MOHAMMAD Hussain Panhwar (known as M. H. Panhwar) was born in 1925 in a small village of Dadu district. He died two years ago in April. By profession he was a mechanical engineer but had a deep interest in the history of Sindh, its people, climate, archaeology, agriculture, irrigation, water and anthropology. He is remembered for his outstanding and unmatched contribution in areas which were hardly explored before him.

M. H. Panhwar was a very hard working man and after his retirement he established a small office at his residence in Clifton, Karachi, where he continued to do research.. His innovative work in agriculture remains unmatched.

He loved and lived with books, his personal library containing 63,000 books which he in his lifetime had donated to the ‘M.H. Panhwar Trust’ that he and his scientist wife Farzana Panhwar established earlier. Both donated their libraries, assets and farm to the trust. It is heartening to see his family now furthering his life’s dreams by planning to establish an ‘M.H. Panhwar Research Chair’ at University of Sindh, Jamshoro, which is to be inaugurated soon.

Although the government awarded him Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 1992 for outstanding work in engineering and agriculture, the best tribute to him is to help complete his projects that he was working on.

Panwhar’s autobiography, which is to be inaugurated soon, is a beautiful addition to Sindhi literature and analyses the social history of Sindh during the British period from a progressive and scientific perspective. He was interested in everything which concerned human beings. In his writings he has rejected religious bigotry, promoted reason-based understanding of complex human relationships. M. H. Panhwar continues to be a source of knowledge and inspiration to the new generation. Establishing a Research Chair, dedicated to his work, would be a befitting tribute to the great man.

MUSHTAQUE RAJPAR
Karachi