Ministry of Science and Technology (Pakistan)
وزارت سائنس و ٹیکنالوجی | |
| |
Agency overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 1964[1] |
Headquarters | Islamabad, Pakistan |
Minister responsible |
|
Agency executive |
|
Website |
most |
The Ministry of Science and Technology (Urdu: وزارت سائنس و ٹیکنالوجی, abbreviated as MoST) is a Cabinet-level ministry of the Government of Pakistan concerned with science and technology in Pakistan and in general, Pakistan's science policy, planning, co-ordination and directing of efforts to initiate and launch scientific and technological programs as well as projects aimed at economic development. The ministry is coordinated by the Federal Minister for Science and Technology and is headquartered in Islamabad.
Mission
The Ministry of science and Technology is the national focal Ministry and enabling arm of the Government of Pakistan for planning, co-ordination and directing efforts to initiate and launch scientific and technological programs and projects aimed at economic development of the country. The Ministry is working on the national agenda to have a sound and sustainable Science and technological research base which would lead to the socio-economic development of the country and to achieve the vision for a better Pakistan.
The principle agenda of the MoST is building Pakistan's technological competence in the 21st century by leap forging into new markets, develop a larger pool of human resource for reverse brain drain and integrate the soft technology infrastructure into hard modern technological base, strengthen technology institutions, effective S & TR governance and enhance the capacity if indigenous innovation systems.
Science Advisers
In 1950, the office of Science Adviser was created by former Prime minister Liaqat Ali Khan who sent an invitation to Salimuzzaman Siddiqui to emigrate to Pakistan. An office was set up in Prime minister Secretariat and Siddiqui served as its first Science Adviser. In 1959, Military dictator of Pakistan and then-known as Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army, Field Marshal Ayub Khan moved the office in Presidential Residence. World-renowned scientist Dr. Abdus Salam was appointed as science adviser to the President, who continued as Science Adviser to Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's democratic regime. The post was colloquially known as "President's Science Adviser" till Pakistan's political system was shifted back to Parliamentary democracy system through a constitutional amendment, passed by the Parliament in 1974. The post was renamed as "Prime minister's Science Adviser".
In Pakistan, a Science Adviser is a prestigious and an important tier in Pakistan's science circle. A science adviser is a chief and principal adviser to the Prime minister with a full status of Federal Cabinet minister. A science adviser advises the Prime minister on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs and also mandate to supervise the government-led science and technology and engineering projects in the government agencies and departments. As of today, the director of this office is colloquially known as the "Prime minister's Science Adviser".
Order | Listing Science Advisers | Tenure | Prime Ministers | Presidents | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Salimuzzaman Siddiqui | 1951–1959 | Liaquat Ali Khan | Iskandar Ali Mirza | Appointed by Ali Khan and served under various other Prime ministers |
2nd | Abdus Salam | 1960–1974 | Zulfikar Ali Bhutto | Ayub Khan | Appointed by Ayub Khan in 1960 and served under both Zulfikar Bhutto from 1970 until 1974 |
3rd | Mubashir Hassan | 1974–1977 | Zulfikar Ali Bhutto | ||
4th | Major-General Zahid Ali Akbar | 1977–1983 | General Muhmmad Zia-ul-Haq | ||
5th | Munir Ahmad Khan | 1983–1990 | M.K. Junejo Benazir Bhutto | General Zia-ul-Haq | Appointed by Zia-ul-Haq in 1983, served under Benazir Bhutto until 1990 |
6th | Javaid Laghari | 1993–1996 | Benazir Bhutto | ||
7th | Ishfaq Ahmad | 1996–2001 | Navaz Sharif | General Prevez Musharraf | Appointed by Nawaz Sharif, served under both Sharif (1999) and Musharraf until 2001 |
8th | Abdul Qadeer Khan | 2001–2004 | Shaukat Aziz | ||
9th | Atta ur Rahman | 2004–2008 | Shaukat Aziz | ||
Ishfaq Ahmad | 2008–2013 | Yousaf Raza Gillani | Asif Ali Zardari | Re-appointed by Gillani in 2008 for second term | |
10th | Zahid Hamid | 2013–President | Nawaz Sharif | ||
Agencies
The following agencies are situated under the Ministry of Science and Technology:-
- Council for Work and Housing Research
- National Institute of Electronics (Pakistan)
- National Institute of Oceanography (Pakistan)
- National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan
- Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies
- Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources
- Pakistan Council for Science and Technology
- National Commission for Science and Technology
- Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
- Pakistan Engineering Council
- Pakistan National Accreditation Council
- Pakistan Science Foundation
- Pakistan Museum of Natural History
- Pakistan Scientific and Technological Information Center
- Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority