32 Facts About Salimuzzaman Siddiqui

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, was a Pakistani organic chemist specialising in natural products, and a professor of chemistry at the University of Karachi.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui later moved to Pakistan and worked in the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui went on to establish the Pakistan National Science Council and was appointed its first chairman in 1961.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui later co-founded the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, and after retirement from the government, he founded the Hussain Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of Chemistry.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui is credited with pioneering the isolation of unique chemical compounds from the Neem, Rauvolfia, and various other flora.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui's paintings were exhibited in the United States, Germany, India, and Pakistan.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was born in Subeha near Lucknow on 19 October 1897.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui's father's name was Chaudhry Muhammad Zaman and his elder brother Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman was a distinguished All India Muslim League leader and one of the founding fathers of Pakistan.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui received his early education from Lucknow, both in the Urdu and Persian languages, and soon developed interest in literature, poetry, and calligraphy from his father Sheikh Muhammad Zaman.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui graduated in Philosophy and Persian language, from Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1920.

In 1920, Salimuzzaman Siddiqui proceeded to University College London to study medicine.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui received Doctor of Philosophy under the supervision of Julius Von Braun in 1927.

Many years later, as a successful scientist in Pakistan, Salimuzzaman Siddiqui repaid Hakeem Ajmal Khan's kindness by dedicating his discoveries to him.

However, soon after the death of Hakim Ajmal Khan, Salimuzzaman Siddiqui left the post.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui named the newly discovered chemical compound as Ajmaline, after his mentor Hakim Ajmal Khan who was one of the illustrious practitioners of Unani system of medicine in South Asia.

Later on, Salimuzzaman Siddiqui extracted other alkaloids from Rauvolfia serpentina that included Ajmalinine, Ajmalicine, Isoajmaline, Neoajmaline, Serpentine and Serpentinine.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was the first scientist to bring the anthelmintic, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral constituents of the Neem tree to the attention of natural products chemists.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui identified nimbidin as the main active antibacterial ingredient, and the highest yielding bitter component in the neem oil.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui had more than 50 chemical compounds patented in his name in addition to those discovered as a result of his joint research with other colleagues and students.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui migrated to Pakistan in 1951, four years after the emergence of Pakistan in 1947, after being offered and appointed as "science advisor" to the government by Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was appointed as Director of the Pakistan Department of Research that was reformulated in 1953 as Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

In 1956, when Government of Pakistan established Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission as an atomic research agency, Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was designated as its technical member.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui remained the director and chairman of PCSIR until the time of his retirement in 1966.

In 1967, Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was invited by University of Karachi to set up a Postgraduate Institute of Chemistry in affiliation with the Department of Chemistry.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was designated as the institute's Founder Director, whereas the additional research staff was provided by PCSIR.

In due time, Salimuzzaman Siddiqui transformed the institute into a distinguished centre of international excellence in the field of chemistry and natural products.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui remained the director of the Hussain Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of Chemistry until 1990.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui published over 400 research papers and was granted 50 patents.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui died on 14 April 1994 due to cardiac arrest after a brief illness in Karachi.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui compiled a selection of poetry of Mir Taqi Mir into Intekhab-e-Meer.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was remembered by his students and colleagues, many of whom continued to dedicate their international research and publications to his memory.

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui was a founder-member of the Indian and Pakistan Academies of Sciences, and later a founder member of the international body the Third World Academy of Sciences.