User:Docamjad

Dr. Amjad Parvez

Award Winning Musician and Engineer
Music:

Sixty four years old Dr. Amjad Parvez, among fraternity of melodist started his career as a child artist in the fifties at Radio Pakistan, Lahore in the children’s’ programme ‘Honhaar’. By sheer hard work, practice, love and passion for music, decades ago, he has rightly earned PTV and Radio Pakistan’s ‘outstanding’ category in the classical and semi-classical genres. Introduced by Madam Farida Khanum in her programme ‘Khatir-e-Ehbaab’ in the sixties and belonging to non-professional (Ataai) family, he has obtained training in classical singing from the Ustads of Sham Chaurasi Gharana such as Ustad Nazakat Ali Khan-Ustad Salamat Ali Khan duo (became their pupil in 1976), Ustad Ghulam Shabbir Khan-Ustad Ghulam Jaffar Khan duo (became their pupil in1992), and music composers Akhtar Hussain Akhian and Pride of Performance Mian Sheheryaar. Dr. Amjad Parvez possesses clear, melodious, sweet, cultured and broad ranged voice full of melodic pathos. He has contributed wholesomely and significantly to the further promotion and presentation of Pakistani melodic culture, both at national and international levels. He is a practicing singer at PTV, private music channels, CPU & BH, Radio Pakistan where he has recorded hundreds of Pop songs, Geets, Kafis, Ghazals, Thumris and Raags in Kheyal format. Dr. Amjad Parvez therefore combines the art of light, semi-classical and classical singing in one individual. Since last two decades, he renders a new Raag in BH’s programme ‘Ahang-e-Khusrovi’ every month and has rendered more than fifty Raags in Kheyal format. His Ghazals sung at Radio Pakistan and PTV became popular in no time and scores of other numbers coupled with rendering of Raags Malkaus, Aiman Kalyan, Darbari, Kidara, Megh, Jonpuri, Lilat, Rajeshri, Jog, Sarsawati, Shri, Bindrabini Sarang, Bheem, Bakhzar, Durga, Puria Dhanasri, Shudh Sarang, Dais, Madwanti, Champa Kali, Hans Dhun, Marva, Gujri Todi, Mian Ki Malhaar, Gorakh Kalyan, Marva, Gun Kali, Durga and alike, speak volume about his versatility as a practicing musician. By his consistent respect accorded to and acquiring knowledge from the professionals, he has become a symbol of bridging the gap of traditional rivalry between the professionals and non-professionals thereby becoming a role model for the present and the future generations.

Dr. Amjad Parvez folk songs ‘Tera Lutaya Sheher Bhanbore’, ‘Chal Mailey Nun Chaliye’ and the poem ‘Jo Bhi Kutch Hei Muhabbat Ka Phailao Hei’ for PTV’s serial ‘Aik Muhabbat Sau Afsaaney’ have become his identity since past decades. His music albums 'Tera Interzar’ by Khayyam, ‘Janaan’, ‘Khushboo’, ‘Samunder’ and ‘Hamd-o-Naat’ have been released from UK and albums on the poetry of Mir Taqi Mir, Mirza Ghalib, Faiz Ahmad Faiz meeting international acclaim. During his lifetime he has represented his country on government level as well as in private capacity in many countries such as USA, UK, France, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Myanmar and India especially on occasions of national importance. He can therefore truly be called a cultural ambassador of Pakistan.

Dr. Amjad Parvez is the grandson of Khwaja Dil Muhammad, Ex-Principal Islamia College Lahore, a mathematician and a national poet of pre-independence era. Dr. Amjad inherits love for poetry from his grand father and selects good quality and sober poetry devoid of vulgarity, before crooning it. His music show titled ’Sur Ka Safar’ broadcast every Sunday from FM 101 at Radio Pakistan, Lahore aims at reviving old melodic culture of Pakistani music coupled with education of Raags and songs based on Raags. This show has become popular in no time and dozens of callers take interest in this presentation. Dr. Amjad Parvez also was writer and host of PTV programmes ‘Dais Pardais’, ‘Sada-e-Dost’ and ‘Mehmaan’.

Engineering:

Dr. Amjad Parvez holds BSc in Mechanical Engineering from UET, Lahore (1967), MSc in Quality and Reliability Engineering (1969) and PhD in Engineering Production (1972) from the University of Birmingham, UK. He remained in UET’s faculty of Mechanical Engineering till 1975 and became Associate Professor. While in this position, he was offered to join Nespak, a newly established consulting company in engineering. In order to combine the academics with practical applications, he joined Nespak and remained there for thirty years despite many other jobs offered to him abroad. As engineer he received President of Pakistan’s Gold Medal in Engineering in 1977 and has written fifty technical articles printed in national and international journals. He was conferred upon IEP Shield in May 2009 by the Institute of Engineers, Pakistan.

In Nespak he rose from the position of Principal Engineer to Chief Engineer and then General Manager and Vice President of many Divisions before he became Managing Director Nespak (2004). He also worked as Managing Director Turkpak and ECO-CEC, Nespak subsidies with Turkey and Iran for seven years (1993-2000). He brought many IDB financed projects in Muslim countries such as Central Asian Republics and Africa. Earlier he worked on many prestigious projects such as Tarbela Dam, Steel Mills, USAID studies for Planning Commission, Punjab Seed Corporation Projects etc. for Nespak. During his stay in Saudi Arabia as General Manager Nespak (1986-1992), he acquired (in open competition) and implemented twenty projects for Saline Water Conversion Corporation, Ministries of Agriculture, Communications, Riyadh Municipality, SCECO, Tabouk Electricity Corporation and Jeddah Water Board etc. earning foreign exchange for his country He held high positions such as Vice President (Coordination, Power & Mechanical, Overseas and Monitoring & Control) in Nespak. He became Managing Director at a time when Nespak’s business was at its lowest ebb. He not only drew three times the ever highest business for Nespak in one year but also started paying salaries to the three thousand plus employees in time. Millions of outstanding amounts were retrieved from clients such as Wapda. He opened overseas offices for Nespak in Saudi Arabia and Qatar and expanded business in UAE, Tehran and Muscat. His stay in Nespak is considered as Golden era in engineering/consulting profession.

After reaching superannuation, he joined Associated Group as Advisor on Power Projects before he joined UET’s newly established department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering where presently, apart from teaching, he provides research guidance to PhD, MSc and BSc final year students. He is the initiator and currently the MD of Engineering Services UET Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited, a newly established engineering and consulting company to make use of the multi-disciplinary talent of UET Faculties.

Literature:

As a writer of Book Reviews that are being published in a local English daily since over two decades. His deep study and appreciation of literature, his in-depth analysis and a keen eye on national and international affairs and profound study of Today's Worlds’ fast changing affairs and politics are aptly reflected in his analyses. His two books ‘Symphony of Reflections’ and ‘Being & Becoming’ and weekly columns have been a great source of knowledge for the readers. Dr. Amjad Parvez is the only example of highly literate individual in the country who has excelled both in his profession (Engineering) and passion (Music & literature) by time management. He is the recipient of many awards including the prestigious President of Pakistan’s Pride of Performance Award (year 2000).