[4] After returning to Pakistan from Cambridge after completing his tenure as Fellow of Kings College, Cambridge University, he contributed to the development of the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Karachi, and transforming the landscape of higher education, science and technology of Pakistan.

[8] His grandfather, Sir Abdur Rahman, was a vice-chancellor of the University of Delhi (1934–38) who briefly served as a judge at the Madras High Court.

[9] In 1946, Abdur Rahman was appointed as vice-chancellor of the Punjab University in Lahore, eventually relocating his family there, a year before the partition of India took place.

[9][10] He obtained a Master of Science (MSc) in organic chemistry in 1964 with first class and 1st position, and lectured at Karachi University for a year before receiving a Commonwealth Scholarship for doctoral studies in the United Kingdom.

[12] During that period, he is credited with correcting the earlier work of the Nobel Laureate Sir Robert Robinson on the chemistry of harmaline.

[15] In 1977, he became the co-director of the Hussain Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of Chemistry at University of Karachi; eventually he was ascended as the Director in 1990.

[16] He carried out important studies on the synthesis of anti-cancer alkaloids present in the plant Catharanthus roseus and analytical studies on organic compounds involving circular dichroism and is generally recognized as bringing a huge positive change in the development of science and technology as well as higher education in Pakistan.

[19] His book entitled "NMR Spectroscopy-Basic Principles" was published by Springer-Verlag and translated into Japanese for use in university courses in Japan[20] The Nobel Laureate Herbert C. Brown applauded the contributions of Rahman in science and technology.