COMPANY DIRECTORS
Syed Sajjad Hussain Bokhari
Chief Executive / Chairperson
Syed Sajjad Hussain Bokhari is a distinguished media veteran, politician, and literary figure with a multifaceted career spanning decades. He has served as a Member of the Senate of Pakistan, contributing to legislative processes and national governance, and held various pivotal roles within the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) as a trusted and close aide of Benazir Bhutto, including the crucial responsibility of Chief Election Commissioner for the party’s internal elections, overseeing democratic transitions / reforms within the organization.
His engagement with the media is extensive, having served as the Chief Executive, editor-in-chief, and printer/publisher of the PPP-backed Daily Musawat from 1992 to 2010, a period where he was tasked with reviving the newspaper. Currently, he runs the independent Urdu daily, Daily Abtak, and holds active memberships in prominent press organizations such as the Executive Committee of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE). Moreover, his present role as Chairperson of the Pak Media Foundation is premised on his dedication to the welfare and professional development of journalists in Pakistan.
Beyond politics and journalism, Bokhari is a prolific author with over 21 published books in Urdu, English, and French. His writings delve into historical analyses, political commentary, as well as poetry, showcasing his intellectual depth and linguistic versatility.
Syed Sajjad Bokhari’s enduring legacy is defined by his unwavering commitment to public service, intellectual discourse, and the defense of a free and vibrant press in Pakistan. His diverse contributions underscore his significant presence in Pakistan’s political, media and intellectual landscape.
Khawaja Yawar Naseer
Director
Khawaja Yawar Naseer is an accomplished professional with leadership roles in education and media. As the Managing Director of Frontier Model School & College and Director of Pak Media Foundation, he demonstrates a strong commitment to institutional development. A Science graduate, he combines academic rigor with practical expertise. Born on December 13, 1956, in Pakistan, Khawaja Yawar Naseer is known for his dedication to fostering growth in his respective fields. His work reflects a blend of vision and operational excellence.
Yasmeen Sajjad
Director
Yasmeen Sajjad is an accomplished professional with diverse experience in media, education, and nonprofit leadership. She currently serves as the Executive Editor of Daily Abtak, Lahore, and as a Director at Pak Media Foundation, demonstrating her commitment to media excellence and social impact. Additionally, her role as a Teacher in Special Education highlights her dedication to nurturing future generations. She holds a B.A and a B.Ed, equipping her with both foundational knowledge and pedagogical expertise.
Masood Afzal Malik
Director
Massood Afzal Malik is a dedicated professional with experience in management and media. Currently serving as a Manager in a private organization and as a Director at Pak Media Foundation, he brings a blend of leadership and strategic skills to his roles. He holds a B.A degree, underpinning his academic foundation. Born on November 9, 1964, in Pakistan, Massood Afzal Malik is known for his commitment to excellence in both corporate and nonprofit sectors. His work reflects a strong sense of responsibility and adaptability.
Ayub Shah
Director
Syed Ayub Shah is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in law and media. He holds a B.S.C, L.L.B, and an M.A in Persian, reflecting his strong academic foundation. Currently serving as an Advocate and Director at Pak Media Foundation, he brings extensive experience to his roles. Born on July 24, 1953, in Pakistan, Syed Ayub Shah is a dedicated individual with a commitment to his fields of expertise. His personal and professional journey underscores his versatility and depth of knowledge.
COMPANY MANAGEMENT & ADVISORS
Muhammad Ali Nekokara
Chief Advisor: Governance
Muhammad Ali Nekokara is a distinguished leader with over 25 years of experience in the Civil and Police Service of Pakistan, where he has demonstrated exceptional expertise in the areas of Rule of Law, Human Rights, Police Operations, Criminal Investigation, amongst others. He is widely recognized for his ability to engage and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including citizens, communities, political executives, bureaucracy, judiciary, lawyers, media, and civil society. For the past decade, Mr. Nekokara has been at the forefront of criminal justice and rule of law reform programs in Pakistan, including pioneering engagement on trauma-informed policing in Punjab. He played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of rule of law roadmaps in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh and has also served as an Advisor for the National Initiative against Organized Crimes in Pakistan, playing a critical role in implementing reforms. He has authored numerous publications on a range of topics related to governance, accountability, rule of law, and criminal justice in Pakistan.
Fatima Yasmin Bokhari
Senior Technical Advisor
Fatima Bokhari is a legal practitioner, trainer and consultant with 15 years of experience specializing in rule of law and human rights, with a focus on increasing access to justice for marginalized groups and legally empowering them. She has been involved in leadership and advisory capacities with international and national organizations as well as Federal and Provincial governments in Pakistan. She has conducted training of diverse stakeholders, including parliamentarians, police, and prosecutors on citizen-centric and trauma-informed governance and international and regional human rights frameworks. Fatima has previously worked with the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) in New York and Budapest on issues of national security and criminal justice reform in Europe and Central Asia, focusing on strategic litigation and advocacy geared towards compliance with international and regional human rights frameworks. Fatima holds a Master of Law (LL.M.) from Harvard Law School and an LL.M. in ‘Criminology and Criminal Justice’ from the University of London. She is also an Executive Committee Member of the Asia Alliance Against Torture, a regional network working to prevent and pursue accountability for serious human rights violations in Asia.
Barrister Umar Mahmood Khan
Chief Advisor Law & Policy
Umar Khan has 16+ years of professional experience in numerous capacities as an expert, policy adviser and legal practitioner in human rights law and criminal justice sector. His work in human rights includes developing advising the National Assembly of Pakistan on mainstreaming gender rights in the review of pending Bills, drafting Gender and Diversity Roadmaps for the Government of KP and the Government of Punjab, devising Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) relating to gender rights for the judiciary in Sindh and Islamabad.
Umar has extensive experience in criminal litigation, training judges, prosecutors, police and other government officials, having trained over 3000 officials including more than 1000 prosecutors in Punjab, KP and Sindh as well as approx. 2000 police officials in Punjab. He is an adjunct faculty member at the Centre for Professional Development for prosecutors and has previously taught at the Punjab Judicial Academy). He has also worked closely with and advised international organizations including BHC/DFID, US INL, US Embassy in Pakistan, GIZ, UNDP, UNODC, UNICEF, Adam Smith International, Coffey International, DRI and ADB on human rights and criminal justice reform.
Barrister Khadija Yasmin Bokhari
Senior Legal Advisor
Called to the Bar of England and Wales, Lincoln’s Inn in 2014, Barrister Khadija Yasmin Bokhari is an Advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan with 10 years of experience in litigation and legal research. She has led several pro-bono litigation initiatives and development of legal research and interventions under various on-going rule of law programs.
Khadija has drafted laws and legislative amendments, developed a bench book for judges and training manuals for justice sector stakeholders, including government officials, parliamentarians and the judiciary and has trained prosecutors and legal aid lawyers in Punjab on gender-sensitization and constitutional protection of women’s rights. She has also worked as a Senior Counsel at IRFAN& IRFAN Attorneys-at-law, where Khadija represented several Fortune 500 companies before the High Courts of Lahore, Islamabad and Sindh. She has also been involved in key Constitutional cases before the High Courts as well as the Supreme Court.
Rana Hamza Ijaz
Chief Operating Officer
A seasoned professional with a strong background in peacebuilding, socio-economic development, and policy research, Rana Hamza Ijaz has led seminal research on critical socio-economic challenges and policy solutions for Pakistan, with a particular focus on the 2030 Global Agenda for Sustainable Development. His portfolio encompasses overseeing research design, managing field research and data analysis, and providing expertise in monitoring and evaluation to several programs.
Hamza has more than 14 years of experience in the development and public sector. He has worked as a Program Manager at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) where he managed the Building Peace in Pakistan Program- a $9 million Inter-Agency Agreement with USAID and co-led the Police Awaam Saath Saath (PASS) Program – a $3 million Inter-Agency Agreement with INL. A DAAD scholar, Hamza holds a Master’s degree in Governance & Public Policy from the University of Passau, Germany and has previously served as a policy lead for the Punjab IT Policy 2018, the first ever provincial IT policy in Pakistan as well as a member of UNDP Pakistan’s Inclusivity and Governance Cluster for localization of Sustainable Development Goals in Pakistan. Hamza also has rich experience of working on large-scale national and provincial programs as an implementing partner, researcher, and evaluation expert. Some of these initiatives include the EU funded Punjab Access to Justice Project, British Council’s Take a Child to School Program, INL-funded Legal Education Support Program, Support for Legislative Drafting in Punjab and Punjab Skills Sector Development Plan among others.
Amel Ghani
Chief Technical Officer: Capacity-building & Communications
Amel Ghani is a journalist and Global Investigative Journalism Network’s regional editor for Pakistan. She holds a Master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, specializing in investigative journalism, and has worked for several years with prominent Pakistani news outlets, including the Herald magazine, The News on Sunday and the Express Tribune. While working as a journalist, she has done in-depth reporting on diverse issues such as environment, real estate and religious politics but also handled many important editorial and social media assignments. Additionally, Amel has trained numerous journalists and other key stakeholders on ethical reporting, trauma-informed engagement with survivors of gender-based violence and other marginalized groups, and on digital and media safety, privacy and protection against virtual harassment.
Sevim Saadat
Chief Technical Officer: Programs
Sevim Saadat is a legal practitioner licensed as an Advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan and consultant with over 9 years’ experience in the justice sector in Pakistan, specifically focusing on gender-based rights, the legal education and legal empowerment of marginalized groups. Sevim has made significant contributions to women’s marriage rights in Pakistan through research (including the authored ‘Diagnostic Study of Nikkahnamas in Punjab: A Review of Women’s Marriage Rights’), awareness-raising initiatives for youth, workshops in educational institutions, clinical programs, and social media campaigns. Sevim has also co-authored a seminal research on the extension of constitutional guarantees to the newly-merged districts in KP and was also the principal researcher for Accountability for Rape: A Case Study of Lodhran – a report on legal challenges in accessing justice in rape trials in Punjab.
Umme Habiba Tiwana
Senior Technical Officer: Advocacy
Umme Habiba is a legal specialist with extensive experience sin law, policy and human rights research. She has overseen the implementation of national-level projects focusing on rule of law and access to justice. With a post-graduate certificate of law in International Business Law and a bachelor’s in laws, Umme brings a strong legal foundation to the work. She has served as Communications Manager for the EU-funded Access to Justice project, and as an Organisational Expert at GIZ supporting the Punjab Prosecution Service. She has also worked as a Research Associate at Altaf and Altaf and has experience teaching law, combining practical management and academic experience. Umme’s diverse background reflects a commitment to advancing legal, policy, organisational development through strategic leadership and research.
Muhammad Rehan Safder
Manager Programs
Rehan Safder is a sustainability enthusiast and development practitioner. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Management with concentration in Sustainable Development and Environmental Management. Rehan has expertise in research and monitoring & evaluation office and has worked extensively on research design, data analytics and impact assessment. His research portfolio includes a range of development and public policy-related areas including organizational citizenship behavior for the environment, green industrial practices, digital solutions for water sector reforms, gender inclusion, governance and justice sector reforms.
Syed Kashif Ali
Manager Admin
Syed Kashif Ali is a seasoned media professional with extensive experience in journalism and administration. As Manager Admin at Pak Media Foundation, he likely oversees daily operations, administrative functions, and office management. He also holds key positions at Daily Abtak, National Press Club Islamabad, Press Information Department, and RIUJ, Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Syed Kashif Ali holds an MSC in Mass Communication from Allama Iqbal Open University.
Waseem Abbas Rahi
Company Secretary
Waseem Abbas Rahi is the Company Secretary at Pak Media Foundation. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the governance and legal matters of the organization, ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations, and managing company records. He is a Mass Communication graduate from Allama Iqbal Open University.