The President of Pakistan has conferred the prestigious Sitara-e-Imtiaz upon Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq, recognizing his exceptional leadership in public health and higher education.
At just 40 years of age, Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq made history as Pakistan’s youngest-ever Vice Chancellor. A distinguished scholar with an MBBS and a PhD in Public Health from the University of Glasgow, he currently leads two of Pakistan’s premier institutions Khyber Medical University (KMU) and Islamia College Peshawar while also serving as the Convenor of the Higher Education Taskforce in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Hailing from the Syed family of Dir Upper, Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq is the son of Syed Matiullah, a retired forest officer. Over the past four years, his visionary leadership has driven KMU to unprecedented growth in governance, financial stability, academic excellence, and research.
An accomplished researcher, he has published 105 research articles, supervised eight PhD scholars, and secured PKR 5 billion in international research funding. His contributions to academia have earned him the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan’s Best Researcher and Best Teacher Awards. Additionally, he serves as a Visiting Professor of Public Health at the University of Glasgow, UK.
The conferment of the Sitara-e-Imtiaz underscores Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq’s remarkable impact on higher education and public health, solidifying his reputation as one of Pakistan’s most accomplished and forward-thinking academic leaders.
