Pakistani researchers in Europe win recognition in molecular biology, space science

These file photos show Dr. Yarjan Abdul Samad, left, and Dr. Asifa Akhtar. (Photos courtesy: British Pakistan Foundation, Max Planck Society)
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Updated 18 December 2020
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Pakistani researchers in Europe win recognition in molecular biology, space science

  • Dr. Asifa Akhtar has won the 2012 Leibniz Prize by the German Research Foundation
  • Dr. Yarjan Abdul Samad is the first space scientist from Pakistan at the University of Cambridge

ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani scientists have recently won European recognition for their research in molecular biology and space science.
Freiburg-based Dr. Asifa Akhtar has won the 2012 Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation (DFG), the most significant award for scientists and scholars at German research institutions, while Dr. Yarjan Abdul Samad from Cambridge University received the Young Leaders Award 2020 from the Young Professionals Society in the United Kingdom.
Akhtar, a Karachi native, is a molecular biologist at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Europe's foremost interdisciplinary research institute that conducts basic research in modern immunobiology, developmental biology and epigenetics.
She was recognized for her work on mechanisms of epigenetic gene regulation, which DFG recognized as “fundamental for understanding developmental and pathological processes as to be known in cancer.”
“I feel incredibly honored to receive this prize. Above all, I am grateful to my former and current lab members; their dedication and hard work made this award possible,” Akhtar was quoted as saying in a statement by the Max Planck Institute when the award was announced on December 10.
Akhtar obtained her bachelor's degree in biology at University College London and her Ph.D. at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London. She continued her research at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg and the Adolf Butenandt Institute in Munich, Germany. 
Samad is the first space scientist from Pakistan at the University of Cambridge. He was born in Turbat, Balochistan, and obtained his bachelor's degree in engineering from Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI) Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Following the announcement by YPA, Samad said in a tweet on Tuesday that he was "humbled" to receive the award.

He is currently working on a research project on loop heat pipes for space applications and was part of the European Space Agency’s zero gravity flight campaign in 2017.


Pakistan says repaid over $13.06 billion domestic debt early in last 14 months

Updated 29 January 2026
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Pakistan says repaid over $13.06 billion domestic debt early in last 14 months

  • Finance adviser says repayment shows “decisive shift” toward fiscal discipline, responsible economic management
  • Says Pakistan’s total public debt has declined from over $286.6 billion in June 2025 to $284.7 billion in November 2025

KARACHI: Pakistan has repaid Rs3,650 billion [$13.06 billion] in domestic debt before time during the last 14 months, Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said on Thursday, adding that the achievement reflected a shift in the country’s approach toward fiscal discipline. 

Schehzad said Pakistan has been repaying its debt before maturity, owed to the market as well as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), since December 2024. He said the government had repaid the central bank Rs300 billion [$1.08 billion] in its latest repayment on Thursday. 

“This landmark achievement reflects a decisive shift toward fiscal discipline, credibility, and responsible economic management,” Schehzad wrote on social media platform X. 

Giving a breakdown of what he said was Pakistan’s “early debt retirement journey,” the finance official said Pakistan retired Rs1,000 billion [$3.576 billion] in December 2024, Rs500 billion [$1.78 billion] in June 2025, Rs1,160 billion [$4.150 billion] in August 2025, Rs200 billion [$715 million] in October 2025, Rs494 billion [$1.76 billion] in December 2025 and $1.08 billion in January 2026. 

He said with the latest debt repaid today, the July to January period of fiscal year 2026 alone recorded Rs2,150 billion [$7.69 billion] in early retirement, which was 44 percent higher than the debt retired in FY25.

He said of the total early repayments, the government has repaid 65 percent of the central bank’s debt, 30 percent of the treasury bills debt and five percent of the Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) debt. 

The official said Pakistan’s total public debt has declined from over Rs 80.5 trillion [$286.6 billion] in June 2025 to Rs80 trillion [$284.7 billion] in November 2025. 

“Crucially, Pakistan’s debt-to-GDP ratio, around 74 percent in FY22, has declined to around 70 percent, reflecting a broader strengthening of fiscal fundamentals alongside disciplined debt management,” Schehzad wrote. 

Pakistan’s government has said the country’s fragile economy is on an upward trajectory. The South Asian country has been trying to navigate a tricky path to economic recovery under a $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.