Prof: Ahmed Hassan Dani Dies at age 89

Peshawar Pakistans renowned historian, writer, archeologist and professor at the Peshawar University leaves this world on 26th Jan 2009. He was 89 years old and was admitted at PIMS (Pakistan Institute of Medical Scinces) Hospital.

President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed his deep sorrow and condolences on the demise of Professor Dani. “The deat of Prof: Dani is a great loss of the nation such intellectual are not bort every other day” said the president Zardari in his condolence message.

Professor Dani has left behind him his wife and 4 children. He was writer of more than 30 books his last book “History of Pakistan” (تاریخِ پاکستان ) was recently published.

He had knowledge of several languages of the Northern Areas and and also spoke many other languages Including Pushto, Punjabi, Sindhi, English & Frech.

Prof: Ahmed Hassan Dani was orignally a Kashmiri and was born on 20th July 1920 in Rai Poor, He did his MA from Hindu University he was the first Muslim to get Mastress degree from the Hindu University, he later Joind Archeological Department and was inclved in Excavation of Taxila and Moen Jo Daro. British government late appointed him at the Taj Mahal after independence he came to Pakistan and worked in Dhaka.

He had a great interest in archeology and wanted the general public to learn it . He laid foundation of Virender Museum Rajshahi in 1950. Later he was appointed as the curator of the Dhaka Museum, there he identifies very important links to Islamic history which are still present in the Dhaka Museum.

In 1971 he taught at the Quid e Azam University Islamabad he took retirement in 1980 and was actively linked with Peshawar university due to his interest in Archeology and history.

After retirement he was doing research on the pictograps on stones in the Karakorum mountain with several German scholars.

Noted scholars also expressed their deep grief over the death of Dr Dani. Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) President Dr Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema said that Dr Dani was a great scholar and an asset to this nation. “In my perception, there is no parallel of Dr Dani now. He was recognized the world over for his work and contribution to social sciences. He would surely be missed forever,” he said.

International Islamic University (IIU) Rector Dr Manzoor Ahmed
and President Dr Anwar Hussain Siddiqui, Islamic Research Institute (IRI) Director Dr Manzoor Ahmed and Dawah Academy Director Prof Abdul Jabbar Shakir expressed profound grief over the death of Dr Dani and lauded his services for promotion of knowledge in the society. They prayed to the Almighty to rest his soul in peace.