Friday, November 25, 2022 | 4:00 – 6:00 PM | MCB A-13, Top Floor, Academic Block
Sir Ganga Ram: ‘A Distinguished Engineer, A Warm-Hearted Philanthrope’ & An Innovator Par Excellence
A session commemorating Sir Ganga Ram’s significant contribution to the city of Lahore and the society in general.
A. Zahra Ashraf has served the Government of the Punjab’s C&W Department in several key positions for more than four decades. These include her positions as the Chief Architect and as the Head of the Punjab Architecture Department. She has also been associated with the World Bank as the Head of the Construction Advisory Unit and with GTZ (the German technical Assistance Agency) as the Advisor to Technical Trades. Two of her mega projects for the public sector were nominated for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Recognized for her long and diligent services, she was nominated for the President’s Pride of Performance.
Dr. Amjad Saqib (Sitara-e Imtiaz), a former member of the Civil Service (DMG), is the founder and Chairman of Akhuwat, the largest interest-free microfinance program in the world and the Akhuwat University, offering free education to deserving students. He also serves as the Executive-Director of Fountain House, an organization initiated by Sir Ganga Ram in the early twentieth century, today dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of mentally challenged people. Dr. Saqib’s contributions towards uplifting the society’s downtrodden and marginalized communities have been acknowledged worldwide. He is the recipient of the “Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021,” the Social Entrepreneur of the Year award (2018) by the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the Commonwealth’s 31st Point of Light award by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018.
Safiullah Baig is a heritage conservation expert who has worked on several internationally recognized projects throughout Pakistan. He has been associated with the Aga Khan Development Network in rural and education sector and played a lead role in the restoration of 400 years old Shigar Fort and the 900 years old Altit Fort, both in Gilgit-Baltistan. His responsibilities included planning for responsible tourism and planning and implementation of Ciqam, a women social enterprise empowering young, marginalized women by training them in several unconventional fields. He has been a recipient of several scholarships for studying heritage conservation and has worked closely with international experts in the field.
