Absar Alam: Former PEMRA Chairman, Journalist and Television Anchor

 

Absar Alam is a prominent Pakistani journalist, television anchor, and media executive recognized for his contributions to journalism and electronic media regulation in Pakistan. With a career that spans both print and broadcast journalism, he has gained acclaim for his in-depth reporting, political analysis, and dedication to media freedom.

Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Absar Alam graduated before starting his journalism career. He has worked with leading newspapers and television channels, covering a wide array of national and international affairs. His analytical reporting and strong on-screen presence have established him as one of Pakistan's respected media personalities.

**Career in Journalism**

Absar Alam built his reputation through years of reporting on politics, governance, security, and current affairs. His work has focused on issues of public interest, accountability, and democratic governance. As a television anchor, he hosted current affairs programs that addressed significant political and social developments in Pakistan. He has also contributed to print journalism, providing insightful analysis on various issues.

**Chairman of PEMRA**

In 2015, Absar Alam was appointed Chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). During his tenure, he supervised the implementation of broadcasting regulations and worked on strengthening the regulatory framework governing Pakistan's electronic media sector. He played a significant role in overseeing television and radio broadcasters, ensuring compliance with media laws and professional standards.

**Advocacy for Media Accountability**

Throughout his career, Absar Alam has advocated for transparency and accountability within Pakistan's media landscape. In 2012, he joined fellow journalists in calling for greater accountability regarding the use of secret funds allocated to media organizations, reflecting his commitment to ethical journalism and institutional transparency.

**Shooting Attack**

In April 2021, Absar Alam survived an armed attack near his residence. The incident drew widespread condemnation from journalists, civil society organizations, and human rights groups, highlighting concerns about the safety of media professionals in Pakistan. Following the attack, he continued to publicly support press freedom and the protection of journalists.

**Legacy**

Absar Alam is regarded as an influential figure in Pakistan's media industry. His career reflects decades of service in journalism, media regulation, and advocacy for freedom of expression. Through his work as a journalist, television anchor, and former Chairman of PEMRA, he has significantly contributed to discussions on media ethics, governance, and democratic accountability in Pakistan.

Sam Dada

 Sam Dada is a distinguished Pakistani business leader, policy expert, and advocate for women's economic empowerment. She serves as the Managing Director of Abid Ali & Associates and is the Convener of the Central Standing Committee on National Economic Policies & Reforms at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI).

She is the founder of Crossing Barrier, an initiative dedicated to promoting inclusion, leadership, and sustainable development. Sam Dada has also served as Advisor to the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) at the Ministry of Human Rights & Women Empowerment, Government of Pakistan, where she contributed to policy initiatives supporting gender equality and social development.

Previously, she served as President of the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lahore Division, playing a key role in advancing women's entrepreneurship and strengthening the business community.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions to women's leadership, entrepreneurship, public policy, and inclusive economic development, Sam Dada received the Women Entrepreneurship & Empowerment Award at the WCCIL Flagship Women's Leadership Awards – Laurels of Honor.

Through her leadership, she continues to build strong partnerships among industry, government, academia, and civil society, promoting policy innovation, sustainable economic growth, and greater opportunities for women across Pakistan.

Prof. Dr. Zabta Khan Shinwari Vice Chancellor, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST), Pakistan

Prof. Dr. Zabta Khan Shinwari is one of Pakistan's most distinguished scientists, educationists, and biotechnology experts. Currently serving as the Vice Chancellor of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST), he has made remarkable contributions to higher education, scientific research, biotechnology, bioethics, and biosecurity. He is also closely affiliated with the Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS), where he continues to promote scientific collaboration and innovation across the Muslim world.

Born in Kohat, Pakistan, Prof. Shinwari earned his Ph.D. from Kyoto University, Japan, followed by several prestigious postdoctoral fellowships at the same institution. Throughout his distinguished career, he has held key leadership and research positions in several renowned national organizations, including the Pakistan Museum of Natural History, the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), WWF-Pakistan, and COMSTECH. Prior to his current appointment, he served as Vice Chancellor of Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), where he played a transformative role in expanding higher education opportunities, particularly for women in underserved and neglected communities.

Among his significant institutional achievements are the establishment of the University of Science & Technology, Bannu, and the KUST Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), both of which have contributed substantially to educational and healthcare development in Pakistan. In the private sector, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Qarshi Research International and as Vice Chancellor and Project Director of Qarshi University, Lahore. He has also served as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Biotechnology at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

An internationally recognized researcher, Prof. Shinwari specializes in Molecular Systematics, Biotechnology, and Bioethics. His pioneering research has led to the identification of more than 200 plant genes, including five genes associated with drought, cold, and stress tolerance, contributing significantly to agricultural biotechnology and crop improvement.

His academic achievements are exceptional. He has authored eight books, edited eight international conference proceedings, and published over 550 peer-reviewed research articles. His scholarly work has received more than 24,050 citations, with an H-index of 77 and an i10-index of 317, reflecting his global scientific impact. He has supervised more than 100 M.Phil. and Ph.D. scholars, holds two patents, and has delivered over 401 research presentations and invited lectures at national and international conferences.

Prof. Shinwari's outstanding contributions to science and education have earned him some of Pakistan's highest civil honors, including the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 2011 and the Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2018. He is also the recipient of the Higher Education Commission's Best University Teacher Award, recognizing his excellence in teaching and academic leadership.

Beyond academia, Prof. Shinwari has played a prominent role in scientific organizations. He serves as a Fellow and Secretary General of both the Pakistan Academy of Sciences and the Islamic World Academy of Sciences. He has also served as Treasurer of the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (AASSA) and as President of the National Council of Tibb, contributing to scientific policy, research governance, and traditional medicine.

A pioneer of biosecurity education in Pakistan, Prof. Shinwari has collaborated with leading international organizations, including the Biological Engagement Program (USA), LNCV (Italy), and the University of Bradford (United Kingdom), to promote biosecurity awareness and responsible biotechnology practices. His work focuses on developing national biosecurity networks, strengthening biotechnology governance, and promoting ethical research in accordance with international standards.

He has actively participated in international biosafety and biosecurity working groups under the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), contributing to the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540. His initiatives include developing educational modules on Dual Use Education and promoting biosecurity awareness from grassroots educational institutions to national policymaking bodies.

With decades of leadership in science, education, and policy, Prof. Dr. Zabta Khan Shinwari continues to be a driving force in advancing Pakistan's higher education system, biotechnology sector, and international scientific cooperation. His enduring commitment to research excellence, educational reform, and biosecurity has established him as one of Pakistan's most respected academic leaders and an influential voice in the global scientific community

Muhammad Haseeb Jamali: President, Sindh High Court Bar Association

Muhammad Haseeb Jamali is a distinguished legal professional and the President of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, widely respected for his integrity, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to the rule of law. Renowned for his principled approach, credibility, and strong advocacy skills, he enjoys the confidence and respect of both the legal fraternity and the judiciary.

Recognized for his meticulous case preparation and persuasive courtroom advocacy, Mr. Jamali has built a reputation as a formidable litigator. His dedication to justice, ethical standards, and excellence has earned him the admiration of clients, colleagues, and even opposing counsel, who value his fairness, eloquence, and unwavering professional conduct.

Mr. Jamali holds a Master's degree (LL.M.) in Civil and Commercial Law from University College London, which he completed in 2005. His academic achievements have been exceptional throughout his educational journey. He graduated as a double gold medalist and secured First Class First Position in his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Hamdard Law School. He also achieved Second Position in his Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) from Sindh University, Hyderabad, reflecting his strong academic foundation in both law and commerce.

Professionally, Mr. Jamali served for 13 years as a Partner at M/s Abid S. Zuberi & Co., where he represented a diverse portfolio of clients, including leading corporations, private organizations, and prominent political figures. This extensive experience enabled him to develop deep expertise across a broad spectrum of legal disciplines while handling complex and high-profile matters.

Today, Mr. Jamali leads his independent legal practice as the Senior Partner at S. A. Jamali & Co. With years of distinguished legal experience, he continues to provide strategic legal counsel and effective representation, bringing a wealth of knowledge, practical insight, and professional excellence to every matter entrusted to his firm.

As President of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Muhammad Haseeb Jamali remains committed to strengthening the legal profession, upholding judicial independence, promoting the rule of law, and safeguarding the dignity and welfare of the legal community. His leadership is defined by integrity, excellence, and an enduring dedication to justice and public service.

Syed Khalid Mahmood

Having started his professional career during his student life in the 1980s, Syed Khalid Mahmood has evolved into an acclaimed writer, journalist, author, biographer, broadcaster, editor, publisher, blogger, analyst, presenter and motivational speaker, having worked for many prestigious organizations. He has authored the highest number of books (17) on the subject of sports in Pakistan. 

  

After having studied at Cadet College Petaro and Government Delhi College, Karachi, he graduated as a civil engineer from NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, in 1986. Choosing to devote more time and energy for writing-related works, he became founder member of the editorial team of The News, the famous English daily launched by Jang Group of Newspapers in 1991. He officiated as News Editor and Editor for Daily News, the first-ever evening newspaper of Pakistan. He also worked for The Frontier Post besides having a brief stint with The Mississauga News. 

Jumbo Karachi Guide, the first-ever guidebook of its kind of any city of Pakistan, was conceptualized and launched by his team in 2011. They have plans to bring out similar guidebooks of other cities and countries from the platform of Jumbo Publishing which has already produced numerous high-quality books.

Founding a youth club by the name of The Young Champs in 1984, library activism has featured prominently in his social sector engagements. He has headed Rotary International’s National Library Promotion Committee besides serving as Advisor to a couple of library associations. He is Acting President of Delhi Anglo-Arabic Schools & Colleges Old Boys Association. He is co-founder of Karachi Festival of Books and Libraries which was inaugurated by the President of Pakistan in March 2024. 

 

He himself was an energetic all-round cricketer, being a lively fast bowler and an accomplished top-order batsman. He captained his club’s outfit with great success with his ‘trust in teamwork and believe in yourself’ mantra. He also played hockey, basketball, table tennis and scrabble in his eventful student life.

Asma Hassan

 

Asma Hassan has emerged as one of the most promising and energetic motivational writers from Lahore, whose first book Mayar-e-Zindagi, published in 2020, became a success story as it was lauded profusely by experts and high achievers of different fields. 

Having written prolifically on social issues, Mayar-e-Zindagi, brought out by Jumbo Publishing, showcased the collection of her articles published in various newspapers and magazines over the years. The book was launched with great fanfare at Karachi Press Club and her work was recognized by distinguished speakers for having motivated a large number people through her precise and crisp write-ups. 

She has been contributing for a number of leading newspapers and online platforms as her write-ups attract massive audience of all age groups. She is hailed as the voice of new generation as she takes up a number of current issues and advises solutions to lead more prosperous and purposeful life. 

She completed Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, in 2005 while she had done Bachelors in Education from the Virtual University in which leadership and management were her majors.

Salma Ahmed Alam

 

CEO, Durbeen | Education Reformer | Teacher Educator

Salma Ahmed Alam is a dedicated educationist and the CEO of Durbeen, a non-profit organization committed to enhancing the quality of public schools in Pakistan. With a strong background in teaching and policy, she has been at the forefront of efforts to improve teacher education and public-sector schooling.

Salma’s journey in education began at S.M.B. Fatima Jinnah Government School in Karachi, where she volunteered with Zindagi Trust for four years. She later pursued her higher education at Harvard University, graduating in 2013. Following this, she spent two years working as a consultant with the World Bank, contributing to educational development projects.

Her passion for teaching led her to Singapore, where she obtained a primary teaching qualification. In 2016, she returned to Pakistan and was appointed as the CEO of Durbeen, taking charge of a pioneering public-private partnership at the Government Elementary College of Teacher Education, Hussainabad, Karachi. Under her leadership, Durbeen has been instrumental in reforming teacher training programs and elevating public education standards.

Beyond her executive role, Salma remains deeply connected to teaching. She currently teaches mathematics B.Ed. courses at the college, shaping the next generation of educators. Her work reflects a strong commitment to systemic change in Pakistan’s education landscape, bridging policy, practice, and teacher development.

Omar Shahid Hamid

Omar Shahid Hamid has served as a police officer for two decades. As a member of the Sindh Police’s Counter Terrorism department, he has faced numerous challenges, including surviving an ambush by gangsters, being falsely implicated by colleagues, and narrowly escaping a bombing of his office by the Pakistani Taliban while serving as CID chief.

Following the 2011 attack on his office by the Pakistani Taliban, he took a five-year sabbatical to focus on writing and worked as a political risk consultant. In 2016, he resumed his role as a Counter Terrorism Officer. His insights and experiences have been widely quoted in major international publications, including The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Times, Le Monde, Reuters, CNN, and BBC.

His literary career began with The Prisoner (2013), which was longlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015 and is now being adapted into a feature film. His second novel, The Spinner’s Tale (2015), won the 2016 Karachi Literature Festival Prize. He received the same award again in 2018 for his third novel, The Party Worker (2017), which is currently being adapted for a TV series. His fourth novel, The Fix, delves into the intricate world of cricket match-fixing. Betrayal marks his fifth novel.

Mahmood Aslam

Mahmood Aslam is a well-known Pakistani actor, widely recognized for his versatile performances in television dramas. He has been a part of the Pakistani entertainment industry for many years, earning fame for his acting skills and strong screen presence. Known for his character roles, Aslam has portrayed a wide variety of characters, ranging from supporting roles to lead performances, often playing authoritative, humorous, or dramatic figures.

He has acted in numerous popular Pakistani television serials, where his ability to adapt to different roles and genres has made him a favorite among audiences. Aslam is particularly appreciated for his natural acting style, which adds depth and believability to the characters he plays.

Over the years, Mahmood Aslam has built a solid reputation as a reliable and talented actor, contributing to the success of many TV shows. His performances resonate with viewers, and he continues to be an important figure in Pakistan’s television industry.

Ibrahim Amin

Mr. Ibrahim Amin is a successful businessman in the financial services sector and is a highly qualified self-motivated professional with a prompt and decisive style of management rendering hassle- free services to all valued clients.

He started his career by working with a renowned Leather Garments Manufacturers / Exporters at Sialkot for two years and attained rich experience of Administration, Foreign Trade, and versatile business techniques. He has achieved a certificate from Leather Industrial Development Organization and was also operating a retail shops in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

There-after, he started his own business of a Collateral & Valuation Management working with Banks in Lahore. Initially with Allied Bank, MCB Bank and The bank of Punjab. He struggled and established a good repute in North by establishing a company “Tristar International Consultant Pvt. Ltd.” which is registered on the approved panel of Pakistan Banks Association as “Any Amount” and all major Local / Foreign Banks for the last 18-years.

He came to Karachi in 2015 to establish and develop business in this big city and he successfully established all services operations in South as well by maintaining high quality standards and good relationship with banks and corporates.

While working with the financial institutions he began contemplating on finding IT solutions for enhancing the customer experience.

Then he started working extensively on training needs of the banking and financial sector specializing in payment systems and IT for which he established an associated Firm under name & style of M/S. Dellsons Associates. This company has its credit numerous conferences on the subjects of Digital Banking, E Money Institutions, Cyber Security, IFRS9 and Forensic Accounting and Fraud Risk Management, just to name a few.

He has to his credit the introduction of an EBot which enriches the banking experience of the CIB through one click of a button. He executed induction of Cyber Security Control Systems in various Banks and also started consultancy services to cater their sophisticated needs by using the modern technologies for up-grading Operational Systems and professional competence of Human Resource amongst Banks & other Organizations.

He has worked on a payment system to help improve the movement of finances for the freelancers of Pakistan and in order to broaden the scope of business-to-customer (B2C) transactions through legal channel, he was engaged with SBP to allow these payments so that freelancers will not have to face any hassle and due to his continuous and countless efforts, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has also enhanced payment limits against freelance services in computer and information systems and other freelance services from $ 5,000 to $ 25,000 per individual per month. After long struggle he succeeded to establish “Pakistan Freelancers Association” (PAFLA) which is a non-profit organization founded to empower Pakistani freelancers through mentoring, providing opportunities, collaborating with government, industry and academia, and providing them a platform as well as a support group to help grow their career and overcome their challenges.

Recently he has partnered with IBA CICT for Digitization of Banking Sector of Pakistan. The project aims to build the capacity of overall banking sector of Pakistan in order to bring technology disruption.

He is also a Mentor and Judge at IBA – Sindh Research Incubation Centre. This is a project initiated by the Information Science & Technology Department, Government of Sindh in collaboration with IBA - CICT to provide the selected start-ups incubation facilities for 6 to 12 months which include co-working space at IBA, utilities, seed capital and access to investors. The objective is to ensure sustainable growth for early stage IT-enabled product based ideas by providing domain specific mentorship and investment opportunities to create commercially viable technology startups from Sindh. He is mentoring Ain Savaree (http://www.ainsavaree.com//) , a new start up providing mobility services exclusively for women.

He has also partnered with PwC Pakistan (A. F. F. Ferguson), PIAIC, ISACA, ACCA and ICMA.