Formed () | ||
Headquarters Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory Minister responsible Rana Tanvir Hussain, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Agency executive Kamran Ali Qureshi, Secretary for Ministry of Science and Technology | ||
The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) is a Cabinet-level ministry of the Government of Pakistan concerned with science and technology in Pakistan and in general, Pakistan's science policy, planning, co-ordination and directing of efforts to initiate and launch scientific and technological programs as well as projects aimed at economic development. The ministry is coordinated by the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, and is headquartered in Islamabad.
Contents
Mission
The Ministry of science and Technology is the national focal Ministry and enabling arm of the Government of Pakistan for planning, co-ordination and directing efforts to initiate and launch scientific and technological programs and projects aimed at economic development of the country. The Ministry is working on the national agenda to have a sound and sustainable Science and technological research base which would lead to the socio-economic development of the country and to achieve the vision for a better Pakistan.
The principle agenda of the MoST is building Pakistans technological competence in the 21st century by leap forging into new markets, develop a larger pool of human resource for reverse brain drain, and integrate the soft technology infrastructure into hard modern technological base, strengthen technology institutions, effective S & TR governance and enhance the capacity if indigenous innovation systems.
Science Advisors
In 1950, the office of Science Advisor was created by former Prime minister Liaqat Ali Khan who sent an invitation to Salimuzzaman Siddiqui to emigrate to Pakistan. An office was set up in Prime minister Secretariat, and Siddiqui served as its first Science Advisor. In 1959, Military dictator of Pakistan and then-known as Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army, Field Marshal Ayub Khan moved the office in Presidential Residence. World-renowned scientist Dr. Abdus Salam was appointed as science advisor to the President, who continued as Science Advisor to Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's democratic regime. The post was colloquially known as "President's Science Advisor" till Pakistan's political system was shifted back to Parliamentary democracy system through a constitutional amendment, passed by the Parliament in 1974. The post was renamed as "Prime minister's Science Advisor".
In Pakistan, a Science Advisor is a prestigious and an important tier in Pakistan's science circle. A science advisor is a chief and principal advisor to the Prime minister with a full status of Federal Cabinet minister. A science advisor advises the Prime minister on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs, and also mandate to supervise the government-led science and technology, and engineering projects in the government agencies and departments. As of today, the director of this office is colloquially known as the "Prime minister's Science Advisor".
National Research Institutes and Departments
The Ministry of Science and Technology National Research Institutes and Technological departments is an administrative and systematic division that oversees, coordinates, and supervises the system of facilities and laboratories for the purpose of developing and promoting advancement of science and technology to benefits the country's economy and foreign policy. Majority of these institutes are federally funded but are controlled autonomously by their appointed and designated director-generals who are under contract to Ministry of Science. These national research institutes and laboratories are staffed by private corporations and academic universities, and conduct their research on behalf of the government on national and defence initiatives.