The Pakistan Society Award 2017 was presented by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to Syed Babar Ali for his services towards conservation, government, and UK-Pakistan relations.
This is the first time that the award has been given to someone not residing in the UK.
A renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, Syed Babar Ali envisioned and set-up many leading companies of Pakistan, most of which are joint ventures with major multinationals. As an educationist, he led the establishment of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in 1985, of which he is the first Pro-Chancellor. In 1992, he founded the Ali Institute of Education for training of primary and secondary school teachers. He served as Pakistan’s minister of finance, economic affairs & planning in 1993.
Syed Babar Ali promoted the cause of the World Wide Fund for Nature (earlier World Wildlife Fund) where he served in various capacities, both in Pakistan and internationally, from 1972 to 1996. He was International President of WWF from 1996 to 1999 succeeding Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. He is now vice president emeritus of WWF International and president emeritus of WWF-Pakistan.
Former high commissioner to Pakistan, Sir Nicholas Barrington, said that the award was being given to Syed Babar Ali “for the advancement of public knowledge and understanding of Pakistan in the United Kingdom and beyond”.