Ali Ahmad was born in Lahore, Pakistan, where his father Mohammad Ghasita Sheikh was a businessman. He was educated at Islamia High School, Lahore, and graduated in medicine from the King Edward Medical College, Punjab University, where he won the silver medal for ophthalmology. In 1954 he came to the UK for postgraduate studies and while working at the National Heart Hospital, London, he developed an interest in cardiology. He obtained his membership of the College in 1955 and returned to Pakistan a year later, where he became medical superintendent at the Gulab Devi Hospital and lecturer in tuberculosis at Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore.

In 1959 he was appointed assistant professor of medicine at King Edward Medical College and subsequently professor of medicine at Nishtar Medical College, Multan, from 1966-69. He then returned to King Edward Medical College as professor and head of the department of cardiology. His particular interest was vascular heart disease and he helped to establish the cardiology department at the Mayo Hospital, Lahore. In 1977 he was appointed professor of medicine at King Edward’s and later became vice principal. He retired in 1985.

In 1958 he had married Mussarat, also a doctor and daughter of Mohammad Sharif Choudri. They had five children, three sons and two daughters.

V C Luniewska

[Brit.med.J., 1993,307,677]