Founder of Packages Limited, Milkpak and LUMS, born 30 June 1926. A landmark conversation on leadership, perseverance and vision — conducted for AXON by Prof. M.A. Wajid, Rana Sikander and Maha Jawwad.
Dean of the Medical College and Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences — among the world’s top 2% of scientists, Stanford 2024 — on medical education, research excellence and the future of healthcare in Pakistan.
The theme of the 2025 edition, treating mental health not only as a clinical subject but as a lived reality of medical training — giving voice to the unspoken emotional realities and arguing for a healthier learning environment.
The Chairman, Principal and Patron open Volume XI — on accessible healthcare, on training young people to serve with care and compassion, and on a magazine that has grown over the years but not aged.
Mental Health in Medicine. Carries the Syed Babar Ali dialogue, the interview with Dr Karim Damji, and the Mind Matters features.
The tenth edition of AXON, running features on figures from Sylvia Plath to Greta Thunberg alongside the year’s student writing and photography.
The AXON logo is deeply rooted in both cultural heritage and intellectual philosophy. The five rays featured in the design symbolize the five rivers of Punjab, representing unity, diversity, and the continuous flow of knowledge that shapes our collective identity.
At the heart of the logo lies Shalimar Bagh — an enduring symbol of balance, beauty, and timeless pursuit of excellence. The 2025 edition explores Mental Health in Medicine, giving voice to the unspoken emotional realities of medical training, fostering empathy and a healthier learning environment for the future healers of medicine.
Carry forward the values of service, integrity, and respect in everything you do.
The vision behind Shalamar is about creating a place where quality healthcare is accessible and young people are trained to serve with care and compassion. It is encouraging to see that this vision continues to grow through the efforts of our students, faculty, and staff.
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the editorial board of Axon. Putting together a publication requires commitment, discipline, and teamwork. Your efforts in presenting the work of your peers are commendable. You have contributed to strengthening the creative environment of the college.
Axon reflects the energy and thoughtfulness of our students. It provides a space to share ideas, experiences, and achievements, and it strengthens the sense of community within the college.
I hope that all of you continue to pursue your goals with sincerity and remain mindful of the responsibility that comes with the profession you have chosen. Carry forward the values of service, integrity, and respect in everything you do.
I wish the team behind Axon continued success.
With best wishes,
Mr Shahid Hussain
Chairman, Businessmen Hospital Trust
Shalamar Institute of Health Sciences
Shahid Hussain is a prominent businessman and philanthropist, serving as the CEO of Servis Sales Corporation (SSC), founder of the Shahid Hussain Foundation (SHF), and Rector of LUMS.
An impulse is only as powerful as the action it triggers. For years, AXON has been the quiet current running through Shalamar — a repository for the unspoken thoughts, creative spark, and intellectual grit of our student body.
But evolution demands movement. This year we aren’t just turning pages; we are shifting paradigms. Whether you are dissecting a complex sociocultural issue, capturing the chaotic beauty of ward life through art, or weaving your experiences into powerful, unfiltered narratives — your perspective is the blueprint for this transformation.
The canvas has expanded. The new sections are waiting. The blueprint is yours to redraw.
Bring us your sharpest insights, your wildest creative experiments, and your most honest reflections. Let’s make this edition impossible to ignore.
Essays of an academic, clinical, sociocultural, historical or humorous nature, showing analytical rigour, original thought or spiritual reflection.
Fictional prose with defined characters and narrative progression, on any theme appropriate for an academic readership.
Original poetry in any form or style — from clinical introspection and human emotion to nature, wit or social commentary.
The democratic voice of Shalamar — a public, graffiti-style forum for short, sharp, unfiltered thoughts. Respond to an official prompt. Anonymous entries allowed, but must state class year.
Student life beyond the curriculum — peer progress, society triumphs, sports milestones, and the extracurricular hustle that defines who we are when the white coats come off.
Analytical assessments of fiction or nonfiction, offering insightful critique, contextual understanding and relevance to the medical student community.
Critical evaluations of films, documentaries or series, emphasising thematic relevance, narrative technique and psychological or artistic merit.
First-person accounts of travel, cultural encounters or journeys of personal growth, with emphasis on vibrant observation and reflection.
Original hand-drawn artwork, digital illustration, comics or documentary photography capturing academic life, cultural identity or visual storytelling.
Hamd, na‘at and writing on Islamic subjects — poetry or essay.
Reflective writing on thought, observation, medicine or life — ideas rising from heart and mind.
The history of Shalamar Medical & Dental College — its traditions, memorable moments, teachers, students and alumni.
Lahore’s historic medical institutions and the evolution of medicine — Mayo, Sir Ganga Ram, Lahore General and the figures who shaped them.
A profile or interview with a teacher, clinician, mentor, senior or alumnus whose work left a lasting mark.
Personal or clinical experiences that changed your thinking. Patient identity must remain entirely confidential.
Medical research and scholarly work meeting a high standard — original research, review article, case report or commentary.
The history, culture, streets, buildings and changing colours of Lahore — essay, travelogue or photo essay.
The characters, places and moments of medical life that stay out of sight but hold it together — laboratory, library, hostel, support staff, campus.
Poetry, short fiction and literary prose — nazm, ghazal, afsana — showing the beauty of language and the reach of imagination.
The funny and memorable side of medical college — humorous writing, cartoons, comic strips or light satirical sketches.
Patronage, Editorial, Media & Design Team
The cabinet behind the next edition of AXON — across the English and Urdu editorial desks, the web, social media, visual design, video and photography.
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Shalamar Medical & Dental College
Principal
Shalamar Medical & Dental College
Patron, AXON
FRCS (Tr & Orth)
Chief Editor
Leads the 2026 edition of AXON. Previously English Editor of the 2025 edition, where he conducted the magazine’s interviews with Syed Babar Ali and Dr Karim F. Damji, Dean of AKU.
English Editor
Assistant English Editor
Urdu Editor
Assistant Urdu Editor
Web Editor
Social Media Editor
Visual and Design Editor
Video Editor
Photography Associate
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