Mohammad Afzal Husain, Entomologist

Image Source

Mohammad Afzal Husain (June 10, 1889 - November 1, 1970) was an entomologist who served briefly as an officiating Imperial Entomologist and is considered the father of entomology in Pakistan. He was Vice Chancellor of the Punjab University from 1938 to 1960. Husain was conferred the title Khan Bhadur.

Muhammad Afzal Husain was born in a prosperous family from Batala, Gurdaspur District. His father, Husain Baksh, was a Persian and Arabic scholar who worked as a district judge. Husain was the younger half-brother of Sir Fazal-I-Husain KCIE. During his early years, Husain moved around Punjab and studied at schools in different cities where his father was posted on transfers. He did his graduation from Government College Lahore and post graduation from Christ’s College, Cambridge in Zoology. He was specifically influenced by J. Stenley Gardiner, and he was selected as a Supernumerary Entomologist at the Imperial Research Institute in Pusa in 1918. In 1918, he became Entomologist to the Government of Punjab at the Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute Lyallpur. He worked there until 1930. From December 1930, he was involved in research on locusts. In 1930, he became Principal at the Punjab Agricultural College Lyallpur. He worked as Vice Chancellor of Punjab University Lyallpur from 1938 to1960. He had four daughters and a son named Arshab Husain, who was an Ambassador of Pakistan in Moscow.