PakMed Info Forum

In the Memory of : Nishtar Hospital: Nishtar Medical College NMC Multan Pakistan (Nishter, Nishtarian)

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It is a great loss for neurosurgery in Pakistan and the international neurosurgical community. On July 10, 2006, unexpectedly, in an airplane crash disaster, died our highly estimated colleague, professor of neurosurgery in Pakistan and member of numerous international professional organizations, Prof. Iftikhar Ali Raja. It is difficult to enumerate all significant contributions to the development of neurosurgery in his own country and through his international participations, they are so many. After his graduation in the United Kingdom, he dedicated his professional life to the neurosurgical patients, research and the training of junior neurosurgeons. Through all his life he worked for the improvement of neurosurgery in his own country Pakistan and established excellent environment for international neurosurgical scientific and educational exchange in Asia.He developed the Neurosurgical Departments in Lahore and Multan, where he continued working until the end of his life.

He was one of the founders of the Asian Conference of Neurological Surgeons, promoting higher standards of neurosurgical care closer to the Asian patient. He actively participated in the work of this organization for the improvement of training of Asian neurosurgeons. His contribution and wise advice will be missed by all of us. His name will remain inspiring the younger colleagues for generations.
Tetsuo Kanno

It is with deep regret and sadness that I have to announce the terrible and shocking news about Professor Dr Iftikhar Ali Raja who unfortunately died in a plane crash on 10 July 2006, while flying from Multan to Lahore.
Professor Ali Raja was travelling without any members of his family. As we all know, Professor Iftikhar Ali Raja was a very kind, warm, gentle and considerate person. He was greatly appreciated not only by all the members of the WFNS but also by many others, for his wisdom, the excellence and dedication in his work as a neurosurgeon and his valuable teaching not only in Pakistan but in many other countries of the world. He was held in high esteem, by all those he encountered, whether it be friend or colleague and he will be greatly missed and well remembered by us all.

Let us hope that the distressing loss of Prof Ali Raja will serve to tighten more than ever, the friendship and collaboration amongst us all and encourage us to continue the same missions he defended on behalf of those in need.

Let us all pray that the soul of Professor Ali Raja may rest in peace and that his family find the strength to bear his loss. May they know that they are in our prayers and that we convey to them our deepest sorrow and most heartfelt condolences.
Mrs Jan Joseph
Director, WFNS Central Office
5, rue du Marché, 1260 NYON, VD, Switzerland

We are all shocked and saddened by this terrible tragedy. Neurosurgery has lost a great advocate, practitioner and teacher. Our haertfelt sympathy goes out to his family.
Sincerely,
RGP

Prof. Dr. Iftikhar Ali Raja died in a plain crash on July 10, 2006. It is a great loss for the neurosurgical community and the WFNS, AASNS, ACNS and the many others he has been working with and for. His name will be a symbol of dedication for the next generations of neurosurgeons.
Tetsuo KANNO
President, 12th AASNS/ 13th WFNS Interim Meeting
WFNS 2nd Vice President
Yoko KATO
Professor, Dept. of Neurosurgery, Fujita Health University

Dear Prof. Kanno:
I had the pleasure of meeting Prof. Raja in several meetings of the WFNS and ACNS. I can´t believe such a terrible information about him. He was a wonderful man and exceptional neurosurgeon. Please, express our condolence to the Asian neurosurgical world in behalf of me and the Spanish Neurosurgical Society.
Miguel A. Arráez
Assistant Treasurer of the WFNS
Secretary of the Spanish Neurosurgical Society

This is sad news for the neurosurgical world. He was a treasured friend and great leader for our specialty. Najma, his family and colleagues have our heartfelt sympathy. Our prayers are with them.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Rhoton, Jr., M.D.
R.D. Keene Family Professor
Professor and Chairman Emeritus
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Florida

Dear Tetsuo:
I’m just arriving to Buenos Aires from a distant city in my Country where I read about the plain crash in Pakistan but never with the idea that our dear friend Ifti could be in that flight. I’m still shocked and very sad with this tremendous news and of course we’ve lost an unusual neurosurgeon, but more than that, a very good friend and a remarkable human been.
Best regards.
Armando Basso, M.D., Ph.D.
Director
Neuroscience’s Institute
University of Buenos Aires
President of the World Federation of Neurosurgical
Societies Foundation
Ayacucho 1342 Buenos Aires (1111)

This is indeed one of the sadest news the WFNS and all its members could receive.
Sincerely
Fernando Rueda-Franco

Prof. Iftikhar Ali Raja who unfortunately died in a plane crash on 10-07-2006 while flying from Multan to Lahore. He was travelling alone. All his family members are fine. This is a great national and international tragedy losing a scholar, a dedicated and committed Neuroscientist who served the cause of Neurosurgery not only in Pakistan but also a across the world. His funeral prayers were offered in Lahore on July 10, 2007 and buried in Lahore Pakistan.
At the end, please pray to Almighty GOD for his soul to rest in peace and to give his family the strength to bear this loss.
I have conveyed your feelings to Mrs. Iftikhar Ali Raja and his family.
Please inform all the Neurosurgical Societies regarding this tragedy.

Yours Sincerely,

Prof. Dr. Tariq Salahuddin FRCS
Vice President PSN
Vice President ACNS
Head, Dept. of Neurosurgery (Unit-II)
PGMI / Lahore General Hospital Lahore

Dear Mrs. Najma Iftikhar Raja, Mr. Ali Iftikhar Raja and family,

The terrible news of the airplane crash has reached and shocked us. On behalf of my family – Mahschid, Amir and Amireh – I would like to express our deepest condolences to all of you. We have lost a very sincere and good friend over many decades. He will remain forever in our heart. I wish the whole family enough strength to overcome this difficult situation.

With best regards,

yours Madjid Samii
Madjid Samii, M. D., Ph. D.
President

This is terrible news, and I am sure his wife and family must be devastated. Do we have a mechanism for letting members of the executive committee know this kind of news, perhaps from the secretary or from you, Jacques?
Peter Black

Prof. Iftihkar Ali Raja was a humble great man and neurosurgeon and a deep friend of most of us. We will never forget him. Our home will always be opened for all his family. We deeply shared his wishes for a better world with dignity, peace and respect for all human beings,
May God let him rest in Peace and Bless Najma and all his family
Alicia and Eduardo Karol

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