ISLAMABAD: Two outstanding students from Rawalpindi and Islamabad brought honour to the country by winning gold and bronze medals at the International Olympiads in Biology and Physics, respectively.

Pakistan`s Abdul Rafay Paracha, a student of Siddeeg Public School and College, Rawalpindi, secured a gold medal at the International Biology Olympiad held in the Philippines on July 20.

Rafay Paracha won the gold for Pakistan, with the team led by Dr Asma Imran and Dr Asma Rahman.

Pakistan also achieved a bronze medal at the International Physics Olympiad held in France. The IPhO took place in France from July 17 to 25. Daniyal Shahzad Hamid, a student of The Science School, T Chowk, GT Road, Rawat, Islamabad, received the bronze medal for Pakistan.

Rafay has yet to return to Pakistan. His mother told Dawn that throughout his career, he has been remarkable.

`He is currently awaiting his HSSC results, and he aspires to become a doctor,` she said.

The Pakistani teams were sponsored by the STEM Careers Programme, a collaborative initiative of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIE AS).

PIEAS, under the auspices of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, organises the National Science Talent Contest (NSTC) annually in four disciplines: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics, before selecting the best students to represent Pakistan at International Olympiads.