (1995-1996) and Adjunct Professorship in the Brigham Young University, USA (1996-1997).
.Professor Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan was awarded DSc, in Botany from University of Karachi, 2010, PhD in Physiological Ecology from Ohio University in 1985, MSc in Plant Physiology from Karachi University in 1974 and BSc (Hons) in Botany from KU in 1973. He did his intermediate from Jamia Millia College and matriculation also from a government school.
He started his career in 1975 as a Research Officer of Pakistan Science Foundation project in the Department of Botany, KU and later as a Lecturer in 1977, was appointed as Assistant Professor of Botany in 1985, Associate Professor of Botany in 1989, Professor of Botany in 1996, Director, Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization in 2007, Tenured Professor in 2011 and Meritorious Professor in 2012.
He was highest ranked botanists of Pakistan and served the University of Karachi as a regular faculty till 2012 and as a visiting Professor in several universities of China, Germany, Qatar, UK, and USA.
He was also the Chairman, Core Committee of International experts to rehabilitate coastal Sabkha in UAE by Environmental Agency, UAE and visiting Professor under Distinguished Scientist Fellowship Program, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Professor Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan had also edited more than one dozen books and published 388 research papers with a cumulative impact factor more than 284; RG index of 40.26; h-index of 59 and i10-index of 253.