News

PRO No. 53/11
Dated 08/04/2011
Public Relations Office
The Islamia University of Bahawalpur

A three day International Conference entitled “Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan V---- Muslamanan-e-Hind ka Sadiq dost” (the true friend of the Muslims of India), under the auspices of the Department of History and Pakistan Studies. The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, to pay rich tributes to the late Nawab for his meritorious and sincere co-operation extended to the newly born state of Pakistan at the time of partition. A total of 50 national and international historians and scholars participated in the conference and presented their research papers on the topic. This event was organized at the Main Auditorium, Baghdad-ul-Jadeed Campus.
The inaugural session was presided over by the Vice Chancellor, IUB, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, while the Chief Guest on the occasion was Nawab Muhammad Salahuddin Abbasi, the grand son of the last ruler of the ex-princely state of Bahawalpur, His Highness Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V. In his inaugural address the Vice Chancellor said that the enlightened rulers of the former state focused their attention and resources on the promotion of education and extended a network of the educational institutions and when the first college of Bahawalpur, Sadiq Egerton College was founded, the college education was being provided only in Lahore and Delhi. In 1925 Jamia-e-Abbasia was inaugurated, which ultimately was converted in to a chartered university as the Islamia University of Bahawalpur. Due to this blessed facility the students of this backward area have been seeking the benefit of higher education at their door step. Actually the services extended by IUB were the continuity of the academic and literary services rendered by the late Nawab. Hence it was the need of the hour to highlight the factor of Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan V with reference to the element of his financial patronage of the reputable academic institutions of India, Punjab University, Lahore, Muslim University, Aligarh, Nidvat-ul-Ulema, Luck now and Jamia-e-Millia Delhi. His glorious and eminent services for the promotion of academic activities would be a beacon of light for the men in authority for the time to come.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar said that IUB has achieved a status and standard of an emerging university of the country over the years and has become a model institution through its continuous stride towards the top. He hoped that IUB would soon be successful in achieving its exclusive goal to set precedence for others to follow and this would be the best way to pay tributes to the founder of IUB His Highness Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V,
The Chief Guest of the occasion, Nawab Muhammad Salahuddin Abbasi, extended his gratitude to the VC and his faculty members for organizing an international conference to highlight the achievements of his grand father, particularly in the field of education in this far flung area. He said that Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan V was greatly interested in the promotion of education and his passion was to adorn every native of the state with the light of education. In his efforts for the dissemination of education he readily spent the resources of the state and launched a number of educational institutions all over the state including the exclusive Sadiq Public School, Bahawalpur. This institution has produced such graduates who have introduced the name of Bahawalpur and its founder on the national and international scene with their magnificent and marvelous achievements. Even the existence of IUB is in itself bound in gratitude to His Highness, who extended glorifying services for the provision of the illumination of education to his masses. He advised the students to reap benefit with this facility of higher education to the maximum and illuminate their minds with the demands of the modern day education. He promised to extend his full support and co-operation to IUB in all its future pursuits.
Earlier the Commissioner Bahawalpur Division, Mian Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmed while expressing his views on the occasion said that the best way to pay tribute and acknowledge the services of our great leaders was to organize conferences and seminars to highlight their achievements, so that the students might be able to seek guidance from their golden deeds.
Chairman Department of History and Pakistan Studies Prof. Dr. Syed Asif Ali Rizvi presented the aims and objectives of the conference. Dr Shahid Hassan Rizvi conducted the proceedings of the conference.
Dean Faculty of Islamic Learning Prof. Dr. Salim Tariq Khan welcomed the delegates and hoped that their stay in IUB would be comfortable and memorable. He said that with the holding of this conference, new dimensions of the magnificent personality of His Highness Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V would be highlighted in this conference through the extensive research of learned scholars.
The key note speaker in the inaugural session, an eminent historian and former Vice Chancellor of Bahauddin Zikriya University, Multan, Prof. Dr. Ashiq Muhammad Khan Durrani delivered a though provoking address.  He highlighted the history dateline since the arrival of Abbasi rulers in Indo Pak sub continent from Arab up to the inception of Bahawalpur State and lauded the efforts of the Abbasi rulers in launching public welfare projects to upgrade the life style of their public. He said that Bahawalpur State was the most prosperous of the princely states of India, as it never faced famine or any kind of food shortage.
Former Dean Social Sciences, Karachi University, Prof. Dr. Shamsuddin confined his research paper to the national and religious services rendered by His Highness and highlighted his exclusive accomplishments in this field in the academic institutions of British India. He also recommended acknowledging his services on the state level.
Two informal sessions were held on the first day. The first session was presided over by Dean Faculty of arts, Prof. Dr. Najeebuddin Jamal and chief guest was social and literary figure of the city, Malik Habibullah Bhutta. The research papers were presented by Prof. Dr. Humera Dasti BZU Multan, Dr Abida Shams Karachi University and Prof. Dr. Anjum Rehmani, NCA, Lahore on different aspects of Bahawalpur State and Nawab Sir Sadiq for his laudable welfare services in various fields of life. The second session was chaired by the Egyptian scholar, Dr Ibrahim Muhammad Ibrahim Al Misri, while Sahibzada Qamaruzzaman Abbasi was the chief guest. The distinguished scholars, who presented their exclusive papers, were Prof. Dr. Muhammad Qasim Soomro, Sindh University, Dr Muhammad Tahir, Syed Tabish Alvari and Syed Hafeez Qaiser. The scholars highlighted the religious aspect of the Nawab and said that Nawab Sadiq was a true follower of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) and a faithful Muslim. Hence in this regard he not only patronized the religious seminaries in and out of state but also promoted the Islamic values in his state. It is also fact that the Mirzais were declared infidel during his reign by the Bahawalpur High Court in 1937.
The first session of the second day was presided over by Mian Muhammad Mushtaq, Commissioner Bahawalpur Division, and the guest of honor was Maj. (R) Munir Ahmed, Principal Sadiq Public School Bahawalpur. Ms Kishwar Sultana AIOU Islamabad, Prof Nasim Baloch, Yazman and Dr Ghulam Yasin Naru, Dubai presented their research papers on the topics of Role of State in the Stability of Pakistan, Colonization Social component of the State and Health System under Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan V respectively. Maulana Abdul Wahab Khilji from India presided over the second session and the guest of honor was Prof. Dr. Abdul Latif Mirza. Dr Rahila Khalid Qureshi, Chairperson, Arabic Department IUB, Prof Khalid Mehmood, Islamabad, Prof. Dr. Abdul Majeed, London, Dr Mrs. Sehbani Tabassum Minhas, Punjab University, Lahore and Dr Nawaz Kavish read out their papers about the unparalleled services of His Highness Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V in different sectors of the society. The third session was held in the chairmanship of Mr Mukhtar Ahmed Farani, a renowned lawyer, while guests of honor were Prof. Dr. Abdul Rauf Zafar, Director Seerat Chair, IUB and Engr Fayyaz Hussein, from Saudi Arabia. Prominent among the scholars who presented their research papers about the outstanding achievements of Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan V were Prof. Dr. Mansoor Akbar Kundi VC Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Akram Chaudhary, ex-VC University of Sargodha, Dr Muhammad Zubair, Karachi University and Khan Faqir Khan, UST Bannu. The scholars highlighted the religious, academic and welfare services in the form of steps taken for the well being of the public of the State. They paid rich tributes to the Nawab for generously providing funds for the promotion of education and the launching of scholarships for the aspiring students for enabling them to seek education. The inauguration of the educational institutions in Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur districts was a commendable achievement at a time when the educational facility was not available in most of the British India. The founding of Sadiq Reading Library was also a proof of his passion for the knowledge. In the health sector. He also focused his special attention on the health sector and established six major hospitals and dispensaries in the State for free medical treatment and supply of medicines to the ailing humanity. He also instituted judiciary, treasury and administrative departments during his rule and set a model for other princely states of India.
On the third and final day the concluding session was presided over by VC IUB Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar. On this occasion Prof. Dr. Riaz Ahmed of Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, presented recommendations of the participants in a five point resolution, which was approved unanimously. The following recommendations were proposed:

The participating delegates expressed their gratitude to VC IUB Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, university management and faculty on the successful organization of the conference and great hospitality extended to them during their stay. They also praised the co-operation of Higher Education Commission and the high standard of the research papers presented during the conference.