Late Syed Dilawar Abbas’s Family Makes Major Donation to LUMS
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To honour the valuable contributions of the late Syed Dilawar Abbas towards Pakistan, his sisters, Ms. Ather Wajid Ali and Ms. Nuzhat Wajid Ali have made a major donation to LUMS. This gift will be utilised to establish a National Outreach Programme Endowment Fund as well as promote the sport of tennis by naming the tennis facilities at LUMS in his memory.
In his distinguished career, Mr. Syed Dilawar Abbas served as a Senator and the Chairman Senate Committee Petroleum and Natural Resources; Minister of Irrigation and Power; Chairman Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd. and Group Chief of Attock Oil. He was passionate about tennis, having served twice as the President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation, Vice President of the Asian Tennis Federation and member of the Constitutional Committee of the International Tennis Federation. Pakistan’s national tennis centre, The S. Dilawar Abbas PTF Tennis Complex is named in his honour.
To commemorate the gift, an event was held on September 1, 2021, at LUMS, starting with a plaque unveiling ceremony at the tennis courts. It was attended by the sisters, friends and family members of late Syed Dilawar Abbas. Also present at the occasion, representing LUMS, were Syed Babar Ali, Founding Pro-Chancellor; Mr. Shahid Hussain, Rector; Dr. Pervez Hassan, Member Management Committee; Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Vice Chancellor; Ms. Nuzhat Kamran, Director Office of Advancement; Mr. Almaee Hassan Jaffri, National Management Fund representative and the Development team.
“I cannot thank the family of Syed Dilawar Abbas enough for being so generous – especially Ms. Nuzhat Wajid Ali and Ms. Ather Wajid Ali for taking the initiative,” said Syed Babar Ali. “It was their wish that the tennis courts be named after him and I hope his name will live long after we are gone.”
Proceeds from the donation will endow a lifelong scholarship for the LUMS National Outreach Programme (NOP), which recently won the global CASE Platinum Award for Best Practices in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Over 850 scholars have been funded through this programme that provides full tuition waivers and additional living stipends and allowances to students from disadvantaged backgrounds to study at LUMS.
Dr. Pervez Hassan reminisced the times he spent with Syed Dilawar Abbas. He said, “I was very privileged to be friends with him and our friendship blossomed through our professional experiences. He was a person driven by merit, had integrity and was respected amongst his peers and he had a strong passion to give back to society. On behalf of LUMS, I would like to thank the family for their generous contribution.”
Adding to the tributes, Mr. Shahid Hussain said, “I have met Mr. Abbas a few times because of tennis; his services to the Pakistan tennis network have been remarkable. There is no better way to remember his life’s work other than naming the courts after him. We hope that the tennis courts continue to flourish and so does his name.”
“This scholarship is very meaningful to us, and LUMS is extremely grateful. Through this scholarship, we benefit from the experiences and hard work of meritorious scholars from different areas of Pakistan, who come and contribute directly to the diversity of our campus. We are here to not only give our thanks but to remember someone who we can consider as a role model,” said Dr. Arshad Ahmad.
Towards the end, Syed Dilawar Abbas’s nephews, Mr. Syed Ali Murtaza and Dr. Ali Abbas thanked the LUMS management for acknowledging their gift through this ceremony. Mr. Murtaza said, “I would like to express my gratitude to LUMS Board members, Babar Sahab, Dr. Parvez Hassan and the LUMS management for honouring my uncle’s memory.
“Donating towards the LUMS Scholarship is a great way to remember Syed Dilawar Abbas as he was completely selfless and was always looking for ways to give back to society. Tennis was his one true love and there is no better way to remember him than to name the LUMS Tennis Courts after him.”
Dr. Abbas, adding to the tributes said, “As a LUMS Alumnus myself and a nephew of Syed Dilawar Abbas, it is an honour for me to be here and celebrate his memory. Tennis, LUMS and Syed Dilawar Abbas embody values that we should respect and abide by, which are the rule of law and merit.”
