Veteran scholar, statesman and founding chairman of Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Professor Khurshid Ahmad has expressed immense grief on the demise of Professor Dr Rafiq Ahmed, former vice chancellor, University of the Punjab and vice chairman, Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust.
In a condolence message issued on 25th March 2020, Ahmad termed the demise of the globally renowned academician a national loss, maintaining that the late professor was an asset who will always be remembered for his exemplary services for the country, whereas the vacuum left behind by his departure will not be easy to fill.
Shedding light on his own camaraderie and old association with Dr Rafiq Ahmed, he said that both of them had been together over many years in different capacities and have jointly served in developing institutions such as Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and the University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore.
He said that the deceased, who was an active member of Pakistan Movement in 1940s, was a true follower of the nation’s founder Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and should always be remembered as a passionate advocate of Pakistan’s ideology.
The former senator also extended his deepest sympathies to the bereaved family, praying to the Almighty to rest the deceased soul in eternal peace, while giving his family enough patience and strength to bear the loss.