Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon Graham Layton (18 May 1917 – 7 March 1999) was a British Pakistani Army officer, businessperson, and philanthropist. As a businessman, he co-founded MacDonald Layton Company, one of the most prominent construction companies in Pakistan. The company started as a boat-building business, at West Wharf Yard in Karachi. They soon expanded the business into house building and construction under the name of McDonald, Layton & Company (MLC). As a philanthropist, who Layton co-founded the

Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust or LRBT is Pakistan's largest non-governmental organisation, working to fight blindness in the country. It is assumed to be not only the largest eye provider in the country but also the largest eye care provid ...

, which went on to become the largest non-governmental organisation working to fight blindness in Pakistan.

Early life and career

Layton was born on 18 May 1917 and was brought up in North London. He was educated at Wellingborough School, in Northamptonshire. He was commissioned from an officer cadet into the Royal Engineers as a second lieutenant on the 21st September 1941. He served in India and Burma attached to the Royal Indian Engineers, rising to the rank of Captain & temporary Major. He was appointed a Member of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire ‘in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Burma and on the Eastern Frontier of India’ He received a mention in despatches ‘in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Burma’ in the London Gazette 27th September, 1945. Subsequently, in the London Gazette of 6th June, 1946 he was promoted from Member to Officer of the Military Division of Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Burma. After the war Layton relinquished his emergency commission in the Royal Engineers as a Lieutenant and substantive Major in the war, and was granted the honorary rank of Lieut.-Colonel. In 1947 Layton co-founded MacDonald Layton & Company in Karachi, and it became one of the most prominent construction companies in Pakistan. In 1982, he divested his investment in McDonald Layton & Company and retired to the United Kingdom. In 1984, he acquired Pakistani citizenship. In 1984 he co-founded the

, with Zaka Rahmatulla, with Rs.500,000 apiece. It has been hugely successful, and is now the largest eye-care provider in Pakistan, and possibly in the world. It has treated over 48 million patients in 35 years, and on average treats over 10,500 patients every day, from a number of hospitals and clinics. In 1990, Layton was awarded with the

Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam The Pakistan Civil Awards were established on March 19, 1957, following the proclamation of Pakistan as an independent republic on March 23, 1956. The announcement of civil awards is generally made once a year on Independence Day, August 14, and t ...

. In the New Year's Honours in 1994, he was appointed a commander in the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire ‘For services to the community in Pakistan'.London Gazette 31st December 1994 On his death in 1999, Layton left the bulk of his estate for the benefit of the

References

1917 births 1999 deaths British philanthropists British company founders British Army officers Pakistani philanthropists Pakistani company founders Naturalised citizens of Pakistan Pakistani people of British descent {{UK-bio-stub