Syed Ali Nawab (Urdu: سید علی نواب; b. 6 October 1925–22 February 1994) (HI (m) 1979, SBt, TPk, PE), was an engineering officer in the Pakistan Army Corps of EME, and a mechanical engineer with an MIMechE from UK and two bachelor's degrees, one in Electrical Engineering, and the other in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). He was known for his classified works in the development of atomic bomb at PAEC and the Engineering Research Laboratories (ERL) in the 1970s. In 1979, in recognition of Nawab's contributions, head of the nuclear weapon's program, Ghulam Ishaq Khan recommended Nawab for the highly prestigious Hilal e Imtiaz (Military) - a solid gold medal, that in its original format, conferred upon the recipient, allotments of residential as well as valuable irrigated agricultural lands reserved for recipients of gallantry awards and heroes of Pakistan. The first Hilal e Imtiaz (Military) in Pakistan's history, was awarded to 4 star General Zia ul Haq after he was appointed Chief of the Pakistan Army by Prime Minister Z A Bhutto in 1976. Three years later, 4 star Admiral of the Navy Mohammad Shariff and Nawab also became recipients of this highly prestigious and financially attractive award. Since all recipients prior to 1980 except Nawab had been 4 star General officers, Nawab was a member of a small but very influential, elite group of officers in Pakistan, at the time. After 1979, the medal was no longer reserved for military officers directly reporting to the Defense Secretary General of Pakistan. Accordingly, the military medal's format was changed by President General Zia ul Haq to a gold plated, largely ceremonial award, given without all the expensive irrigated land allotments reserved for recipients of gallantry awards and heroes of Pakistan that accompanied the original medal. His engineering career is associated with research work at Engineering Research Laboratories (ERL), including the operations of computer numerical control (CNC) machines that he worked on throughout his career. Earlier in his career, he was posted twice as the military liaison officer at the High Commission of Pakistan in London in the United Kingdom, to the British Army. Later, as a General officer in the Pakistan Army, he used his knowledge of engineering and connections developed during his stay in Britain to establish a network and enable the import of critical engineering hardware, equipment and supplies from Europe that were used at ERL. Among his colleagues at Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), he had a reputation of being a qualified machinist and a competent engineer who sought quick solutions. Later, he worked as a consultant engineer on electric power production and quality assurance at the Ministry of Defense Production of Government of Pakistan for many years.
Biography
Early life and career in military Syed Ali Nawab was born in Budaun, Uttar Pradesh in British India, into an Urdu-speaking family on 6 October 1925. Nawab attended Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) after his matriculation in 1941–43. He initially studied physics and graduated with BSc in physics in 1946, before attending the engineering college. In 1948, he graduated with B.S. in electrical engineering, and emigrated to Pakistan in 1948– he went to attend the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul, graduating top of his class of engineering. In 1949, Nawab was commissioned in the Pakistan Army's Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (PEME) and was one of few army officers directed by the Pakistani military to attend Loughborough University where he gained a diploma in mechanical engineering in 1951. From 1951 to 1952 he trained in UK at workshops in Aldershot, Woolich, Ashford, Sterling, Borden and Arborfield. He then passed the exam for "MIMechE:" at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) in the United Kingdom. Upon returning to Pakistan in 1954, Major Nawab was appointed, inspector of vehicle and engineering equipment in the Pakistan Army, having responsible for quality inspection and equipment for military vehicles. Later in 1955–56, Major Nawab was posted to Army GHQ as a controller of inspection and technical development. In 1954–56 Major Nawab was directed to attend the Royal Military College of Science in Shrivenham in England to study machine design components on the military vehicles. Then in 1960, Nawab was sent to attend the Aberdeen Proving Ground, United States Army facility, located in Maryland. At Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, Major Nawab attended the Ordnance Officer Career Course in the US Army Ordnance School, and qualified as an ordnance specialist. In 1960–64, Lieutenant-Colonel Nawab was appointed assistant director of the EME directorate at Army GHQ. In 1961 he completed training at US Army's Management Engineering Training Agency at Rock Island Illinois. In 1965, Lt-Col. Nawab participated in the second war with India, responsible for managing military ordnance and inspections of the military vehicles. In 1965, Colonel Nawab was directed by the Minister of Defence (MoD) to join the staff of the High Commission of Pakistan in London as a military liaison officer to the British Army. Col. Nawab served in this assignment until 1971 after which he returned to his country to participate in the third war with India.
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