Karachi – Pakistan, Feb 6, 2013: Pakistan’s renowned sports leader, Patron of Sport Journalists Association Sindh (SJAS) Dr Muhammad Ali Shah passed away on Tuesday. He was also the Minister of Sports Sindh and President Sindh Olympic Association.
SJAS announcing three days mourning on his demise, has suspended all its activities. Dr Shah, 67, breathed his last in hospital in Houston, USA during treatment. All SJAS members are shocked on this sad news. They express condolence with his family and prayed to Almighty Allah rest the departed soul of Dr Muhammad Ali Shah in eternal peace and grant fortitude to bereaved family, his friends, fans and well-wishers. President SJAS Rashid Ali Siddiqui, Secretary Ubaid-ur-Rehamn Awan, SVP Nasar Iqbal, VP Tariq Asalm, Yaha Hussain, Treasurer Shahid Ali Khan, member managing committees Zubair Nazir, Zahid Ghaffar, Muhammad Asghar, Irshad Ali, Ishaq, Baloch, Umer Shaheen, Imtiaz Naraja and members expressed deep grief and sorrow over his demise.
World record-holder orthopedic surgeon, who carried out more than 4000 surgeries to get a place in Guinness book of world record and cricket organizer Dr Shah was elected as member of Sindh Assembly in 2008 thus became Sports Minister of the province.
During his four year tenure he organized record number of five editions Sindh Olympic Games. On his personal invitation an International World XI toured Pakistan to play two Twenty20 Cricket matches at National Stadium Karachi on 19 and 20th October 2012. This move ended Pakistan cricket’s isolation after foreign teams refused to tour the country following terrorist attack on Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009.
Dr Shah made great contribution to Karachi’s cricket and constructed a stadium named after his late father Justice (retd) Asghar Ali Shah. Many world class cricketers visited the stadium and played exhibition matches on different occasion. He also made first ground for women dedicated to female Hockey and Football players. He was also instrumental in spreading a network of stadia and grounds all over the province. Acknowledging his unmatched achievements in sports and surgery, Government of Pakistan gave him three highest civil awards on different occasions in 1997, 2003 and 2008.
President of Pakistan Mr Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister of Pakistan Raja Pervez Ashraf, Governor Sindh Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan, CM Sindh, Leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Mr. Altaf Hussain, Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board PCB, Zaka Ashraf, numerous Sports Federations, sports personalities and dignitaries of the country paid rich tribute to his outstanding services in the fields of Surgery and Sports. —-
By Ubaid ur Rehman Awan General Secretary, Sports Journalists Association Sindh (SJAS) & AIPS Member
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.