Iqbal Hussain Qureshi (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

: اقبال حسين قریشی) (27 September 1937 – 8 December 2012) , best known as I.H. Qureshi, was a Pakistani nuclear chemist and an

Emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

professor of chemistry at the

University of Karachi The University of Karachi (; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (which is ...

. Qureshi was the principal contributor of scientific understanding of various chemical elements:

bismuth Bismuth is a chemical element; it has symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a post-transition metal and one of the pnictogens, with chemical properties resembling its lighter group 15 siblings arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth occurs nat ...

cobalt Cobalt is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. ...

strontium Strontium is a chemical element; it has symbol Sr and atomic number 38. An alkaline earth metal, it is a soft silver-white yellowish metallic element that is highly chemically reactive. The metal forms a dark oxide layer when it is exposed to ...

thallium Thallium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Tl and atomic number 81. It is a silvery-white post-transition metal that is not found free in nature. When isolated, thallium resembles tin, but discolors when exposed to air. Che ...

tritium Tritium () or hydrogen-3 (symbol T or H) is a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen with a half-life of ~12.33 years. The tritium nucleus (t, sometimes called a ''triton'') contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of the ...

, iron,

rubidium Rubidium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Rb and atomic number 37. It is a very soft, whitish-grey solid in the alkali metal group, similar to potassium and caesium. Rubidium is the first alkali metal in the group to have ...

, and

zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...

. His career was mostly spent with the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

after leaving his research work at the national laboratories, and advising the government on nuclear policy issues. He pushed his influential role at the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) and the peaceful applications of nuclear science. He spent many years as an educator and research scientist at the Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Nilore before taking a professorship at the

Karachi University The University of Karachi (; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (which is ...

Biography

Iqbal Hussain Qureshi was born on 27 September 1937 in

Ajmer Ajmer () is a city in the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ajmer district and Ajmer division. It lies at the centre of Rajasthan, earning it the ...

, Rajasthan in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

where he received his early education. Following the

Partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

in 1947, his family emigrated to

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

and settled in

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

, where he matriculated from a public high school. He was a

child prodigy A child prodigy is, technically, a child under the age of 10 who produces meaningful work in some domain at the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to describe young people who are extraordinarily talented in some f ...

, being accepted at the

Sindh University The University of Sindh (; ; informally known as Sindh University) is a public research university in Pakistan located in the city of Jamshoro in the Sindh province. It is one of the oldest universities in Pakistan and was certified by ISO in 2 ...

in his teenage years to study chemistry. In 1956, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in chemistry from the

and was noted in newspapers for his top standing in his class, winning the silver medallion with his degree. He continued his studies at the Sindh University, and graduated in 1958 with a Master of Science (MSc) in chemistry with Gold medallion. After earning a scholarship from the

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) () is a federally funded independent governmental agency, concerned with research and development of nuclear power, promotion of nuclear science, energy conservation and the peaceful use of nuclear techn ...

(PAEC) in 1960, Qureshi went to the United States to attend the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

and graduated in 1962 with an MSc in

nuclear chemistry Nuclear chemistry is the sub-field of chemistry dealing with radioactivity, nuclear processes, and transformations in the nuclei of atoms, such as nuclear transmutation and nuclear properties. It is the chemistry of radioactive elements such as t ...

. He went to Japan for his doctoral studies, attending the

University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo (, abbreviated as in Japanese and UTokyo in English) is a public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 as the nation's first modern university by the merger of several pre-westernisation era ins ...

where in 1963 he defended his thesis, ''"Radiochemical separations by Amalgam exchange"'', which contained fundamental work on chemical amalgam applications in

radiochemistry Radiochemistry is the chemistry of radioactive materials, where radioactive isotopes of elements are used to study the properties and chemical reactions of non-radioactive isotopes (often within radiochemistry the absence of radioactivity leads t ...

. In 1994, his biography was written and published by the

in ''American Men & Women of Science: A Biographical Directory of Today's Leaders in Physical, Biological, and Related Sciences'' journal. In 1967, Qureshi returned to the United States and briefly worked for the US

National Bureau of Standards The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical sc ...

as a postdoctoral researcher before leaving for Denmark in 1969. In Denmark, he received training in the areas of uranium and plutonium

isotope separation Isotope separation is the process of concentrating specific isotopes of a chemical element by removing other isotopes. The use of the nuclides produced is varied. The largest variety is used in research (e.g. in chemistry where atoms of "marker" n ...

, which was vital when he returned to Pakistan in 1971 with his expertise and knowledge.

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

In 1960, Qureshi found employment with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), and was posted to the Atomic Energy Center in Lahore where his interest built in

. Upon returning to Pakistan from Denmark in 1971, he joined the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (the national lab) in Nilore, working at the Nuclear Chemistry Division (NCD). As early as 1972, Qureshi joined the team of scientists that began working on the

equation of state In physics and chemistry, an equation of state is a thermodynamic equation relating state variables, which describe the state of matter under a given set of physical conditions, such as pressure, volume, temperature, or internal energy. Most mo ...

of the

radioactive decay Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is conside ...

element

plutonium Plutonium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is a silvery-gray actinide metal that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four ...

, while he established the computerized radiation detection chemical analysis laboratories at the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology in 1973. In 1974, Qureshi and his team was instrumental at the national laboratory when he was the first to confirm the detection of

radiation emission In physics, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is a self-propagating wave of the electromagnetic field that carries momentum and radiant energy through space. It encompasses a broad spectrum, classified by frequency or its inverse, wavelength, ran ...

s coming from

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

in India. Hence, by using

neutron activation analysis Neutron activation analysis (NAA) is a nuclear reaction, nuclear process used for determining the concentrations of chemical element, elements in many materials. NAA allows discrete Sampling (statistics), sampling of elements as it disregards the ...

, confirming

Pokhran-I Smiling Buddha ( MEA designation: Pokhran-I) was the code name of India's first successful nuclear weapon test on 18 May 1974. The nuclear fission bomb was detonated in the Pokhran Test Range of the Indian Army in Rajasthan. As per the United ...

the first Indian

nuclear test Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the performance of nuclear weapons and the effects of their explosion. Nuclear testing is a sensitive political issue. Governments have often performed tests to signal strength. Bec ...

, which India later announced was indeed conducted at the

Pokhran Pokhran (official spelling Pokaran; ) is a town and a municipality located 112 km east of Jaisalmer city in the Jaisalmer district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated in the Thar Desert region. Surrounded by rocks, sand and ...

Test Range. Notably, he led the team that balanced the chemical equation required for the

exothermic In thermodynamics, an exothermic process () is a thermodynamic process or reaction that releases energy from the system to its surroundings, usually in the form of heat, but also in a form of light (e.g. a spark, flame, or flash), electricity (e ...

chemical reaction A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the chemistry, chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. When chemical reactions occur, the atoms are rearranged and the reaction is accompanied by an Gibbs free energy, ...

in fission devices. By 1977, he discovered the technique for balancing the nuclear Q-value and energy balance in a

boosted fission weapon A boosted fission weapon usually refers to a type of nuclear bomb that uses a small amount of fusion fuel to increase the rate, and thus yield, of a fission reaction. The fast fusion neutrons released by the fusion reactions add to the fast ...

.Dr. Iqbal Hussain Qureshi (I. H. Qureshi) was one of the leading scientists who were involved in the development of a nuclear weapon in the early 1970s. Qureshi had led NCD in the physio-chemical development of fissionable materials in the device. Qureshi had discovered the + → +22.4

MeV In physics, an electronvolt (symbol eV), also written electron-volt and electron volt, is the measure of an amount of kinetic energy gained by a single electron accelerating through an electric potential difference of one volt in vacuum. When us ...

equation for balancing the Q-value and energy balance in a fission device. Eventually, Qureshi headed the Nuclear Chemistry Division (NCD) at the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology which was responsible for the multi-stage chemical process that separated, concentrated and isolated plutonium from uranium. At NCD, he also played a supervisory role in developing the Analytical Chemistry Group comprising modern and state of the art analytical chemistry laboratories such as the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy lab, Emission Spectrography lab, Chromatography lab, Electrochemical Analysis lab and radioisotope production labs. The Analytical Chemistry Laboratory was later certified by the

International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...

(IAEA), and oversaw the successful commissioning of the PARR-III reactor that went 'phase critical' in 1973. Qureshi engaged in research about

copper-nickel Cupronickel or copper–nickel (CuNi) is an alloy of copper with nickel, usually along with small quantities of other metals added for strength, such as iron and manganese. The copper content typically varies from 60 to 90 percent. (Monel is a ni ...

alloys after introducing the lattice dynamical method to evaluate the Cu₂₉/ Ni₂₈ alloys. Key and fundamental research on understanding

neutron flux The neutron flux is a scalar quantity used in nuclear physics and nuclear reactor physics. It is the total distance travelled by all free neutrons per unit time and volume. Equivalently, it can be defined as the number of neutrons travelling ...

was carried out by Qureshi, for which he managed to secure patents from the IAEA. After the conclusion of the Pakistan's clandestine atomic bomb projects, he was appointed chief technical officer at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in 1991; though he was more eager to return to academia. Throughout his time at PAEC, Qureshi earned several scientific honors, including the Gold Medal and a Fellowship of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences in 1994. He was a recipient of the

Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and Civil decorations of Pakistan, civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially me ...

(Star of Excellence) from the

in 1992. In 1997, from the Iranian Government, he received the

Khwarizmi International Award The Khwarizmi International Award is a research award given annually by the President of Iran. The awardees, 10 senior researchers and 10 young researchers, are selected by the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST). It ...

for advancing and understanding the "Nuclear analytical techniques development and application in Pakistan".

Academia and government work

In 1996, Qureshi retired from PAEC as Chief Scientific Officer and was made scientist emeritus, which allowed him to continue research at PINSTECH before moving to Karachi. He took up the professorship of chemistry at the

and headed the nuclear chemistry section at the H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry. During this time, he authored several articles and published books on nuclear chemistry. He retained his position till 2001 when he joined the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA).
''Original news link''
At PNRA, Qureshi served as the chief scientific officer and adviser to the government on nuclear policy issues. His contribution and policy efforts led to the physical security of the commercial

nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by ...

infrastructure in the country and helped launched the nuclear awareness campaign following the

Fukushima nuclear disaster The Fukushima nuclear accident was a major nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan, which began on 11 March 2011. The cause of the accident was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which ...

in 2011. He served until 2009 when he decided to accept the professorship of chemistry at the Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In December 2012 Qureshi had a sudden breathing problem and died. He is buried in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

, Sindh.

Personal life and interests

In Pakistan's academia and nuclear society, Qureshi was well known for his interests in classical

music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...

and love of playing the guitar and

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...

, which he played on several occasions. He also had an interest in

American poetry American poetry refers to the poetry of the United States. It arose first as efforts by American colonists to add their voices to English poetry in the 17th century, well before the Constitution of the United States, constitutional unification ...

, which he often quoted among his peers while working on the bomb program, and played tennis avidly during his later life. He was married twice; his first wife died in the 1980s and he later remarried. He had two sons, one a

neurosurgeon Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty that focuses on the surgical treatment or rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, ...

while the other is a

computer scientist A computer scientist is a scientist who specializes in the academic study of computer science. Computer scientists typically work on the theoretical side of computation. Although computer scientists can also focus their work and research on ...

References

External links

Pakistan's nuclear and environment safety issues

Pakistan Academy of Sciences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Qureshi, Iqbal Hussain 1937 births 2012 deaths People from Ajmer Muhajir people Pakistani people of Rajasthani descent University of Sindh alumni University of Michigan alumni University of Tokyo alumni Pakistani chemists Pakistani scientists Nuclear chemists Radiochemistry Pakistani expatriates in the United States Pakistani expatriates in Japan Expatriates in Denmark Project-706 National Institute of Standards and Technology people Academic staff of Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences Academic staff of the University of Karachi Academic staff of Quaid-i-Azam University Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Sitar players Fellows of Pakistan Academy of Sciences Nuclear weapons scientists and engineers Indian emigrants to Pakistan