Laeeq Ahmed Khan (29 October 1933 27 January 2014; sometimes spelled Laiq Ahmed) was a Pakistani commentator, broadcaster, educationist, and

radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

and

television presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces or hosts television show, television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. It is common for people ...

. He hosted television programmes broadcast by PTV such as 1970 general election and launch of Rehbar-I. Primary known for his role in science magazine shows and education, he also organised a

talk show A talk show is a television programming, radio programming or podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show', pp.3-4Erler, Robert (201 ...

during 1974 Islamic Summit Conference. He produced more than 500 television programmes focused on various topics such as science, environment, global issues and current affairs. His prominent programmes include ''Science Magazine'' and ''Kab Kyon Kaise'' (When, Why and How). He also used to host science talk shows called 'Science Magazine' at PTV starting in 1965. This TV program ran for 30 years and became one of the longest-running TV show on PTV.

Early life and education

He was born to Siddique Ahmed Khan and Ameena Begum on 29 October 1933, in

Punjab, British India The Punjab Province, officially the Province of the Punjab, was a province of British India, with its capital in Lahore and summer capitals in Murree and Simla. At its greatest extent, it stretched from the Khyber Pass to Delhi; and from the ...

(in modern-day

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

, Pakistan). He obtained his BSc in

Statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. In applying statistics to a s ...

from the

Government College, Lahore The Government College University (colloquially known as GCU; Punjabi, Urdu: ) is a public research university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Founded as Government College, Lahore, in 1864 under British administration, it became a university i ...

, and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in Physics and M.P.Adm from the

University of Punjab The University of the Punjab (UoP) is a public research university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Founded in 1882, its international influence has made it one of the most prestigious universities in South Asia; being the oldest and largest publ ...

. Later in 1968, he did postgraduate training in

Nuclear Engineering Nuclear engineering is the engineering discipline concerned with designing and applying systems that utilize the energy released by nuclear processes. The most prominent application of nuclear engineering is the generation of electricity. Worldwide ...

from the

Queen Mary University of London Queen Mary University of London (QMUL, or informally QM, and formerly Queen Mary and Westfield College) is a public university, public research university in Mile End, East London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University ...

when 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 ...

sent him to England. He married Nasira Khan at 24, with whom he had seven children, including five daughters and two sons.

Career

He started his career in 1964 with

Pakistan Television Corporation Pakistan Television Corporation (; reporting name: PTV); also known as ''Pakistan Television'', is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster founded by the Government of Pakistan, operating under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. I ...

's science magazine. However, his role as a commentator was recognised in 1972 when

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979) was a Pakistani barrister and politician who served as the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and later as the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan from 19 ...

arrived at one of the Pakistan's airports after signing the

Simla Agreement The Simla Agreement, also spelled Shimla Agreement, was a peace treaty signed between India and Pakistan on 2 July 1972 in Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh. It followed the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, which began after India interv ...

. He participated in uncertain national and international conferences, seminars and workshops focused on social and religious topics such as Islam and Family Planning and subsequently organised a social awareness program titled ''Mas'ala No.1'' (Matter No. 1). He served in the

Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training () is a federal ministry of the Government of Pakistan. The ministry's political head is known as thMinister of Pakistanand the ministry's bureaucratic head is the Education Secretary ...

from 1980 to 1987, during which he proposed establishment of the Primary and Non-Formal Education Wing, responsible for education development. Prior to joining the Ministry of Education, he worked at various universities and financial institutions such as

University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

(UET),

Allama Iqbal Open University Allama Iqbal Open University is a public university in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is named after Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the country's national poet. It is the world's fifth largest institution of higher learning in terms of enrolment, with an a ...

and the

National Bank of Pakistan National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) is a Pakistani government-owned multinational commercial bank which is a subsidiary of State Bank of Pakistan. It is headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan. As of December 2022, it has over 1,500 branches across Paki ...

. During his last days of the career, he served as director general at the Academy of Educational Planning and Management (AEPAM) until he retired in 1994. Prior to his appointment as director general, he served as a director education and Professor at

Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...

. While working at PTV, his live transmission of 1977 general election was one of his prominent programmes. He produced most programmes between 1960s to 1980s. He was last seen on 16 November 2013 on PTV.

Major events coverage

* Pakistani general election, 1970 – live news coverage of the 'Elections 1970', a 36-hour long broadcast from

, Pakistan. *

of 1972 – Laeeq Ahmed was the commentator when

landed at the airport after signing the Simla Agreement. * Islamic Summit Conference held at Lahore in 1974 – Laeeq Ahmed was again the PTV commentator. *

Pakistan Day Pakistan Day (, lit. ''Yaum-e-Pakistan'') is a national holiday in Pakistan primarily commemorating the adoption of the first Constitution of Pakistan during the transition of the Dominion of Pakistan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on 23 ...

on 23 March plus

Independence Day (Pakistan) Independence Day (), observed annually on 14 August, is a National days in Pakistan, national holiday in Pakistan. It commemorates the day when Pakistan achieved independence from the United Kingdom and was declared a sovereign state follow ...

on 14 August each year, were covered by him as a commentator for many years in the 1970s.

Death

Laeeq Ahmed Khan was suffering from a

chronic condition A chronic condition (also known as chronic disease or chronic illness) is a health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. The term ''chronic'' is often applied when the ...

and died on 27 January 2014 in

, Pakistan. He is buried in H-11 graveyard, Islamabad.

Awards

*''1997'': Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the

PTV Awards PTV National Awards () was an awards ceremony annually held by the Pakistan Television Corporation. The awards were first introduced in the late 1970s to encourage talented people in Pakistan. History The PTV awards is the largest awards cerem ...

*''1994'':

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance (), officially known as the Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sp ...

Award by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

*''1986'': PTV Award for the Best Compere on PTV *''1983'': PTV Award for the Best Commentator on PTV *

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) Award by 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 ...

External links

List of Pakistanis Pakistan is the fifth most populous nation in the world. Below is a list of some notable people who relate to the country. See Pakistani people for a list of pages about notable Pakistanis by category. Heads of state or government Civil / demo ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Laeeq 1933 births 2014 deaths Government College University, Lahore alumni University of the Punjab alumni Alumni of Queen Mary University of London Radio personalities from Lahore Pakistani radio presenters Pakistani academic administrators Pakistani television talk show hosts Pakistani television newsreaders and news presenters Recipients of the Pride of Performance Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz PTV Award winners Mass media people from Lahore