The Pakistan Pharmacists Association experienced a landmark political shift as official election notifications revealed a dramatic change in leadership dynamics, reshaping the balance of power at both central and regional levels within the Pharmacists Association.
According to the notification issued by Chief Election Convener Dr Najam-ul-Hassan Jawa, Mr Muhammad Alamgir Rao of the Professional Pharmacists Group was elected President PPA Centre. The central contest produced a divided mandate: PPG captured 14 of 24 executive seats while the Rising Pharmacists Panel secured 10 seats, the first time the Rising Pharmacists have achieved double-digit representation at the centre, signaling a new competitive era for the Pharmacists Association.
Newly elected central office bearers include Imran Ahmad Mumtaz as Vice President Punjab, Shahzad Hussain as Vice President Sindh, Dr Abdul Aleem Awan as Vice President Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Asmat Ullah Agha as Vice President Balochistan and Muhammad Shifa Khan Bangash as Vice President Islamabad. Prof Dr Furqan K Hashmi will serve as General Secretary with Faraz Ashraf as Joint Secretary of PPA Centre.
The most emphatic result came from the Islamabad, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan branch where the Rising Pharmacists Panel, led by Sardar Shabbir Ahmad, achieved a complete clean sweep by winning all 24 contested seats. Khaqan Babar was elected President of the Islamabad-AJK-GB branch, consolidating a strong grassroots mandate for the Rising Pharmacists and underscoring a significant regional shift within the Pharmacists Association.
At the executive committee level, Ahmad Jawad Qureshi was elected Finance Secretary and Prof Dr Mirza Tasawer Baig will act as Press Secretary. Executive members named from Punjab include Syed Iftikhar Hussain and Usman Ghani Salmani, from Sindh Mahesh Kumar and Wajid Ali, from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Aurangzeb Khan and Dr Abdul Wahab Mehsud, from Balochistan Atta Muhammad Naqrar and Naeem Khair Baloch, and from Islamabad Taj Muhammad Mithani. Female representatives elected to the executive include Misbah Noureen from Punjab, Dr Afshan Siddiq from Sindh, Nabeela Niaz from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Asma Manzoor from Balochistan and Zahida Ishraq from Islamabad.
Under the Association’s constitution, Sardar Shabbir Ahmad, as Immediate Past President, will serve as Senior Vice President while Mr Alamgir Rao, as Immediate Past General Secretary, will also remain a member of the Executive Committee, providing continuity alongside the newly elected leadership.
Observers say the outcome marks a defining moment for the Pharmacists Association, reflecting growing calls for reform, broader representation and a shift toward younger, reform-oriented leadership within a body that represents pharmacists as a key pillar of Pakistan’s healthcare system. The new leadership has committed to defending pharmacists’ professional rights, bolstering regulatory influence and prioritising patient safety and ethical medicine governance in an industry valued at 3.2 billion dollars.
