Pakistan's renowned historian Having spent twenty-six years of life to the University of Karachi, Dr Islam who had two PhDs in history from Aligarh (1946) and Cambridge (1956) universities, was the only professor emeritus. He authored many books, besides research articles. His books, 'Sufism in South Asia' and one on the history of Sindh are considered to be rich in details of the dynamic culture and heritage of the region. The multilingual expert of history, Dr Islam was one of the founders and lifetime secretary of the Karachi University's Institute of Central and West Asian Studies. Riazul Islam was born in Rampur, India. He had passion for history since his days as a student. He passed away in Karachi.