Ishrat Hussain Usmani

Ishrat Hussain Usmani was born in Delhi in India on 15 April 1917. Usmani hailed from an educated, cultured, and gentry class, having completed his schooling in Aligarh. Usmani attended the St. Xavier's College in Bombay, and graduated with BSc with honors in physics from the Bombay University in 1936. Usmani continued his education in physics and went to attend the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) where he attained his MSc in physics. At Imperial College, Usmani qualified for Diploma of Imperial College (DIC). His early work and investigation was based on the crystallization, lattice arrangement, and atomic properties of Uranium. In 1941, Usmani was conferred with PhD in atomic physics, just aged 23, and subsequently returned to India in 1942, where he qualified for the examination for the Indian Civil Service (ICS). Rather than seeking teaching career in physics at the Indian universities, Usmani joined the Indian Civil Service in a view of seeking an employment opportunity with the Indian government, and served as an ICS officer in Madras Presidency from 1942 to 1947. ==Career in Government of Pakistan==

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission After the partition of India in 1947 by the United Kingdom, Usmani, who had decided to never teach physics at the university, chose to continue his public service with the Government of Pakistan, serving in various federal agencies including his role as Chief Controller of Imports and Exports with the Ministry of Finance. Under his chairmanship, Usmani engaged the PAEC towards the peaceful usage of nuclear energy for greater industrial output, and supported the American initiatives for Atoms for Peace. In 1967–70, he worked with the Ministry of Defense on nuclear arms control by advising the Yahya administration. On 20 January 1972, President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto relieved Usmani from the Chairmanship by appointing Munir Ahmad Khan, a reactor physicist, in his place. Usmani was dispatched to the Ministry of Science and Technology as its Secretary, remaining involved with and continued lobbying for arms control. This appointment remained short when he was fired from the position and dispatched to the Ministry of Education. ==United Nations==

International Atomic Energy Agency In 1974, Usmani was reassigned in the Bhutto administration when he was appointed as the Education Secretary at the Ministry of Education. He retired from the public service in 1976. Although, Usmani was notified and knew well that the atomic bomb project was a complete success, the program has gone mature, and the critical phase of producing the fissile cores had been achieved since 1978. His publication played an influential role in convincing the United States' policy to ease off the nuclear embargo on Pakistan. He remained with the IAEA until 1985 when he joined the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) to oversee the funding and construction of the University of Computer and Emerging Sciences and the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Technology. He remained associated with the BCCI until 1991 when he retired and returned to Pakistan after 17 years. While in Pakistan, Usmani became a consultant of the New and Emerging Sciences and Technology (NEST) a scientific think tank based in Pakistan. ==Death and legacy==

Usmani returned to Pakistan in 1991 where he bought an estate in Karachi, Sindh, and died on 17 June 1992. In his country, Usmanis' advocacy for nuclear arms control and civil use of nuclear power remains popular. During his public service, Usmani successfully presented the idea of Scientific Services, where scientists could seek promising career and permanent employment with the federal government, which many of his peers and scientists did. In May 1998, Usmani was posthumously recognized for his services when he was conferred with his nation's highest honor, the Nishan-i-Imtiaz. ==See also==