Prof. Dr Muhammad Issa Arain, pioneering dental educator who shaped generations of Pakistani dentists, dies

HYDERABAD: Prof. Dr Muhammad Issa Arain, one of Pakistan's most influential dental educators and a pioneering figure in the country's academic dentistry, has passed away in Hyderabad, bringing to a close a career that spanned more than six decades of teaching, institutional leadership and professional service.

According to family sources, Prof. Dr Arain had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Asian Hospital in Hyderabad, where he breathed his last.

Widely respected across Pakistan's dental community, Prof. Dr Arain dedicated his professional life to advancing dental education and mentoring generations of students who later became clinicians, specialists, researchers and academic leaders in Pakistan and abroad.

He was the first Head of the Institute of Dentistry at Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS), a position that reflected his pioneering role in developing modern dental education at the institution. His association with the then Liaquat Medical College began in 1963, when he joined as a demonstrator after completing his Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) in Lahore.

Over the following decades, he became known not only as an accomplished teacher but also as an institution builder, helping strengthen academic standards and expand opportunities for dental education in Pakistan.

Following his retirement from Liaquat Medical College, Prof. Dr Arain served as Principal of Fatima Jinnah Dental College (FJDC), Karachi, where he continued contributing to undergraduate dental education and academic development.

Colleagues and former students remember him as a disciplined administrator, compassionate mentor and dedicated educator whose influence extended far beyond the classroom. Many of his students now serve as dental specialists, educators and researchers in Pakistan and across the world.

He is survived by his son, Dr Salman Issa, a consultant haematologist, and his daughter-in-law, Dr Saima Salman, a dental surgeon and Assistant Professor at Bhitai Dental College, Mirpurkhas.

His passing has been widely mourned by members of Pakistan's dental fraternity, who have paid tribute to his enduring contributions to dental education and the lasting legacy he leaves through the thousands of professionals he trained during his distinguished career.