Ministry of Science and Technology (Pakistan)

Ministry of Science and Technology
Agency overview
Formed	25 December 1974 (1974-12-25) (36 years ago)
Headquarters	Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory
Agency executive	Mir Changez Khan Jamali, Science and Technology Minister
Website
Ministry of Science and Technology

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), is a Cabinet-level ministry of government of Pakistan concerned with science and technology in Pakistan and in general, Pakistan's science policies, planning, coordination and directing of efforts to initiate and launch scientific and technological programs as well as projects aimed at economic development. The government agency is coordinated by the "Science and Technology Minister", and it headquarters in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Mission

The Ministry of science and Technology is the national focal Ministry and enabling arm of the Government of Pakistan for planning, coordination 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 Pakistans 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 Advisors

In 1950, the office 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 Advisor. 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 advisor to the President, who continued as Science Advisor to Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's democratic regime. The post was colloquially knew as "President's Science Advisor" 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 Advisor".

In Pakistan, a Science Advisor is a prestigious and an important tier in Pakistan's science circle. A science advisor is a chief and principal advisor to the Prime minister with a full status of Federal Cabinet minister. A science advisor 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 Advisor".

Numbers	Name	Term	President(s) and Prime minister(s) served
1st	Salimuzzaman Siddiqui	1951-1959	Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan (See the List of Premiers of Pakistan)
2nd	Abdus Salam	1959-1969 1970-1974	President Field Marshal Ayub Khan Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
3rd	Mubashir Hassan	1974 - 1977	Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
4th	MGen Zahid Ali Akbar	1977-1983	President General Zia-ul-Haq
5th	Munir Ahmad Khan	1983-1988 1986-1988 1988-1993	President General Zia-ul-Haq Prime minister Muhammad Khan Junejo Prime minister Benazir Bhutto
6th	Javaid Laghari	1993 - 1996	Prime minister Benazir Bhutto
7th	Ishfaq Ahmad	1996-1998 1993-1996 1999-2001	Prime minister Nawaz Sharif President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar
8th	Abdul Qadeer Khan	2001–2004	President General Pervez Musharraf
9th	Atta ur Rahman	2004–2008	Prime minister Shaukat Aziz
7th	Ishfaq Ahmad	2008–Present	Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani

Departments and Organizations

• Center For Applied & Molecular Biology (CAMB)
• Council for Work and Housing Research (CWHR)
• National Institute of Electronics (NIE)
• National Institute of Oceanography (NIO)
• National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
• Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET)
• Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (PCST)
• Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR)
• Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR)
• Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC)
• Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC)
• Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF)
• Pakistan Standards And Quality Control Authority (PSQCA)
• Pakistan Technology Board Ministry of Science and Technology
• STEDEC Technology Commercialization Corporation of Pakistan (Private) Limited
• National Commission on Nano-Science and Technology (NCNST)

See also

• Government of Pakistan
• Politics of Pakistan

External links

• http://www.most.gov.pk/