Z.A. Nizami or Zilley Ahmed Nizami (31 May 1931 – 7 April 2013) was a Pakistani educationist and also the founder of the

Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology () (known as "SSUET") is a private research university located in the urban area of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The university is honored in the name of notable 19th-century Indian Muslim reform ...

Early life and career

Born on 31 May 1931, in

Meerut Meerut (, ISO 15919, ISO: ''Mēraṭh'') is a city in the western region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Located in the Meerut district, it is northeast of the national capital, New Delhi, and is ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

, Nizami also served as the director-general of now defunct

Karachi Development Authority Karachi Development Authority (KDA) was established as the city-planning authority of Karachi in 1957, and replaced the earlier Karachi Improvement Trust (KIT). KDA, along with the Lyari Development Authority and Malir Development Authority, is re ...

(KDA). He graduated from

Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh Muslim University is a Collegiate university, collegiate, Central university (India), central, and Research university, research university located in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Kh ...

in India with a degree in civil engineering. Nizami migrated to Karachi, Pakistan in 1951. He was also the president of the Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association. As the director general of the KDA, he guided and took the city of Karachi through 45 schemes of modernization. Besides being a good town planner, one of his outstanding achievements was the founding and establishment of

in 1994 in Karachi, Pakistan. Later his skills, knowledge and expertise were used by the

Government of Saudi Arabia The politics of Saudi Arabia takes place in the context of a unitary absolute monarchy, along traditional Islamist lines, where the King is both the head of state and government. Decisions are, to a large extent, made on the basis of consult ...

in the expansion of Makkah and Madinah cities.Tributes paid to Z.A. Nizami
Business Recorder (newspaper), Published 9 April 2017, Retrieved 22 February 2022

Death and legacy

Z.A. Nizami died on 7 April 2013. Among his survivors were five sons and a daughter. His wife, a short story writer, had died in 2012. On his death, a noted Pakistani educator Pirzada Qasim reportedly said, "Nizami Sahab's biggest achievement was setting up a quality university for which he had received the inspiration through his Aligarh education...The Aligarh University instilled in its students a strong sense of brotherhood and an urge to surpass each other in helping out somebody. I believe Nizami Sahab spent all his life under this positive influence." In April 2017, an event was organized in Karachi to pay tributes to Z.A. Nizami where many professionals associated with him from all over Karachi attended and participated.

References

1931 births 2013 deaths People from Meerut Aligarh Muslim University alumni Founders of Pakistani schools and colleges Pakistani educators {{Pakistan-academic-bio-stub