Hakim Said

Hakeem Muhammad Saeed (; 9 January 1920 – 17 October 1998) was a Pakistani medical researcher, author, scholar, and philanthropist. He served as governor of Sindh Province from 19 July 1993 until 23 January 1994. Saeed was one of Pakistan's most prominent medical researchers in the field of Eastern medicine.

He established the Hamdard Foundation in 1948, prior to his settlement in West Pakistan. In the next few years, the herbal medical products of the Hamdard Foundation became household names in Pakistan. Hakeem Muhammad Saeed authored and compiled about 200 books on medicine, philosophy, science, health, religion, natural medicine, literature, social issues, as well as travelogues.

On 17 October 1998, Hakeem Saeed was assassinated by a group of unknown assailants while he was on his way to attend a medical experiment at the Hamdard Laboratories in Karachi. His ancestors came from Kashgar (now Kashi, Xinjiang, China) to the Indian subcontinent, in the reign of the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam. They first stayed at Peshawar for about eighteen years, then moved to Multan, before finally settling down in Delhi.

His forefathers and family had been associated with the herbal medicine business and had established the Hamdard Waqf Laboratories in India before 1947, which today has emerged as one of the largest manufacturers of Unani medicines in the world. Saeed created two widely attended national forums: Hamdard Shura (for leaders of public opinion) and Naunehal Assembly (for children). He held offices and memberships in dozens of national and international organizations related to education and healthcare. He launched two journals, Hamdard Medicus and Hamdard Islamicus. Hamdard-e-Sehat, which was already being published under his editorship since 1940, also appeared from Karachi in 1948. He launched a magazine for young readers, Hamdard Naunehal and established a separate division, Naunehal Adab, for producing quality books for children.

Saeed was an exponent of Eastern medicine who had treated patients from all over the world including Pakistan, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East by the time of his death in October 1998. He helped get alternative medicine recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). After a fifty-year career as a practitioner of Greco-Arab medicine, he was posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan in 2002.

Books written Islamic-related Religion, Islamic Studies, Islamic Law, Education and Literature (in English) Nuristan (Radio speeches on Quran-e-Hakim & our lives) (Published in 1987) The Employer And the Employee: Islamic Concept (Published in 1972) Islamic Concept of State (Published in 1983) Essays on Islam (Four Volumes) (Published between 1992 and 1998) Voice of Morality (Published in 1985) Man, The World, Peace Main Currents of Contemporary Thought In Pakistan (2 Volumes), History & Biography (in English) (Published in 1973) Al-Biruni: His Time, Life And Works, Co-author: Dr. Ansar Zahid Khan (Published in 1981) Personalities Noble (Published in 1983) Road To Pakistan, Co-authors: Dr. Moin-ul-Haq, Prof. Sharif-ul-Mujahid, Dr. Ansar Zahid Khan (Published in 1990)

Medicine & History of Medicine Al-Biruni's Book on Pharmacist And Material to Medica (Published in 1973) Diseases of Liver: Greco-Arab Concepts (Published in 1982) Cardiovascular Diseases: Greco-Arab Concepts (Published in 1983) Hamdard Pharmacopoeia of Eastern Medicine (Published in 1969) Oral Health (Published in 1994) Medicine In China (Published in 1965) Pharmacy and Medicine Thru The Ages (Published in 1969) Traditional Greco-Arab And Modern Western Medicine: Conflict and Symbiosis (Published in 1975) Pakistan Encyclopedia Planta Medica (2 Volumes), Co-authors: Dr. Viqar Uddin Ahmed & Dr. Atta-Ur-Rahman (Published in 1986) Medicinal Herbal (2 volumes) (Published in 1996) Background of Unani, Arabic & Islamic Medicine & Pharmacy (Published in 1997) Ethics For Medics (Published in 1997)

Children's Literature Love and Peace (Published in 1990) Dostan (4 parts) Published in 1991 Let Us Talk Health (Published in 1989) Peace Primer, Co-author F.A. Anvery (Published in 1991) The Best of Goodness (Published in 1991) The Greatest Man (Published in 1991) A Primer of Health for Children of the World (Published in 1993) A World without Polio – Children's thematic Poster Competition (Published in 1996)

Personal life In 1945, he married his cousin Naimat Begum in Delhi. They had one daughter, Sadia Rashid. He was the younger brother of the Hakim Abdul Hameed.

Death and investigation Saeed was murdered on 17 October 1998 in Aram Bagh area of Karachi. His murderers were caught by DIG Farooq Amin Qureshi, CCPO Karachi at that time. Qureshi was highly appreciated and is one of the most renowned police officers of Pakistan to this day. Several persons were arrested and subsequently sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court.

In 2001, an anti-terrorism appellate bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted all nine people accused of murdering Saeed. The verdict was challenged by the then provincial government. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers, Mohammed Amirullah, Mohammed Shakir alias Shakir Langra and Abu Imran Pasha, were among those acquitted by the court.

On 26 April 2014, the Supreme Court upheld the verdict of Sindh High Court (SHC) regarding acquittal of MQM workers in the Hakeem Saeed murder case.

Legacy, awards and recognition Kuwait Prize for Tibb-i-Islami (Eastern medicine) in 1983 Many prominent personalities of Lahore gathered at the Hamdard Center on his death anniversary in 2011, to pay tributes to him. Hakeem Saeed was portrayed as someone who had a multi-dimensional personality, a patriot of the highest order, and who is a role model for the youth as he set worthwhile examples of hard work, honesty and love for humanity.