Akhtar Hameed Khan (Urdu: اختر حمید خان, pronounced [ˈəxt̪ər ɦəˈmiːd̪ ˈxaːn]; 15 July 1914 – 9 October 1999) was a Pakistani development activist and social scientist credited for pioneering microcredit and microfinance initiatives, farmers' cooperatives, and rural training programmes in the developing world. He promoted participatory rural development in Pakistan and other developing countries, and widely advocated community participation in development. His particular contribution was the establishment of a comprehensive project for rural development, the Comilla Model (1959). It earned him the Ramon Magsaysay Award from the Philippines and an honorary Doctorate of Law from Michigan State University. Ralph Smuckler wrote in his book, "His Scandinavian colleagues and other advisors had nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize"

In the 1980s he started a bottom up community development initiative of Orangi Pilot Project, based in the outskirts of Karachi, which became a model of participatory development initiatives. He also directed many programmes, from microcredit to self-finance and from housing provision to family planning, for rural communities and urban slums. It earned him international recognition and high honours in Pakistan. Khan was fluent in at least seven languages and dialects. Apart from many scholarly books and articles, he also published a collection of poems and travelogues in Urdu.

Syeda Abida Hussain (Urdu: سيدہ عابدہ حسین) is a Pakistani politician. She is a former National Assembly member from Jhang, Punjab.

Hussain is married to Syed Fakhar Imam also prominent Pakistani politician, who was the Speaker of the National Assembly in 1985-86. A prominent member of the Shia sect, she is also the daughter of Syed Abid Hussain, the youngest elected member of the 1946 All-India Constituent Assembly and a descendant of Pir Shah Jewana, a saint of the Naqshbandiya order. She is also the granddaughter of the industrialist, Sir Syed Maratib Ali.^{[citation needed]} Her daughter Syeda Sughra Imam is also politician and remained Member of Provincial Assembly of Punjab.

Hussain is a member of Pakistan Peoples Party since 2006. having rejoined after leaving in the 1970s. In the meantime, she served under PPP rivals, Zia-ul Haq and Nawaz Sharif. She also ran unsuccessfully in the 2002 parliamentary elections on Pervez Musharraf's ticket.

She joined politics in 1967 and been part of many Governments handling different ministries from time to time. She has been minister for Information, Education, Science and Technology in 1996, minister for Food and Agriculture in 1997, the Minister for Population Welfare and minister for Environment and Urban Affairs in 1999. In addition, she also served as Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States of America between 1991-1993.