Abstract
This information is shared with great sorrow and sadness that Prof. Dr. Abdul Ghaffar s/o Late Haji Muhammad Mustafa, a world renowned plant pathologist and a dedicated scientist has passed away on August 10, 2015 at his residence PECHS, Karachi, Pakistan. He was buried in a graveyard located in the University of Karachi. He left two sons and a daughter. May God bless him! Aameen! He was born in Allahabad, India on August 23, 1932, where he received his school education. His family migrated to Pakistan and he obtained B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from the University of Karachi in 1950 and 1955, respectively. After B.Sc. he joined Department of Plant Protection, Govt. of Pakistan as Assistant Mycologist and Plant Pathologist. He was awarded Research Scholarship under Colombo Plan at the Department of Botany, University of Birmingham, UK (1957-1959). He worked with plant pathologist Dr. C.J. Hickman on the biological control of Sclerotium cepivorum, the cause of white rot of onion and obtained Ph.D. degree from University of Birmingham, England. He was joined Department of Botany, University of Karachi as Assistant Professor in 1962. He was awarded Post Doctoral Research Fellowship under SEATO at the Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, USA (1967-1968) where he worked with renowned plant pathologists Prof. Dr. G.A. Zentamyer and Professor D.C. Erwin. He got first merit award in 1968 for outstanding research contribution in the University of Karachi. In 1971 he was promoted to Associate Professor and became Chairman for a period of three years from 1975-1978 in the Department of Botany, University of Karachi. He has been awarded Post Doctoral Fulbright Hays Scholarship at the Department of Plant Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.A. (1976 to 1977) and worked with Professor R. Baker and Professor Henis. He once again served in the department of Botany, University of Karachi as chairman from 1986 to 1992. During this period he also served as Director of National Nematological Research Centre (1987-1989) and Director of MAH Qadri Biological Research Centre (1990-1992) of University of Karachi. He was an excellent editor and served as Chief Editor for a very long time since 1971 to 2007 for Pakistan Journal of Botany and from 1983 to 2015 for Pakistan Journal of Nematology. He also edited six books as Co-editor. He spent most of his life in research and completed one International world Bank sponsored Project and five national research projects funded by Pakistan Science Foundation, University Grant Commission, Higher Education Commission and others national funding agencies. He had organized, participated and presented his research work in many International and National Science Conferences. In 1985, he was awarded Gold Medal and Certificate of merit by USDA/PARC in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of Agriculture. He was also the member of several scientific societies like British Mycological Society, American Phytopathological Society, Pakistan Botanical Society, Pakistan Nematological Society, Scientific Society of Pakistan, etc. Fifteen students for PhD and three students for M.Phil completed their theses under his supervision. He published more than 250 research papers.
