(Publish from Houston Texas USA)
(By Muhammad Mansoor Mumtaz, Lahore)
A prestigious oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected central cabinet of the Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA) was held, in which Punjab’s Provincial Minister for Health, Khawaja Imran Nazir, administered the oath as the chief guest. Elected representatives of the PPA from across the country attended the ceremony.
The PPA elections, held on December 5, 2025, have been termed historic, as the results brought an end to the electoral dominance of a particular group that had continued for the past 38 years. For the first time, a genuine three-way contest was witnessed among the Professional Pharmacists Group, Voice of Pharmacists, and Rising Pharmacists.
Former Press Secretary of the Pakistan Pharmacists Association Punjab, Dr. Shabbir Ahmed, stated that the results of the current elections have completely dismantled the 38-year dominance of a single group, marking a significant and decisive turning point in the democratic history of the PPA. He said these elections proved to be the most dynamic, transparent, and professionally engaging in the association’s history, with pharmacists expressing their mandate in an unprecedented manner.
According to the election results, the Professional Pharmacists Group emerged as the largest group by securing 14 seats at the PPA Centre and in various provinces. The Voice of Pharmacists secured 10 seats at the PPA Centre and joined the central cabinet through an alliance with the Rising Pharmacists. The Rising Pharmacists won all seats in Islamabad, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
At the central level, Rao Alamgir was elected President and Professor Dr. Furqan Hashmi as General Secretary of PPA Centre, while in Punjab, Professor Dr. Atif Raza was elected President and Umair Akram Dar as General Secretary.
Under the alliance of Voice of Pharmacists and Rising Pharmacists, Shifa Khan Bangash (Islamabad), Abdul Aleem Awan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and Ismatullah Agha (Balochistan) were elected as Vice Presidents. The central executive members include Dr. Abdul Waheed, Atta Muhammad Naqrar, Naeem Khair Baloch, and Taj Muhammad Mathani, while the women executive members include Ms. Asma Manzoor, Ms. Uzma Yasmin, and Ms. Zahida Ishraq.
In the central cabinet, the seat ratio between the Professional Pharmacists Group and the Voice of Pharmacists/Rising Pharmacists alliance stands at 14:10, reflecting a clear shift in the new political and organizational direction of the PPA.
