Obituary
Dr. Saeed Akhtar Durrani (1929-2018)

Renowned Scientist, Archeologist and Iqbal Scholar Dr. Saeed Akhtar Durrani (Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz), breathed his last today (July 16, 2018) in Birmingham (UK). Dr. Durrani was Chairman of the Iqbal Academy (UK) from 1987 to 2015. He organized a number of International Conferences on Iqbal - highlighting in particular his cultural and metaphysical contributions. He had also established himself as a leading authority on the life of Allama Iqbal - especially in Europe. Dr. Durrani was the author of two books on Allama Iqbal's life اقبال یورپ میں (Lahore: Iqbal Academy Pakistan, 1985) and نوادار اقبال یورپ میں (Lahore: Iqbal Academy Pakistan, 1995). In these two books he had brought out many aspects of Allama Iqbal’s life that were totally unknown before.

It was under Dr. Durrani's stewardship that a new portrait of Allama Iqbal was commissioned (in November 1990) by the Iqbal Academy UK from the renowned Pakistani portraitist, Gulgee, and in a historic and glittering ceremony (November, 1993), installed in the Great Hall of Trinity College, Cambridge - Iqbal's alma mater in England - among the portraits of other great sons of that institution, such as Newton, Byron, Tennyson and Rutherford. Earlier, Dr Durrani had also played a leading role in the discovery of Allama Iqbal’s first place of residence in Cambridge (1905-06), viz. 17 Portugal Place, where the Government of Pakistan put up a commemorative plaque in 1978.

In 1987, Dr. Durrani found in the Cambridge University Library a unique copy of the first edition (1920) of Nicholson's famous translation of Iqbal's Persian masnavi, Asrar-i Khudi - which first introduced Iqbal to the western World. This copy bore very extensive corrections and amendments, in Iqbal's own hand, together with what amounted to a reasoned critique of the translation.

Dr. Durrani was also instrumental in organizing ‘Iqbal in Europe – Centenary Celebration) at Trinity College, Cambridge (June 19-20, 2008) and installation of memorial plate of Allama Iqbal’s poem ‘Shakespeare’ at Shakespeare birthplace in April, 2010.

In his visits to Pakistan, he always addressed at Seminars in the Iqbal Academy Pakistan.

The Iqbal Academy Pakistan lost a great friends and patron. May Allah Almighty peace his soul in the heavens.