The Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics, renamed to Institute of Space Science and Technology, also known as by its abbreviation (I.S.S.T.), is a premier and national research institute of the University of Karachi, engaging the theoretical and applied studies and research related to astronomy, astrophysics, satellite communication, space flight dynamics, atmospheric science, climatology, GIS & Remote Sensing and other related subjects. The institute operates Karachi University Astrophysics Observatory and also has a network of various mathematics and physics laboratories located in various universities of Pakistan.
The institute was established by Karachi University's Department of Mathematics in 1994. However, the trace of establishing such institute came in place in 1960 from Vice-Chancellor A.B.A Haleem. An astronomical observatory was initiated under the administrative supervision of the Department of Mathematics of the Karachi University. In 1994, the observatory became a part of the ISPA with Jawaid Quamar as director.
Later, after the retirement of Dr. Quamar, Mr. M. Shahid Qureshi took charge of the institute in 2002. He regularized the academic programs at ISPA and lead the institute till 2010. Mr Qureshi earned his PhD from the same institute under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Nasiruddin Khan (of department of Mathematics, UOK). In Fact Dr. Qureshi was the third PhD of the institute, first being Prof. Dr. M. Ayub Khan Yousufzai, second Prof. Dr. M. Jawed Iqbal (the current Director of ISPA).
On June 4, 2015, a brief inaugural session took place at ISPA where, Prof. Dr. Jawaid Quamar inaugurate the ISPA Seminar Library in the memory of "Prof. Dr. Irshad Ahmed Khan Afridi", who was involved in the foundation of ISPA. The new name of ISPA seminar library (Dr. Irshad Ahmed Khan Afridi Seminar Library) was approved by the Syndicate of Karachi University.
The ISPA offers undergraduate and graduate (even the doctoral level) programmes in particle physics, theoretical physics, astrophysics, plasma physics, and mathematics.