P@SHA elects Dr Shoab Ahmed Khan as chairman for 2026-28 term

P@SHA elects Dr Shoab Ahmed Khan as chairman for 2026-28 term

The Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and ITeS (P@SHA) has elected Dr Shoab Ahmed Khan as P@SHA chairman for the 2026-28 term following a unanimous vote. Former chairman Muhammad Zohaib Khan and Central Executive Committee member Dr Faisal Kamiran withdrew their nominations in his favour, uniting the industry behind a single candidate.

“I am deeply honored by the trust placed in me by the entire P@SHA membership,” Dr Khan said on accepting the role. He laid out three priorities for his term: working with the government on forward-looking technology policies, speeding up skills development to meet global demand, and positioning Pakistan as a leading destination for IT innovation and investment.

Who else joined the new P@SHA leadership

Wahab Yunus was elected senior vice chairman and Samad Saleem as vice chairman. The new Central Executive Committee brings together Ahmed Javed Vaseer, Dr Faisal Kamiran, Fatima Asad-Said, Khushnood Aftab, Muhammad Zohaib Khan, Muhammad Azam Mughal, Shawana Iftikhar, Shaikh Ayaz Ali and Syed Junaid Ahmad, representing leaders from across the software and services industry.

Dr Khan is a familiar face at the top of the association, having served as chairman before. He is the founder and chief executive of the Center for Advanced Research in Engineering (CARE) and chancellor of the Sir Syed CASE Institute of Technology, giving him a rare combination of academic, research and industry credentials.

A return to stability after a turbulent year

The smooth election marks a reset for an association that spent much of 2026 in internal turmoil. In August, eight of the eleven CEC members voted no confidence against then-chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed, and Umair Nizam was named acting chairman. On August 28, the Directorate General of Trade Organizations declared the no-confidence motion null and void, ruling it fell short of the required three-fourths majority, and restored Syed for the remainder of his 2024-26 term.

Against that backdrop, the September 17 CEC elections, held at polling stations in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, went ahead on schedule. Twelve members were elected across corporate, associate and women-reserved seats, with final results confirmed at the annual general meeting on September 30. The unanimous choice of chairman now closes the chapter on the dispute.

Why the P@SHA chairman election matters

P@SHA is the primary advocacy body for Pakistan’s IT and ITeS industry, sitting at the centre of policy discussions on taxation, regulation and workforce development. The stakes are high: Pakistan’s IT exports touched a record $4.6 billion in FY2025-26, crossing the $4 billion mark for the first time.

Dr Khan has flagged the familiar obstacles, including regulatory complexity, thin venture capital and competition from regional outsourcing rivals such as Vietnam and the Philippines. He has also stressed a gap the industry has struggled to close: freelancers and small firms earn export revenue but rarely grow into mid-size companies able to compete for large enterprise contracts. Whether the new leadership can turn that diagnosis into policy wins will define the next two years.

Who is the new P@SHA chairman?

Dr Shoab Ahmed Khan, founder and CEO of the Center for Advanced Research in Engineering and chancellor of the Sir Syed CASE Institute of Technology. He has previously served as P@SHA chairman.

What are Dr Khan’s priorities for the 2026-28 term?

Collaborating with the government on technology policy, accelerating skills development for global demand, and positioning Pakistan as a top destination for IT innovation and investment.

Who else was elected to P@SHA’s leadership?

Wahab Yunus as senior vice chairman and Samad Saleem as vice chairman, alongside a twelve-member Central Executive Committee elected on September 17.

Why does the P@SHA election matter?

P@SHA shapes IT policy, taxation and skills programmes for an industry that just posted record $4.6 billion exports. The unanimous vote also ends a year of leadership disputes that had unsettled the association.