Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza
Sitara-e-Basalat
Pakistan Air Force
(1927-2000)
Photographs - Album 19: Project Director, Shaheen Builders, Shaheen Foundation, PAF, Karachi, Pakistan
(December 1980 - October 1987) &
Project Manager, General Manager & Managing Director, SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical, Shaheen Foundation, PAF, Karachi, Pakistan
(October 1987 - April 1991)
Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza (R), Pakistan Air Force, worked as Project Director, Shaheen Builders, Shaheen Foundation, PAF, Karachi, Pakistan (December 1980 - October 1987) & Project Manager, General Manager & Managing Director, SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical, Shaheen Foundation, PAF, Karachi, Pakistan (October 1987 - April 1991)
Photograph: Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza (R), Shaheen Foundation, PAF (Dated 1990).
Air Commodore Raza continued his innings in Shaheen Foundation (subsidiary of PAF) as Director Shaheen Builders (November/December 1980 - October 1987) and Project Manager/Managing Director/General Manager SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical (November 1987 - April 1991). During these appointments he completed mega projects (incorporating Italian & Swedish resources and technologies). Under a private-public sector arrangement, he oversaw the completion of Shaheen Complex, with the first “Revolving Restaurant” in Karachi, Bini-Shells for warehouses & storage facilities, PTDC Restaurant at Daman-E-Koh, Islamabad, and the Cadets’ Mess, PAF Asghar Khan Academy Risalpur. He later established the SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical Plant in Hub Baluchistan (October 1987 - April 1991). Air Commodore Raza left Shaheen Foundation, PAF due to his deteriorating health in April 1991. He passed away in PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi on April 4, 2000, at the age of 73 after a courageous battle with serious medical conditions, surrounded by loved ones who will continue to honor his legacy by living their lives to the fullest.
Photograph Collage: Key executive assignments and mega projects (incorporating Italian & Swedish resources and technologies) which were spearheaded, and brought to completion by Air Commodore Syed ABID Raza as Director, Shaheen Builders (November/December 1980 - October 1987) and Managing Director/General Manager, SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical Plant (October 1987 - April 1991); during his management of these respective business units of “Shaheen Foundation, A Subsidiary of Pakistan Air Force”, after he honorably retired from active military duty of Pakistan Air Force (November 1948 - November 1980).
Below is the excerpt from “Chapter 6: Shaheen Foundation (1980-1981)” of his digital biographical manuscript draft which is in the works.
Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza S.Bt (Retd): An Overview of Key Executive & Official Assignments (1980-1991)
*Director, Shaheen Builders, Business Unit of Shaheen Foundation, A Subsidiary of Pakistan Air Force, (November 1980 - October 1987)
*General Manager & Managing Director, Business Unit of SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical Plant, Shaheen Foundation, A Subsidiary of Pakistan Air Force (October 1987 – April 1991)
>Shaheen Builders, Shaheen Foundation, A Subsidiary of Pakistan Air Force - Top 5 Mega Projects (1980-1987):
1. Shaheen Complex was constructed for offices, Banks and 1st “Revolving Restaurant” in Karachi, Pakistan.
2. Bini-Shells were constructed for warehouses, & storage facilities, incorporating the Italian manufacturing technology for the first time, in Quetta, Baluchistan, and other far-flung areas of interior Sindh and Punjab, Pakistan.
3. PTDC Restaurant was constructed by incorporating the Italian Bini-Shell Manufacturing Technology at Daman-E-Koh, Islamabad, Pakistan.
4. Cadets Mess, PAF Academy was constructed in Risalpur, Pakistan.
5. SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical Plant was the first semi government pharmaceutical joint venture between Sweden & Pakistan. The team led the qualification, design, local/global training, and development efforts for successful launching of this state-of-the-art plant in 1985 till it became operational in 1990 after the inauguration by the then Chief Minister of Baluchistan.
X. The list goes on…………….
>SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical Plant, Shaheen Foundation, A subsidiary of Pakistan Air Force (1987-1991):
During 1985, Shaheen Foundation (PAF) conceived the idea of establishing an Intravenous Solution factory at Hub, Baluchistan. This was basically envisaged due to inadequacy of sanctioned capacity of IVS vis-a-vis the rising demand and sizeable amount of imports of infusion giving bottles to meet the local demand. After conceiving this idea three proposals were obtained, i.e. one each from Sweden, Germany and the United States of America. The proposals from Germany and the USA were based on conventional system whereas the Swedish proposal consisted of a modern concept of modular system. Thus the Swedish proposal was accepted by Shaheen Foundation (PAF). Hence Shaheen Foundation (PAF) joined hands with Swedish partners and set up a plant known as SWE-PAK Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. at Hub. The Government of Pakistan sanctioned the Project in April 1987 and the Certificate of Commencement of Business was issued in June 1987.The plant and machinery comprising the reverse Osmosis, Water Filtration System, the Solution Preparation Tanks, the Bottle Pack Machine, the Autoclaves, Leak Test, Labeling Machine, the Pyrogen Laboratory Equipment, along with a sophisticated and well-equipped Laboratory were assembled in Modules and tested in Sweden. These Modules do ensure GMP to achieve absolute quality control. The installed capacity of the plant is four million bottles of IVS in 1000 million bottles during 300 days per year in two shifts. This capacity may however be increased to eight million bottles per year at a little extra cost because of the presence of infrastructures like warehouse, etc. Stringent processes were placed to ensure the veracity of the product as SWE-PAK, in no way, can compromise the quality of the product which is a Life-Saving Drug.
Primary Sources:
1. “From Concept to Inauguration“ by Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza S.Bt (Retd), GM SWEPAK, Dawn Supplemental Publication, Wednesday May 23rd, 1990. (Location: Raza Family Archives, Los Angeles. USA)
2. Excerpts from “Official Curriculum Vitae“ & “Resume“ of Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza S.Bt (Retd). (Location: Raza Family Archives, Los Angeles. USA)
Secondary Sources:
1. History of the Pakistan Air Force, 1947-1982 by Syed Shabbir Hussain, & M. Tariq Qureshi, 332 pages, PAF Press Masroor, Pakistan,1982 (Library Locations: https://www.worldcat.org/.../history-of-the.../oclc/9748813)
2. “The Story of the Pakistan Air Force, 1988-1998: A Battle Against Odds“ by the Shaheen Foundation, Islamabad. 414 pages, New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 969-8553-00-2. (Library Locations: https://www.worldcat.org/.../story-of-the.../oclc/47869796)
3. “Cutting Edge PAF: A Former Air Chief's Reminiscences of a Developing Air Force“ by ACM M. A. Shamim, Vanguard Books, April 1, 2011. ISBN 10: 9694025400/ ISBN 13: 9789694025407 (Library Locations: https://www.worldcat.org/title/642515699)
4. PTDC Restaurant, Daman-E-Koh, Islamabad, Pakistan (https://pk.top10place.com/ptdc-daman-e-koh-islamabad...)
5. Shaheen Complex, Karachi, Pakistan (https://www.shaheencomplexkarachi.com/)
6. Shaheen Foundation, Islamabad, Pakistan (https://www.shaheenfoundation.com/index.php)
Photograph: Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza, 1st from left, visiting the SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical Plant with his executive staff team and officials of Shaheen Foundation, Pakistan Air Force (1989).
Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza S.Bt was the first General Manager &
Managing Director of SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical Plant, Shaheen Foundation, a subsidiary of Pakistan Air Force (1987-1991).
SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical Plant was the first semi government pharmaceutical joint venture between Sweden & Pakistan. Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza (S.Bt) and his team led the qualification, design, local/global training, and development efforts for successful establishing and launching this state of the plant in Hub Industrial Estate, Baluchistan from 1985 till it became operational under his supervision in 1990 after the inauguration by the then Chief Minister of Baluchistan.
Photograph: Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza (4th from left), in a discussion related to Plant Operations, with his executive team and officials of Shaheen Foundation, Pakistan Air Force.
Photograph: Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza in a meeting with the staff in his office at the SWE-PAK Plant.
Photograph: Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza (1s from left) with his executive staff team and officials of Shaheen Foundation PAF, at the SWE-PAK Plant.
Photograph: Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza (sitting 2nd from right) attending the official dinner as the chief guest, accompanied by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Sweden (sitting 3rd from right). This dinner was hosted by the executives of M/s. Pharmadule (AB), in Stockholm, Sweden (1989). It was Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza's last official visit to Sweden to review and oversee the training program for the management team of SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical Plant, Shaheen Foundation, Pakistan Air Force by the officials, and technical subject matter experts of M/s. Pharmadule (AB), Sweden.
Newspaper Clipping: This special supplemental publication from Dawn (1990) which has an article ("From concept to inauguration") from Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza on his last official assignment and project. (Dawn is Pakistan's oldest, leading and most widely read English-language newspaper and is the country's newspaper of record).
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Air Commodore Syed Abid Raza S.Bt (Retd) was the first General Manager and Managing Director of SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical Plant, Shaheen Foundation (subsidiary of Pakistan Air Force). .
SWE-PAK Pharmaceutical Plant was the first semi government pharmaceutical joint venture between Sweden & Pakistan. He and his team led the qualification, design, local/global training, and development efforts for successful launching of this state of the art plant in 1985 till it became operational under his supervision in 1990 after the inauguration by the then Chief Minister of Baluchistan.
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A brief history of SWE-PAK.
During 1985, Shaheen Foundation (PAF) conceived the idea of establishing an Intravenous Solution factory at Hub, Baluchistan. This was basically envisaged due to inadequacy of sanctioned capacity of IVS vis-a-vis the rising demand and sizeable amount of imports of infusion giving bottles to meet the local demand. After conceiving this idea three proposals were obtained, i.e. one each from Sweden, Germany and the United States of America. The proposals from Germany and the USA were based on conventional system whereas the Swedish proposal consisted of a modern concept of modular system. Thus the Swedish proposal was accepted by Shaheen Foundation (PAF). Hence Shaheen Foundation (PAF) joined hands with Swedish partners and set up a plant known as SWE-PAK Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. at Hub. The Government of Pakistan sanctioned the Project in April 1987 and the Certificate of Commencement of Business was issued in June 1987.
The plant and machinery comprising the reverse Osmosis, Water Filtration System, the Solution Preparation Tanks, the Bottle Pack Machine, the Autoclaves, Leak Test, Labeling Machine, the Pyrogen Laboratory Equipment, along with a sophisticated and well-equipped Laboratory were assembled in Modules and tested in Sweden. These Modules do ensure GMP to achieve absolute quality control.
It may also be added that the factory was established at Hub Industrial Estate with collaboration from Lasbella Industrial Estate Development Authority, Hub, on a 4-acre land. At least one acre of the land was occupied effectively for the factory and the remaining land was planned to be utilized for future expansion and diversification in Pharmaceutical field. The utilities like Boiler, Standby DC Generator and Water Supply System along with storage and Administrative areas, Canteen and ANML House were provided by SWE-PAK Shaheen Foundation (PAF). A Supply and Technical Assistance Agreement were signed by Shaheen Foundation (PAF) with M/s. Pharmadule (AB), Sweden on the above lines.
The installed capacity of the plant is four million bottles of IVS in 1000 million bottles during 300 days per year in two shifts. This capacity may however be increased to eight million bottles per year at a little extra cost because of the presence of infrastructures like warehouse, etc. Stringent processes were placed to ensure the veracity of the product as SWE-PAK, in no way, can compromise the quality of the product which is a Life-Saving Drug.