Sindh Governor Backs Engineers and Doctors, Calls Them Backbone of Progress, Promises Action on Demands
Report by Jabbar Solangi
KARACHI, May 16: Sindh Governor Syed Nihaal Ahmed Hashmi on Saturday declared engineers and doctors as “the backbone of any progressive society,” assuring the technical community that their longstanding demands would be taken up with the relevant authorities while urging professionals to play a stronger role in steering the country toward development and stability.
He was addressing a large gathering of engineers and doctors at the Awards Distribution Ceremony organized by Medical and Engineering Graduates Welfare Association of Sindh at the Muhammad Siddiqui Memon Scouts Auditorium in Saddar.
Speaking before a packed hall comprising senior engineers, doctors, academics and technical professionals from across Sindh, Governor Hashmi emphasized that both professions were indispensable for the survival, sovereignty and advancement of modern nations.
“Engineers design, build and sustain the critical infrastructure such as roads, dams, power systems and digital networks that drive economic growth and national security. Doctors safeguard our most vital asset, human life and public health. Without strong engineering, a country cannot connect, produce or defend itself. Without strong healthcare, a nation cannot learn, work or thrive,” he observed.
Referring to the Charter of Demands presented by MEGWAS leadership, the governor termed the demands justified and assured participants that the matter would be raised at the appropriate forums.
“Your demands are justified. I will take them up at the concerned quarters,” he said, adding that technical professionals must channel their expertise towards strengthening national institutions and accelerating development. “Pakistan must move onto the path of the development it urgently requires so that we stand alongside developed nations,” he remarked.
Governor Hashmi stressed that the long-term strength of any society depended upon how it treated its technical workforce.
“For societies to advance and for nations to remain sovereign, both professions must be empowered, respected and retained. Their expertise ensures innovation, disaster resilience and effective crisis response. The development of Sindh and Pakistan is directly linked to the dignity, stability and institutional authority given to doctors and engineers,” he said.
The governor also described technical allowance as a legitimate right of engineers and doctors, saying the country could not achieve sustainable progress without addressing the professional and institutional concerns of its technical community.
During the ceremony, the Governor of Sindh conferred Lifetime Achievement Awards upon 20 distinguished engineers and 20 eminent doctors in recognition of their outstanding professional services and contributions to society and nation-building.
Among the award recipients were Engr. Prof. Dr. Abdul Ahad Abro, Engr. Prof. Dr. Sarosh Hashmat Lodi, Engr. Syed Abdul Qadir Shah, Engr. Dr. Syed Raghib Abbas Shah, Engr. Prof. Dr. Faizullah Abbasi, Engr. M. Najeeb Haroon, Engr. Saindad Khan Solangi, Engr. Jamil Gul Shaikh, Engr. Waseem Ahmed, Engr. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tufail, Engr. Prof. Dr. Saleem Raza Samo, Engr. Brig.(R) Prof. Dr. Muhammad Abbas, Engr. Prof. Dr. Vali Uddin, Engr. Prof. Dr. Shehnila Zardari, Engr. Prof. Dr. Syed Madad Ali Shah, Engr. Prof. Dr. Afzal Haq, Engr. Madani Arfat Ahmed Siddiqui, Engr. Manzoor Ahmed Memon, Engr. Khadim Hussain Bhatti, Engr. Prof. Dr. Rasool Bux Mahar, Dr. Muhammad Saleh Memon, Dr. Prof. Syed Adibul Hasan Rizvi, Dr. Anwar Naqvi, Dr. Altaf Hussain Hashmi, Dr. Capt (Rtd.) Rahim Bux Bhatti, Dr. Zeenat Isani, Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Maher, Prof. Dr. Tariq Mehmood, Prof. Dr. Noshad Ahmed Shaikh, Prof. Dr. Nadeem Qamar, Dr. Syed Sajjad Hussain, Prof. A. Sattar M. Hashim, Prof. Dr. Maqsood Anwar Noorani, Prof. Dr. Khurshed Noorani, Prof. Dr. S.M Tariq Rafi (T.I), Dr. Samrina Hashmi, Dr. Abdul Bari Khan, Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi, and Prof. Dr. Amjad Siraj Memon.
The award recipients were recognized for their exceptional services in engineering, medicine, education, research and public welfare. Their contributions were acknowledged as instrumental in strengthening professional ethics, promoting technical excellence, mentoring younger generations and advancing social responsibility in their respective fields.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honours distinguished professionals whose lifelong services have left a deep and lasting impact on society. The recipients are widely respected for their integrity, expertise and commitment to public service. Through their dedication, they have strengthened educational institutions, guided young professionals and supported newcomers in building ethical and successful careers. Their contributions continue to uplift communities through the promotion of knowledge, opportunity and professional excellence.
The ceremony also marked the foundation day celebrations of MEGWAS. Governor Hashmi cut a cake commemorating the 29th anniversary of the association, established on May 21, 1997, to promote the welfare of engineers and doctors and contribute towards broader societal development.
Earlier, MEGWAS leadership presented an eight-point Charter of Demands highlighting what they described as structural inequities faced by technical professionals in Sindh.
The charter demanded parity in technical allowance with the federal government and other provinces, direct induction of engineers and doctors into Grade-17, a transparent and time-bound promotion system, allocation of land for professional townships in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur, and an end to the appointment of non-specialist CSS officers to key technical positions.
Other demands included dedicated funding for MEGWAS, appointment of qualified professionals as heads of technical and medical institutions, and restoration and expansion of government accommodation facilities for engineers and doctors.
Speaking on the occasion, MEGWAS Patron-in-Chief Engineering Syed Momin Ali Shah, Patron-in-Chief Medical Dr Shafquat Hussain Abbasi, Founder President Engr Abdul Jabbar Solangi, and others highlighted the central role of engineers and doctors in nation-building and called for urgent institutional reforms to stop the growing brain drain of technical professionals.
They observed that engineers and doctors were playing a pivotal role in infrastructure development, healthcare delivery, education, research and economic growth, but continued to face administrative neglect and policy discrimination despite their contributions.
The ceremony concluded with a renewed pledge by MEGWAS leadership to continue its struggle for the professional rights, welfare and institutional recognition of medical and engineering graduates across Sindh.
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