Kazi Zulkader Siddiqui (Urdu: قاضی ذوالقدر صدیقی) (born 1952) is Pakistani businessman, academician and social worker. His contributions towards social sector development, academics and business leadership have been recognized in Pakistan and other countries. He has been successful in establishing businesses in different areas of technology, and is recognized as a leading entrepreneur in the field of alternate energy technologies in Pakistan and the region. He is known for his lectures and writings on various areas of human, social and professional responsibility and Muslim thought in Pakistan and elsewhere. He is often in demand as a speaker at different forums in Pakistan, South Asia and USA.
Kazi is a pioneer in solar energy in Pakistan. Working closely with the Government of Punjab, Kazi was instrumental in developing the concept and the initial development of the 1000MW QA Solar Park at Bahawalpur, Pakistan, including the construction and implementation of the first 100MW grid connected solar power plant in the country.
He is the founder of the Techcorp Group of Companies[1] and Emerging Energy Systems[2] which are spread out over Pakistan, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Afghanistan and China. The group is involved in alternate energy solutions, engineering services and construction business aimed primarily at the telecom sector, structures, and institutional corporate buildings. In addition, the group is involved in the security services business.[3]
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the world’s sixth-most populous country with a population exceeding 212,742,631 people. In area, it is the 33rd-largest country, spanning 881,913 square kilometres. Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometre (650-mile) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest, and China in the far northeast. It is separated narrowly from Tajikistan by Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor in the northwest, and also shares a maritime border with Oman.
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a sovereign country in South Asia. It shares land borders with India and Myanmar (Burma). The country's maritime territory in the Bay of Bengal is roughly equal to the size of its land area. Bangladesh is the world's eighth most populous country as well as its most densely-populated, to the exclusion of small island nations and city-states. Dhaka is its capital and largest city, followed by Chittagong, which has the country's largest port. Bangladesh forms the largest and easternmost part of the Bengal region. Bangladeshis include people from a range of ethnic groups and religions. Bengalis, who speak the official Bengali language, make up 98% of the population. The politically dominant Bengali Muslims make the nation the world's third largest Muslim-majority country. Islam is the official religion of Bangladesh.
The United Arab Emirates, sometimes simply called the Emirates, is a country in Western Asia at the southeast end of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south, as well as sharing maritime borders with Qatar to the west and Iran to the north. The sovereign constitutional monarchy is a federation of seven emirates consisting of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain. Their boundaries are complex, with numerous enclaves within the various emirates. Each emirate is governed by a ruler; together, they jointly form the Federal Supreme Council. One of the rulers serves as the President of the United Arab Emirates. In 2013, the UAE's population was 9.2 million, of which 1.4 million are Emirati citizens and 7.8 million are expatriates.
He has worked as a senior executive for over four decades in corporate management, international business, marketing management, industrial management, and business development in the fields of alternate energy, information technology/services, technology systems and services, and industrial and construction products and systems. He has successfully led several major corporations and businesses in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Bangladesh in various areas of technology including alternate energy, telecommunications, information services, chemical industry, electrical distribution and civil construction.
In addition to his business accomplishments, he has been deeply involved in academic activities, primarily with universities in Pakistan. He has also demonstrated his leadership in social sector development and relief activities through Non-governmental organisations. (NGO) He is the founder chairman of the Petarian Foundation,[4] and a director of the Metupak Foundation. Both of these organisations are involved in improving the standard of education in Pakistan.[5]
Kazi is a pioneer in the field of wind energy, solar energy, bio-fuels and waste to energy in Pakistan, which are expected to provide a clean source of energy in line with international efforts to reduce pollution and global warming. He has been instrumental in introducing small wind turbines and solar systems on a large scale in an organised manner in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Ancestry
Kazi Zulkader traces his lineage to the first Caliph Abu Bakr. He is also a direct descendant of the famous Sufi Baha-ud-din Zakariya Multani (1160–1267). One of Baha-ud-din Zakariya's great-grandsons – Shaykh Nizamuddin – moved to the Deccan in South India during the reign of Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq around the year 1343. Subsequently, this branch of the family settled down in Hyderabad for over six centuries. Kazi Zulkader's ancestors were given the title of "Kazi", i.e. judge and administrators of the various towns that were located west of the city of Hyderabad – like Qandahar, Udgir, Parbhani, etc.
Abdallah bin Abi Quhafah, popularly known as Abu Bakr, was a companion and—through his daughter Aisha—a father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Muhammad bin Tughluq was the Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351. He was the eldest son of Ghiyas -ud -Din -Tughlaq, the Turko-Indian founder of the Tughluq dynasty. He was born in New Delhi. His wife was the daughter of the Raja of Dipalpur. Ghiyas-ud-din sent the young Muhammad to the Deccan to campaign against king Prataparudra of the Kakatiya dynasty whose capital was at Warangal in 1321 and 1323. Muhammad ascended to the Delhi throne upon his father's death in 1325. He was interested in medicine and was skilled in several languages — Persian, Arabic, Turkish and Sanskrit. Ibn Battuta, the famous traveler and jurist from Morocco, was a guest at his court and wrote about his suzerainty in his book. From his accession to the throne in 1325 until his death in 1351, Muhammad contended with 22 rebellions, pursuing his policies, consistently and ruthlessly.
A qadi is the magistrate or judge of a Shariʿa court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions, such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and minors, and supervision and auditing of public works.
His grandmother's great grand father was the great Sufi Sayyid Sahib Husayni, who is buried at Tekmal.
A year after the creation of Pakistan, his grandfather Kazi Zainul Abedin moved to Pakistan and settled down in Mirpurkhas, Sindh in 1948. Kazi Zainul Abedin spent the rest of his years at Mirpurkhas in developing agricultural farms and social work in that area. He died in 1962 and is buried on his farms there.
He spent his high school years at Cadet College Petaro,[8] one of the premier institutions in Pakistan, from where he completed his Matriculation and Intermediate (FSc). Cadet College Petaro is located around 160km from Karachi, the main port city of Pakistan. This college has produced many prominent Pakistanis who have excelled in every field in Pakistan.
In 1969, upon completion of his High School Certificate from Petaro, Kazi moved to Ankara, Turkey and was admitted to the Chemical Engineering program at the Middle East Technical University in the Fall of that year with a full merit scholarship from CENTO. Those were tumultuous years, and the university was going through a difficult period. With political upheavals influenced by Leftist and communist philosophies, Middle East Technical University was also hit badly. Boycott of classes and other Leftist student activities disrupted studies, leading to closure of the university for 6 months from March – August 1971 after a battle on campus between the Leftist students and the Turkish armed forces.
Dissatisfied with the loss of academic progress and the on-campus politics, Kazi then chose to make a move. He applied for transfer to MIT, USA. He was granted admission as a transfer student in the Second year with scholarship and financial assistance from the university. He moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts in September 1971. Subsequently, he graduated from MIT from the Department of Chemical Engineering in 1974.
Upon return to Pakistan from Canada, Kazi Zulkader married Ayesha in 1980. They have four children – Amina, Kazi Muhammad, Khadija and Sarah.
Academic experience
For the past several years, Kazi has also been a professor of Ethics, History and Religion at various universities in Pakistan. He has been Professor of Civilization Studies and Medical Ethics at the Shifa College of Medicine (Bahria University) where he headed the "Physician and Society" program from 2003 to 2010. This unique program examined philosophical and medical ethics issues in a Muslim and Pakistani environment.
He has lectured extensively on various subjects related to civilizational studies, ethics, religion and technology in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Canada and Sri Lanka.[10][11]
Kazi Zulkader Siddiqui at the 100MW QA Solar Power Plant at Bahawalpur, Pakistan with ILF engineer Momin AwanKazi Zulkader Siddiqui in Control Room of the 100MW QA Solar Power Plant at Bahawalpur, Pakistan with Zhang Ting, Project Manager of TBEA SunOasis
The concept and implementation of the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QA Solar) at Bahawalpur was his single largest contribution towards development of solar energy technologies in Pakistan. He worked closely with the Government of Punjab to develop the concept of having a 1000MW solar power plant to reduce the energy shortage in the country. Working closely with TBEA of China, he was instrumental in the design, engineering, contractual implementation, construction and commissioning of the first 100MW of the project. This was the first ever grid-connected solar power plant built in Pakistan. In order to ensure highest performance and output, German consultants were employed to oversee the quality of the equipment used and the construction methodology. The project was implemented in record time. The construction of the plant took only 3 months once the design was approved by the consultants. The output of the plant is around 10 percent above the estimated capacity.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan awarded Kazi with a Gold Medal on the date of inauguration of the plant for his work in making this project a reality in record time and within budget, and for successfully coordinating between the client, consultants, contractors and other the utility companies involved.
Prior to his contributions in the field of solar energy, Kazi was responsible for the construction and implementation of several major mobile telephone infrastructure projects in Pakistan, Bangladesh, UAE and Afghanistan. This included the initial phases of construction and launch of infrastructure for Ufone (Pakistan), Warid Telecom (Pakistan), Warid Telecom (Bangladesh), Wateen Telecom (Pakistan) with the development of Main Switching Centers (MSCs) and BTS cell sites. He was also partially responsible for the infrastructure development of Mobilink (Pakistan), Zong (Pakistan), Etisalat (UAE), Afghan Wireless, and Telenor (Pakistan).
During his years in Saudi Arabia, he led the projects for the establishment of two chemical industries – production of corrosion inhibitors for gas turbines, and production of silicates and aluminates.
Work with NGOs
His work in different capacities with non-governmental organisations is well recognized in Pakistan. Most notable among these is his work with the Petarian Foundation which is certified by the Pakistan Council for Philanthropy. Since its inception in 2003, he has been the chairman[14] of the Petarian Foundation, which offers scholarships to needy and meritorious students at Cadet College Petaro, and runs teacher training programs.
The devastating earthquake[15] in the northern areas of Pakistan on 8 October 2005 brought the Petarian Foundation to offer relief programs, medical relief programs and reconstruction and rehabilitation programs under his leadership.[16] To date, the Petarian Foundation has disbursed nearly US$2.5 million worth of relief and reconstruction services in Bagh, AJK in cash and kind.
The Foundation also established relief camp for the Internally Displaced Persons from Swat at Peshawar in 2009, and for the affected population of the 2010 Floods in Pakistan. It set up relief camp at Jhimpir, Sindh, and constructed homes for people at Jhimpir, Dadu, and Peshawar District.
Kazi was also the founder President of the METUPAK Foundation, established by the Pakistani alumni of Middle East Technical University (METU). The foundation strove to establish a world class technical university in Pakistan on the lines of METU. Much of the work on this project was done and the foundation obtained the requisite approvals from the Higher Education Commission and the President of Pakistan in 2007. However, with the political upheavals that followed and changes in government, all such public sector university projects were abandoned by the government of the People's Party. The foundation had to abandon the project.
Another important milestone was the establishment of Hyderabad Foundation USA,[17] which has the objective to support provision of free or low cost healthcare to the impoverished people of South Asia. Kazi has been the President of this foundation from its inception. The first project is the support and development for the Osmania Hospital in Karachi which is owned and operated on charitable basis by the Hyderabad Relief and Rehabilitation Trust.
Other activities
Since his return to Pakistan in 1995, Kazi has been involved in a number of activities and has contributed to support social sector and educational programs. He has been deeply involved in philanthropic organisations.
Due to his commitments, he was chosen to sit on the Board of Governors / Management Board of the following academic institutions:
During the tenure of Dr. Zafar Ishaq Ansari, he served as an honorary adviser on technology, and an ex-officio member of the Board of Research at the Islamic Research Institute of the International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan for nearly 15 years.
Kazi is also an education counselor for new undergraduate applicants to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA, USA. He has also been a Member of the Nomination Committee for selection of candidates from Pakistan for the Eisenhower Foundation Fellowships, Washington, DC.
Publications
Kazi has authored a number of books and articles on history, religion, ethics and technology. His articles have been published in the Journal of Pakistan Historical Society, Islamic Studies, Al-Hawliyah, Arc, and other journals. He was the editor of a number of journals during his student days at MIT and McGill University.
His published books are as follows:
"A Righteous Heart: The Axis of One's Deeds", tr. of Khurram Murad’s book "Dil ki zindagi" from Urdu to English, KZS Books, USA, 2018 (published through Amazon and Kindle), 47 pp.
"The Canadian Sufi Saint: Biography of Qazi Ahmed Bashiruddin Farooqui", KZS Books, USA, 2019 (published through Amazon and Kindle), 138 pp.
"WWII Prisoner of War to Petaro: The Story of Col. Coombes", KZS Books, USA, 2019 (published through Amazon and Kindle), 431 pp.
"Petaro and Petarians over 50 years", Islamabad, February 2007, 180 pp.
"The Directory of Petarians 2007", Published by Petarian Foundation, Islamabad, February 2007, 576 pp.
"The Directory of METU Pakistanis 2006", published by METUPAK Foundation, Islamabad, June 2006, 91 pp.
"The Directory of Petarians 2002", Karachi, September 2002, 400 pp.
"The Directory of Petarians 2000", Karachi, May 2000, 270 pp.
Some of his articles that have been published are as follows:
"Wind Energy and Pakistan", The Engineer Saudi Arabia 2009, (magazine of Institute of Engineers Pakistan, Saudi Arabian Chapter), March 2009, pp.36–39
"Potential for Production of Bio-diesel in Pakistan", The Engineer Saudi Arabia 2009, March 2009, pp.52–55
"The Theory of Knowledge: Epistemological Typologies of Some Major Mutakallimun", Journal of Pakistan Historical Society, Karachi, Pakistan, vol. XXXVI, part III, July 1988, pp.225–242.
"A Bibliography of Writings By and About Mawlana Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi", published in Islamic Perspectives, edited by K. Ahmad and Z.I. Ansari, Leicester, UK, 1979.[19]
"Islam – the Balanced Path", in Arc (quarterly journal of the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University, Montreal), Spring 1979, Vol. VI:2.
"The Problem of Similarities in Ancient Near Eastern Religions: A Comparison of the Hymn to Aton and Psalm 104" in Islamic Studies (journal of Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan) Vol. 40:1 (Spring 2001), pp.67–88 [20]
"The Prophetic Movement in Ancient Israel: with a case study of the Book of Amos", in Hawliya – Annual Journal of International Islamic University Islamabad, Vol. XI (2003) (originally presented at the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University, 1979.)
"Manifestations of Religiosity – Social and Individual Perspectives", Transcend (magazine of Shifa Student Society, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad), Vol.1, Issue 2, Aug–Oct 2009, pp.28–30
Cadet College Petaro is a boarding school from grade 7 to grade 12 in Jamshoro District of the southern province of Sindh in Pakistan; about 20 miles (32 km) from Hyderabad. Its campus occupies over 700 acres (2.8 km²) on the west bank of the Indus River on the road from Hyderabad to Dadu, Larkana and Quetta. The college has also started Cambridge O-Level System.
The University of Sindh is a public research university in the residential area of Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan. It is one of the oldest universities in Pakistan and is certified by ISO in 2015 an international organization of Quality Management System.,In 2013 the university was ranked eighth in "General Category" by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.
Hamdard University is a private research university with campuses in Karachi and Islamabad, Pakistan. It was founded in 1991 by the renowned philanthropist Hakim Said of the Hamdard Foundation. Hamdard is one of the first and the oldest private institutions of higher education in Pakistan. In Karachi, Hamdard University is the largest private research university with a campus area of over 350 acres.
COMSTECH is an abbreviation for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation for the promotion and cooperation of science and technology activities among the OIC member states.
Karachi's educational system is divided into five levels: primary ; middle ; high ; intermediate ; and university programs leading to graduate and advanced degrees.
Lt. Col. (R) Younus Changezi is a politician from Baluchistan, Pakistan and a former football player. He belongs to the minority Hazara community. He served in the army for a long period of time, and also served in the 1971 war as a Captain.
Zafar Ishaq Ansari was a scholar of Islamic Studies. He was the Director General of the Islamic Research Institute of the International Islamic University. Previously, he was the President of the International Islamic University Islamabad. He has published books and articles, and has spoken at international conferences on Islamic Studies and inter-religious dialogue.
Col. John Harold Henry Coombes (1906–1978) was the first principal of Cadet College Petaro, one of the earliest public schools built in Pakistan in 1957. During his military career, he served in the British Army and fought the Second World War on the Malayan front.
Commander Firoz Shah , SI (M) Cdr. (ret.) was a Royal Navy officer in India under the British Raj, serving from 1938 to 1972. He was born at Pind Dadan Khan near Chakwal, Jhelum district, Punjab. He joined the Royal Navy in India and served under the British command until 1947. He became a de facto member of the Pakistan Navy after independence and moved to Karachi. After 18 years of service to the Naval forces, he retired in 1965 as a Commander. He later served as the principal of Cadet College Petaro from 1965 to 1972. Shah was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz award posthumously by the government of Pakistan in 2007 for his service to Cadet College Petaro.The award was accepted by his sons one week after his death.
Abdul Hameed Nayyar is a Pakistani physicist and nuclear activist. He specialised in solid state physics and quantum physics, and quantum mechanics. He was a visiting research scientist at the Princeton University and worked on Renewable Energy and Clean Fuel Program at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in Islamabad. Dr. Nayyar is also a prominent peace activist, strong supporter of non-nuclear proliferation, nuclear disarmament, and peaceful use of nuclear technology.
Vice-Admiral Afzal Akram Rahman Khan, HQA, HPk, HJ, was a three-star rank admiral, politician, and the Commander in Chief of Pakistan Navy, serving under President Ayub Khan from 1959 until 1966.
Vice-Admiral Shahid Iqbal, HI(M), is a retired three-star rank admiral in the Pakistan Navy, and former university administrator who served as the Rector of the Bahria University from 2010 until 2015.
Anis Ahmad is a Pakistani social scientist, an educationist, and professor of Islam. He is recipient of award, by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, awarded fellowship by the University Science Malaysia, also earned meritorious professorship at the International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan. As first Vice-President of International Islamic University, Islamabad, he visualised and founded the Da’wah Academy of the I.I.U.I, he was the first Dean of the Faculty of Usul al-din and Faculty of Social Sciences of the IIU at Islamabad. He was first Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences of the International Islamic University, Malaysia.
Vice-Admiral Abbas Raza ,HI(m), SI (m), TI(m), is a retired three-star rank admiral in the Pakistan Navy who served as the senior fleet commander in 2010 until retiring in 2012.
Asim Hussain, SI, HI is active in the fields of health, education, and Pakistani politics. He is chairman of Ziauddin Group of Hospitals in Karachi, and former Advisor of Prime Minister for Ministry of Oil and Natural Resources, Pakistan. He serves as the Chairman of Higher Commission of Sindh and Chairman of Petroleum Institute of Pakistan.
Vice-Admiral Khan Hasham bin SaddiqueHI(M). SI(M), is a retired three-star rank admiral and diplomat who is currently serving as the Pakistan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, in office since 5 June 2017.
Vice-Admiral Syed Arifullah HussainiHI(M), SI(M), TBt, also known as S.A. Hussaini, is a retired three-star rank admiral in the Pakistan Navy, and a senior fleet commander serving as the Commander of Pakistan Fleet, appointed in this command assignment on 14 June 2016.
Mumtaz Ali Kazi, popularly known as M.A. Kazi, was one of Pakistan’s leading scientists and educators. He was President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences from 1978 to 1988 and President of the Chemical Society of Pakistan from 1977 to 1990.
↑ A detailed account of Kazi's leadership role during the earthquake relief can be found in the chapter "The Pious Patriot" in the book "Portraits of grief, and of hope" by Nizamuddin Siddiqui, Karachi, 2006
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