History of PARC

The landmarks in the evolution of PARC are given below in chronological order:

1948 - A Food and Agriculture Committee (FAC) was set up
1951 – A Food and Agriculture Council of Pakistan (FACP) replaced FAC
1964 – The FACP was redesignated as Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and its membership made more compact and it was authorized to sponsor fellowships in agricultural research.
1968 – First Pak-American Agricultural Research Review Team reviewed the current status of agricultural research in the country and on their recommendations, the duties of ARC were expanded to include establishment of research centres.
1973 – Second Pak-American Team reviewed the status of agricultural research in Pakistan and recommended the strengthening of ARC. As a result, the ARC was reorganized.
1974 – The headquarters of ARC were shifted from Karachi to Islamabad
1978 – The ARC was reconstituted and broad based to include whole time Members, working scientists from provinces, heads of research institutes. Vice-Chancellors of agricultural universities and progressive farmers.
1980 – A joint world Bank, USAID and CIDA Mission, led by Sir Charles Pereira visited Pakistan and submitted its report on the overall in-depth review of agriculture research system, suggesting inter alia the grant of autonomous status to PARC.
1981 – Pakistan Agricultural Research Council Ordinance of 1981 was promulgated.

Chairmen of PARC

Dr. Amir Muhammad	9^th June 1978	to	3^rd February 1990
Dr. C. M. Anwar Khan	4th February 1990	to	2^nd June 1991
Dr. Zafar Altaf	3rd June 1991	to	30^th September 1994
Dr. C.M. Anwar Khan	1^st October 1994	to	10^th January 1997
Dr. Muhammad Akbar	11^th January 1997	to	26^th June 1997
Dr. Zafar Altaf	27^th June 1997	to	29^th April 1998
Dr. Muhammad Akbar	30^th April 1998	to	9^th September 1998
Dr. Kausar A. Malik	15^th September 1998	to	27^th February 2001
Dr. Umar Khan Baloch	28^th February 2001	to	11^th Feb. 2002
Dr. Badar ud Din Soomro	12^th February 2002	to	7^th September 2005
Dr. M. E. Tusneem	8^th September 2005	to	12^th August 2008
Dr. Zafar Altaf	13^th August 2008	to	3^rd January 2011
Dr. Muhammad Afzal	4^th January 2011	to	10^th August 2011
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad	11^th August 2011	to	31^st March 2012
Mr. Naveed Salimi	1^st April 2012	to	11^th September 2012
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad	12^th September 2012	to	11^th September 2015
Dr. Nadeem Amjad	12^th September 2015	to	4^thOctober 2016
Dr. Yusuf Zafar	5th October 2016	to	22nd Feb., 2019
Muhammad Ayub Chaudhry	23rd Feb., 2019	to	26th Sept., 2019

The Chairmen

Dr. Amir Muhammad	9^th June 1978	to	3^rd February 1990
Dr. C. M. Anwar Khan	4th February 1990	to	2^nd June 1991
Dr. Zafar Altaf	3rd June 1991	to	30^th September 1994
Dr. C.M. Anwar Khan	1^st October 1994	to	10^th January 1997
Dr. Muhammad Akbar	11^th January 1997	to	26^th June 1997
Dr. Zafar Altaf	27^th June 1997	to	29^th April 1998
Dr. Muhammad Akbar	30^th April 1998	to	9^th September 1998
Dr. Kausar A. Malik	15^th September 1998	to	27^th February 2001
Dr. Umar Khan Baloch	28^th February 2001	to	11^th Feb. 2002
Dr. Badar ud Din Soomro	12^th February 2002	to	7^th September 2005
Dr. M. E. Tusneem	8^th September 2005	to	12^th August 2008
Dr. Zafar Altaf	13^th August 2008	to	3^rd January 2011
Dr. Muhammad Afzal	4^th January 2011	to	10^th August 2011
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad	11^th August 2011	to	31^st March 2012
Mr. Naveed Salimi	1^st April 2012	to	11^th September 2012
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad	12^th September 2012	to	To-date

Chairmans of PARC

Name	From	To
Dr. Amir Muhammad	9^th June 1978	3^rd Feb. 1990
Dr. C. M. Anwar Khan	4th Feb. 1990	2^nd June 1991
Dr. Zafar Altaf	3rd June 1991	30^th Sept. 1994
Dr. C.M. Anwar Khan	1^st Oct. 1994	10^th January 1997
Dr. Muhammad Akbar	11^th January 1997	26^th June 1997
Dr. Zafar Altaf	27^th June 1997	29^th April 1998
Dr. Muhammad Akbar	30^th April 1998	9^th Sept. 1998
Dr. Kausar A. Malik	15^th Sept. 1998	27^th Feb. 2001
Dr. Umar Khan Baloch	28^th Feb. 2001	11^th Feb. 2002
Dr. Badar ud Din Soomro	12^th Feb. 2002	7^th Sept. 2005
Dr. M. E. Tusneem	8^th Sept. 2005	12^th August 2008
Dr. Zafar Altaf	13^th August 2008	3^rd January 2011
Dr. Muhammad Afzal	4^th January 2011	10^th August 2011
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad	11^th August 2011	31^st March 2012
Mr. Naveed Salimi	1^st April 2012	11^th Sept. 2012
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad	12^th Sept. 2012	To-date

International Linkages

Currently, PARC is coordinating with 104 countries and 81 international agencies/organizations, and has
34 and 9 MOUs with different countries and organizations, respectively. PARC has liaison offices with 5
international organizations including FAO, CIMMYT, ICARDA, AVRDC and ICIMOD.

National Linkages

To Coordinate and facilitate agricultural research across the country and to address provincial issues a mechanism of interaction by entering in to Memorandum of Understanding and formation of different forums at National level has been devised. The new mechanism of national coordination has facilitated in dissemination of innovative technologies to stakeholders, distribution of new germplasm developed through PARC’s in-house research and obtained from international research Centers to other research institutions, minimized duplication/overlap of research activities in the NARS and ensure greater complementarily and synergy. To underline the objective of changing existing relations in the fields of agriculture, research, policy & planning to make them more attractive and viable in terms of enhanced productivity and for the effective involvement of stakeholders in designing agricultural research, formulating policy recommendations to the government and imparting Local and Foreign trainings to Federal and Provincial staff dealing directly or indirectly with agriculture 32 MOUs with different Universities, Institutes Government and public sectors Departments has been inked and following committees/forums has been established to cater national agricultural research needs:

Inter Provincial Agricultural Research Coordination Committee
Vice Chancellor’s forum
Inter-ministerial Coordination Committee
Association of Farmers association
Women in agriculture forum