The Department of Physics, Quaid-e-Azam University (Urdu: طبیعیات کے سیکشن جامعہ قائداعظم) (founded as the Institute of Physics, QAU), is an academic and research department of the Quaid-e-Azam University (Qau), Pakistan.
[1][2] Established in 1966 with efforts led by Abdus Salam,[3] the institute was located in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province and offered research in mathematics and theoretical physics.
[4] Professor Riazuddin served its first and founding director of the institute after shifting to the present QAU campus in 1972.
[3] It is also a birthplace of "Theoretical Physics Group" (TPG), now shifted to PINSTECH, and invited scientists from all over the world.
[3] These physicists had been under Abdus Salam's influence and were eager to establish an institute of physics.
[3] The new institute was re-established at the University of Islamabad and, Salam, Siddiqui and Bhutto convinced the authorities in Pakistan, specifically President Ayub Khan, to make the proposed university a research institution.