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Name: Noor Saad

Date of Birth: 14th August 2007
School: Lahore Grammar School Defence Phase 1
Address: 107/1 H Block Model Town
Email: noorsaadgrade9@gmail.com
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Isolation- the profound condition of solitude,

To many of us this concept echoes through our recent memories, painting flashbacks
that send shivers down our spines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst moments of
idleness or family gatherings, the sudden realisation of a missing member punctuates
our thoughts. The pandemic robbed us of much and before we knew it the rare
condition of isolation became the new norm.

Dr. Abdus Salam, decades ago, encountered the essence of isolation. For me, 2020
mirrored what 1951 meant for Salam—an isolation from my grandfather due to the
pandemic. Much like Salam’s return from Cambridge to desolate bookshelves and
empty pages where the literature of physics should have been—an isolation from his
passion, an absence of scope and research.

In the confines of my house, I grappled with a sense of denial in the wake of the feared
loss. The initial days were the hardest, the walls of his room taking on an unfamiliar
aura. A part of me felt devoid of a role model to emulate. While devastated, I resonated
with Salam's hopelessness.

Revisiting old memories of my dada—pictures and albums—felt akin to retracing steps

backward in life. In a parallel narrative, Salam, despite studying on a nuclear scale,
found himself drawn back to the basic facilities in Pakistan, wrestling with issues like
poorly maintained water canals leading to water logging and salinity. Every fundamental
concept of science became a challenge for him as every memoir of my grandfather
became for me.

However, Salam’s interest in the field of theoretical physics was such that despite the
lack of priority for science in a newly independent Pakistan confining Salam's dreams,
this setback only ignited his fuel to prioritise the field in his home country. He was a
humble visionary, driven by a holistic view, motivated not only by a love for his career
but also by a fervour for Pakistan's prosperity.
Although he was neither an economist nor a human rights lawyer, he still spoke for the
developing nations, addressing agriculture, finance and the disparity between the poor
and rich on an international scale.

His headstrong nature and strength to keep going forward struck a chord with me, it's
how I felt inspired to take action by remaining motivated. While the loss of a loved one
may differ from the absence of facilities to enhance passion, confronting the world with
a renewed perspective share a common thread.