Muhammad Hafeez Qureshi (Urdu: محمد حفيظ قريشى) (31 October 1930 – 11 August 2007),NI,SI,HI, known asHafeez Qureshi, was a Pakistaninuclear scientist and amechanical engineer, known for his role as a diagnostics engineer for his nation'snuclear capability.^[3]

His career was spent working at thePakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology as overseeing the diagnostics on thesubcritical experiments on thenuclear weapons where he gained expertise on engineering applications ofnuclear physics.^[4]

Muhammad Hafeez Qureshi was born inKapurthala, which is now part of thePunjab inIndia, to aPunjabi-speaking IndianMuslim family on 31 October 1930.^{: 1256 [5]} His familyemigrated fromIndia toPakistan sometime after thepartition ofBritish-ruled India in 1947; only to settle inKarachi,Sindh.^[4] Upon matriculating from a local high school, Qureshi enrolled atKarachi University in 1956— he partly supported his studies by working as amotor mechanic.^[4]

In his dormitory at the university, his schoolmate and friend was a future notableoptical physicist Dr. Muhammad Jameel— who was also present when Pakistan tested its nuclear devices inRas Koh Range.^[4] He attained aBachelor of Science (BSc) inphysics and earned a scholarship to resume his studies atMichigan State University (MSU) in theUnited States.^{: 179–190 [6]}

At MSU, Qureshi enrolled in the engineering department and gained aBachelor of Science (BS) in mechanical engineering, followed by aMaster of Science (MS), also in mechanical engineering^[6] His mechanical engineering thesis contained work on applications of themechanics of materials.^[6] In 1960, he was admitted into thedoctoral program in mechanical engineering at MSU, but left hisdoctoral studies for unknown reasons.^{: 1256 [5]}

After returning to Pakistan in 1960, Qureshi joined Karachi Mechanical Laboratories (KML) and found employment with thePakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in 1963, where he joined the staff led by Dr.Naeem Ahmad Khan in Lahore.^[7]

In 1963, Qureshi served as design engineer at the Atomic Energy Center in Lahore where he oversaw the installation of the firstneutron generator.^[4] In 1965, Qureshi moved toNilore to joinPakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) where he was part of the team that designed his nation's first nation'snuclear pile —PARR-I reactor at Pinstech Laboratory in Nilore which wentcritical in 1965.^[8][9] In 1967, Qureshi moved to the Nuclear Physics Group working underNaeem Ahmad Khan that was investigating on the feasibility of thegas centrifuges for the industrial enrichment.^[10]

This study group also includedSultan Mahmood andSamar Mubarakmand but left the project when he joined the Radiation Isotope Application Division (RIAD) at the laboratory under Naeem Ahmad Khan.^[11] In December 1971, Qureshi was made director of RIAD with support provided from Dr. Naeem Ahmad.^[12]

In 1974, Qureshi was invited byMunir Ahmad Khan andAbdus Salam to participate in the development of nuclear weapons when he was asked to design, engineer, and machine thedesign components,tampers, andexplosive lenses necessary for detonation of thenuclear weapon.^{: 179–180 [13]} He soon joined the Metallurgical Laboratory (ML) located inWah Cantonment and collaborated with Dr. Zaman Sheikh, a physical chemist and authority onexplosives, ofDefence Science & Technology Organization (DESTO).^{: 189–190 [14]} This led to the establishment of the Wah Group Scientist (WGS) at the ML that worked on metallurgical aspect of the nuclear device.^[12][15][16] Several sessions were held on the feasibility of the device between the Wah Group Scientist with the Abdus Salam and Riazuddin of Theoretical Physics Group (TPG);Asghar Qadir andMunir Ahmad Rashid of the Mathematical Physics Group;Ishfaq Ahmad of Nuclear Physics Division.^[17] During the meeting, the wordbomb was never used, instead the scientists used scientific research rationale.^[18] There, the scientists decided to develop an 'implosion' over the 'gun' type fission device citing economy in the use offissile material.^[19]

The Wah Group Scientists also took initiatives in designing of high precision mechanical and chemical components – how tampers would be developed to produce efficiency and high precision data – physics calculations – what would its appropriate time reaction be when the explosives make contact with the material– high explosives– what kind of chemistry be would be used, and triggering mechanisms – how the weapon would be detonated.^[20] Since the testing facilities inPINSTECH Nilore lacked, the ML performed several explosives experiments and chemistry measurements in cooperation with thePakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), which was the source of providing the explosives, in 1976.^[21]

By 1979, the Wah Group Scientists under Hafeez and Sheikh had developed the wide range of explosive lenses, design components finished on thecomputer numerical control, the polymer-based high explosive materials, and triggering mechanisms.^{: 180 [14][22][23]}

In 1980, the Wah Group Scientist team collaborated with the Diagnostics Directorate in designing the diagnostics to viability and reliability of the first nuclear device without the use of nuclear testing.^{: 194 [14]} Thesubcritical experiments on the physical package was organized in the secretKirana Hills Site, controlled by thePakistan Air Force, under the test series:Kirana-I.^[24] The first subcritical experiment on the first nuclear device took place on 11 March 1983.^[25] The diagnostics and the subcritical experiments continued on 24 different improved designs, developed by TPG, underSamar Mubarakmand of the Diagnostics Directorate and Hafeez Qureshi of Wah Group Scientist.^{[26]: 184–190 [13]}

Hafeez Qureshi, alongside Samar Mubarakmand, oversaw the diagnostics and subcritical testing program of nuclear weapons as its test director until the full-scale nuclear testing (Chagai-I) was conducted at theRas Koh Range in 1998.^[27]

On 11 August 2007, Qureshi died from natural causes, aged 76.^[4][7] After his retirement, he served on the mechanical engineering faculty at thePakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and was honored with his nation's highest honors including theSitara-e-Imtiaz in 1992 andHilal-e-Imtiaz in 2002 conferred by thePresident of Pakistan.^[7]

In 2023, the Government of Pakistan accepted the recommendation to honor his services with theNishan-i-Imtiaz, which he was awarded in 2024.^[1]

• Rahman, Shahid (1998). "§The Group at Wah". In Rahman, Shahid (ed.).Long Road to Chagai. Islamabad, Pakistan: Printwise publication. pp. 2–15 and 41–105.ISBN 978-969-8500-00-9.

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