Dr Shafiq was pioneer of psychiatry in KP

PESHAWAR: A prominent psychiatrist and pioneer of psychiatry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Prof Dr Mohammad Shafiq, who passed away recently at the age of 86, was a household name in the province, adjoining tribal districts and across the border in Afghanistan. He had trained a large number of doctors in the field who were serving in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Known for politeness and his caring attitude toward his patients, Dr Shafiq would attend his clinic to help patients suffering from mental health issues despite his old age and serious health complications.

Dr Shafiq was born in Jalandhar in India in 1936 and after getting his early education there, his family migrated to Pakistan and settled in Multan.

In 1959, he did his graduation in medicine from a medical college in Multan and then went to the United Kingdom (UK) to pursue his specialization in psychiatry. After completing his education in psychiatry in the UK, Dr Shafiq returned to Pakistan on March 13, 1964, and applied for a position in psychiatry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (then North West Frontier Province) and started his career at a psychiatry facility in Dhodial in Mansehra.

In 1969, he was transferred to Peshawar and it was the time when there were no services for patients suffering from mental health complications. However, he was soon transferred to Lahore in 1969 and was appointed administrator of Mantel Hospital Lahore. In 1976, he was appointed as an assistant professor in the psychiatry department of Khyber Medical College, Peshawar.

It was Dr Shafiq, who started the first psychiatry department in Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) in 1979 and started the Outpatient Department for psychiatry patients.

He had unforgettable services for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tribal areas and Afghanistan. He was known for his professional honesty and evidence-based practice.

All his three children, two sons and a daughter, are doctors. His elder son Dr Fahad is the head of the psychiatry department in a hospital in Dallas, United States. His second son, Dr Asad, is also based in the US, while his daughter, Dr Sadia used to work with Prof Dr Mohammad Shafiq in his Peshawar clinic.