Illinois Governor congratulates Chicago Scientist named to receive civil award from President of Pakistan

CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Illinois Governor Pat Quinn congratulated Dr. Sarfaraz K. Niazi, a long-time Illinois resident, for being awarded the Pakistani civil award Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) announced on Pakistan's Independence Day (August 14) by the Government of Pakistan. Dr. Niazi received this recognition for his lifelong contributions in assisting scientists in developing countries to improve their intellectual property assets and improve their economies through creative applied research. The investiture of the award will take place on March 23, 2013 (Pakistan Day) in Islamabad, Pakistan. In a message this morning, Governor Pat Quinn said: "Dr. Niazi's lifetime of scientific achievement is a testament to his commitment to helping others." "His outstanding work on behalf of developing countries is a tribute to the people of Illinois and Pakistan, and I congratulate him on this prestigious honor," Governor Quinn added. Other Americans who have received Pakistani civilian awards include Greg Mortenson, John Kerry, Richard Holbrooke, Richard Nixon, Joe Biden, T. B. Irving, and Ralph Stewart.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120817/CG59350)

Exactly 50 years ago, Dr. Niazi's father, Niaz Fatehpuri, received the equivalent Indian civil award, the Padma Bhushan, by the President of India for his contributions to literature and teaching.

Dr. Sarfaraz K. Niazi, a former professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is the Executive Chairman of Therapeutic Proteins International, LLC, in Chicago, the only independent recombinant drug manufacturing company in the US. He is a prolific writer with over a hundred scholarly papers, dozens of technical and literary books, and scores of inventions and patents in the fields of new drug discovery, biotechnology, and natural products applications. He is also a patent agent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. As a highly sought after speaker, he has delivered hundreds of lectures on scientific and literary topics worldwide. He is widely recognized worldwide for introducing the famous Asian poet Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) to the West through the first complete English translation of the Urdu and Persian collections of his love poems. He broadcasts explications of Ghalib's poetry on the Voice of America radio station every Sunday.

More information on Dr. Niazi can be found on his Wikipedia profile (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarfaraz_K._Niazi).

SOURCE Ghalib Academy of America