Pakistani cotton scientist declared the world’s best in 2012
Dr Yusuf Zafar – cotton scientist – has been awarded the ‘Scientist of the Year award 2012′ . The Faisalabad-based scientist played a key role in bringing together the world’s major cotton groups. – File photo
A Pakistan-based scientist has been honoured by the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), the body said in a statement released this week.
Dr Yusuf Zafar, who is the director general agriculture and biotechnology at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission was declared ‘Scientist of the Year-2012’ for his pioneering work in the cotton biotechnology sector.
Zafar has over 110 scientific papers (published in national and international journals) to his name. According to ICAC, “in cotton virology his group covers nearly 90 per cent of the global published literature.”
The Faisalabad-based scientist played a key role in bringing together the world’s major cotton groups, including Australia, China, UK and USA, for the purpose of conducting joint research.
Heading the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering in Faisalabad, Zafar and his team have contributed helped produce nearly 100 M. Phil and 30 Ph. D Pakistan-based students, focussing on various aspects of research and development in cotton. He has, meanwhile, remained in the front line to establish Biosafety Protocols, Plant Breeder Rights, Intellectual Property Rights/Patents and ISO certification in Pakistan.
In 2001, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission awarded him Best Scientist of the Year Award. The President of Pakistan awarded him ‘Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Distinction) in 2004, the highest recognition for a researcher.
In other honours, Zafar has also won the Rockefeller Foundation and UNESCO Research Awards on Agri-Biotechnology, and is member of the USDA Cochran Fellow on Agriculture Biotechnology.
Apart from leading the Faisalabad institute, he is on the Board of Governors of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology-ICGEB (Italy), FAO country focal person on agriculture biotechnology and member of the Cotton Policy Committee of the government.
The ‘Scientist of the year -2012’ award was announced by ICAC late Wednesday. ICAC is an intergovernmental body with 54 members and provides services to Common Funds for Commodity (CFC), an organisation of UNCTAD-UN family.
Applications for the award are invited each year by the Washington DC-based institute and the selection committee comprises five anonymous judges outside the ICAC Secretariat.
. He has made us proud of Pakistan. we are not as bad as projected world around
Congratulations. Finally I got to see the web side which was discussed at Manal Restaurant. Tariq
i am very happy to read this news God bless you with success
doctor sahib i juxt want to say that u r such a national hera and a legend for us………….
Congratulations Dr Yusuf Zafar Sahib. Its good to see someone from pakistan has researched in area of cotton. Just want to know does your research/findings/techniques been utlized on commercially in Sindh/Punjab ?
Dear Dr Yusuf Zafar, Congratulations for having a prestigeous "ICAC ( International Cotton Advisory Committee) award "Scientists of the Year 2012". Thanks for upholding green flag. This is a big sparking news when our country is passing through a critical time. Pakistan ia a great nation & it need leader like you, Dr. Zafar. Allah bless you.
Tariq
Great Job Dr Yousuf Sahab. Pakistan is proud of you. It is great achievement. But it is not highlighed in the article for what particular research work he got the award.
Great we are prod of you my dear Formanite.
Badar n Bushra
It is always nice to hear about a scientist, be it from any country. Pakistan is a great country with loads of opportunities and talent. It just needs to shake off its religious background.
We all are proud of you Dr Yousuf Zafar, Sir We All "Salute" You.
overwhelming response from all over the world provided new hope for the younger generation. We should make promise with ourselves to perform our work with all honesty, dedication and keeping the merit our sole criteria. This is the first step in right direction irrespective of what is happening around us. No nation could survive with injustice for a longer period of time. We have to return to meritocracy. Progress and prosperity will flow automatically. I thank you all for your nice and warm comments. Thank you DAWN for providing space to unsung heros and silent intellect minority who are concerned for humanity as well as for Pakistan..
May Allah bless you Dr. Zafar for your work and for projecting Pakistan in the gloomiest of all the periods noted in the history of this very unfortunate nation.
Wish you all the best and Godspeed, take care and keep smiling
Dr. Yousuf Zafar is really sceintist of the year because his efforts to estabilish biosafety guidelines, plant breeder rights and intelectual property rights are mavallous. Dr. sb please accept the heartiest congratualations from Jullundur seeds, Pakistan. Many regards
We are blessed as we are living in the era of Dr. Yusuf Zafar and I am proud to be a student of him.
You've made us rethink that all is not over yet
Congrates alot sir, great achievement.. keep it up.
Congratulations Dr. Zafar.The whole Pakistani nation is proud of you.No doubt ours is a great nation and can do wonders.Our young generation should follow the example of Dr.Sahib.May Allah Bless you .
Consistent efforts of several years have paved the way to this achievement. Many many congratulations to Dr Yusuf Zafar for having a prestigeous "ICAC Scientists of the Year 2012 award".
Mashaallah! May we have many more Dr. Zafars that can become the pride of Pakistan.
Well Done, Proud of you………….
Keep bringing in good news about Pakistan as well. InshaAllah one day Pakistan would be a truly great nation and be a beacon to the world. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD!
I am an Indian(Hindu) and I am very Proud that a Pakistani Scientist has made such an achievement. Many other Pakistanis can achieve such things provided they get good education and opportunities thereafter to prove their talent.I request all my Pakistani brothers to start loving Indian People and all my Indian Brothers to love Pakistani People. This way people of both the nations will prosper. Let politicians be not allowed to stop us from doing so,otherwise we will continue to suffer .We can't waste any more time in nurturing hate each other.We have to start loving each other and respect each other. Once we forget our enemity,entire world will be at our feet. Please think about it seriously
Congratulation. May Allah helps you to be a blessing for Pakistan.
It takes decades to establish such type of team work, with limited resources to produce such a good result. My all appreciations for Dr Zafar's leadership and dedication to formulate such a nice team. May ALLAH be with you always. Well done Faisalabad.
sajjad iqbal
Dr Zafar,
Congratulations.. Pakistan Badly needs talented people like you, we Pakistanis are proud of you ,, HATS OFF TO YOU