Our Executives

Ambassador. H.E. Dr Muhammad Nafees Zakaria

Executive Director Commission of Science and Technology, former Pakistan High Commissioner, UK

Dr Mohammad Nafees Zakaria has prominent diplomatic landmark achievements. Establishment of Tech Forum with membership of British Pakistani and Silicon Valley USA’s American Pakistanis in 2019; Royal visit to Pakistan of Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, TRH Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2019; launching a Consortium of Universities for collaborative research in water purification and nano-material research, an effort by young Pakistani Assistant Professor Dr. Usman Ghori, are some of the feathers to Zakaria’s cap. Zakaria’s rich and diverse diplomatic experience spans over 3 decades. He served at the Headquarters in Islamabad and Pakistan Diplomatic Missions Abroad in various important capacities. He held coveted positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs such as Director General Europe, Director General, South Asia & SAARC and Additional Foreign Secretary/Spokesperson. His diplomatic Assignments took him to Pakistan Diplomatic Missions at Abu Dhabi-UAE; Jakarta-Indonesia; Bangkok-Thailand, twice to the U.K.; Canada & Malaysia. Nafees Zakaria served as High Commissioner for Pakistan to the United Kingdom and has, inter alia, remarkable achievements to his credit including the promotion of bilateral trade between UK and Pakistan. He also remained Ex- Officio Chairman Board of Trustees Wali Mohammad Trust, UK; Patron, Association of Pakistani Physicians & Surgeons, UK (APPSUK), Ex-Officio Member Board of Governors, Commonwealth of Nations.

Julian Hamilton Barns

Senior Adviser & Honorary Counsel General of Pakistan

Julian Hamilton Barns (“JHB”) – JHB is a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England & Wales. JHB is also qualified in Hong Kong. He specializes in cross border corporate finance and Mergers and Acquisitions. He has significant experience in dealing with international joint ventures and transactions involving partners in different legal jurisdictions. In recent years JHB has focused on the oil and gas and natural resources and energy sectors. He is currently involved in securing listings in London and Singapore for various clients.

Muhammad Shoaib Zafar

Honorary Member and an Advisor, Pakistan Britain Business Council (PBBC) & Pakistan Scotland Business Council (PSBC)

Muhammad Shoaib Zafar is an experienced international trade and development practitioner. He is an honorary member of the Pakistan Britain Business Council (PBBC). During his tenure as the Commercial Secretary at the Consulate General of Pakistan in Manchester, he played an instrumental role in supporting and strengthening PBBC and in January 2017 together with PBBC and the Scottish International Division founded the Pakistan Scotland Business Council (PSBC), a sister organization of PBBC.

He is a Fulbright Scholar and a 104th U.S. Congressional Fellow. Over the past two decades, Mr. Zafar has served in various capacities across national and international portfolios, including roles in both public and private sector, and international development. He has extensive experience in trade promotion, trade negotiations, trade policy formulation, implementation, and capacity building for businesses.

John Tucknott CMG MBE

Chairman

John Tucknott CMG MBE has over 40 years of experience with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including significant work in Pakistan, where he served as a British Deputy High Commissioner (based in Karachi), Director of Trade and Investment, and UK Trade Champion from 2013 to 2016. He is a former British Ambassador to Nepal and has held senior diplomatic roles in Lebanon, Sweden, the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York, and Iraq, where he was Deputy Ambassador from 2017 to 2020.

After retiring from HM Diplomatic Service in 2021, John became Chair of the Founding Board of The British University of Iraq. He also works closely with UK Education in Iraq, helping to expand the availability of UK educational qualifications including English Language Training, ICT skills, Further Education, and Higher Education across the country.

John is dedicated to leading the Pakistan-Britain Business Council in its mission to strengthen the robust relationship between the UK and Pakistan. This relationship is grounded in political engagement, solid trade and investment, rich people-to-people connections, and mutual respect. He aims to build an organisation that collaborates with its members and stakeholders to enhance economic activity in both traditional and emerging sectors, thereby fostering growth in the economies of both the UK and Pakistan.

Rashid Iqbal

Chief Executive Officer, Trade Champion

Rashid is an educationalist, he has worked in Further and Higher Educational Institutions for over 20 years and has written modules and learning activities for undergraduates and postgraduates programmes and for Edexcel (a leading UK examination board). Rashid is the beating heart of PBBC and he looks after business on a day to day basis bringing together all stakeholders using his substantial international business and government connections. He also has significant experience in organising official trade missions, events and government relations. Since the inception of the PBBC, Rashid had supported its work and had played a key role in developing the organisation.

Tammy Doughty

Vice Chairman PBBC

I am honoured to be considered for the role of Vice Chair of the Pakistan Britain Business Council (PBBC), and I am committed to actively supporting its mission to promote bilateral and international trade between the UK and Pakistan. My goal is to strengthen commercial ties, unlock untapped potential, and build lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships, particularly within the FMCG and Agri-Tech sectors—areas where I hold   a strong international network.

The UK and Pakistan share enormous opportunities in food production, processing, and Agri-Tech innovation. Through my work with agri-supply chains, I have seen first-hand the importance of capacity-building, market access, and technology transfer. I also aim to help deliver practical initiatives—from inward investment missions to knowledge-sharing events—that enable SMEs to grow and compete globally.

Together, we can turn potential into progress—advancing trade, supporting innovation, and building lasting prosperity between our two great nations.

Lawrence Hession-Kent

Deputy CEO

Hanna Din

Director of Trade and Investments for Yorkshire and Humber

As a Director of Trade and Investments for Yorkshire and Humber I am committed to driving the Pakistan British Business Council’s vision forward by leveraging my extensive business connections in both Yorkshire and Pakistan. With my strong ties to key stakeholders in both the UK and Pakistan, I am positioned to promote impactful relationships that promote bilateral trade between the two nations. My family, based in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, has deep rooted connections in both government and corporate sectors, which further strengthens my ability to create valuable opportunities. Additionally, through my wide network of contacts in the Uk in both the public and private sectors, including council organisations, I am in a strategic position to influence decisions at a policy level. By bridging these networks, I aim to support business growth, enhance collaboration, and drive sustainable trade initiatives that benefit both countries.

Aaliya Khan

Director Trade North Midlands

I am delighted to be offered the position of Director for North Midlands at the Pakistan British Business Council (PBBC), where I have the privilege of fostering strong business ties between the UK and Pakistan, particularly in the North Midlands. My commitment to this role is unwavering, and I am dedicated to leveraging, my experience, skills and connections to support and empower business across both regions.

Having worked in various roles throughout my career, I bring a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that businesses face in today’s global market.

A key focus of my work will be to encourage and support women in business, recognising the vital role they play in driving innovation and economic development. I am passionate about creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs and ensuring they have the resources, networks and support needed to thrive.

With a strong commitment to fostering economic growth, my ongoing work with other organisations including the Pakistan government. I am committed to making a positive and meaningful impact on the UK-Pakistan business relationship.

Akber M.

Marketing & Communications

Ishtiaq Ahmed Lone

Director Trade and Investment Midlands

Aniko Rusc

Coordinator Manager Birmingham & Midlands

Salman Afzal

Director Commerce & International Trade

Salman Afzal is Board member and Director Commerce & International Trade of Pakistan Britain Business Council UK. He is member of Conservative Party and has been selected as Borough Councillor candidate by Wokingham Conservatives leadership for 2024 elections. He is Founder and CEO of Comstar Global UK Ltd which is providing IT & Telecom services in UK since 2009, Ex-CEO of Eurodexx Telecom UK. He has done BEng from NED University Karachi and MSc Network system from UK, He is also PMI certified project management professional. During his 25 years of successful carrier as a business & community leader, he has delivered various multimillion projects within UK, EU, US, and China and provided portfolio/program leadership to various blue-chip companies in Ecommerce, IT, Telecom and Pharmaceutical industry. He has also led merger & acquisition projects in Telecom sector. He is currently working with AWS as a EMEA regional Portfolio lead.

Adeel Khan

Head of Trade and Investment UK

Amir Liaqat

Head of PBBC Media and Podcast

My name is Amir Liaqat, and I am an engineer at Amazon. In addition to my role at Amazon, I am a fashion influencer and entrepreneur. Recently, I joined PBBC as the Head of Media and Podcast.

As the Media Head of PBBC, my vision is to create a social platform that serves as a dynamic ecosystem, bringing together successful professionals, entrepreneurs, influencers, and businesses.

Through this platform, we aim to facilitate the sharing of experiences and knowledge among our community members. By doing so, we hope to educate others, expand their reach, and provide valuable networking opportunities. Our ultimate goal is to build a strong and supportive community that thrives on collaboration and growth.

I am truly excited about this new endeavour and look forward to making a positive impact through the power of media and podcasting.

Sibtain Sohair

IT Business Analyst

Kalim Farooqui

Vice Chairman PBBC, The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays

Moinuddin Ahmed

Country Director

Education: Ph.D. Fellow (Foreign Languages Researcher)
M.Phil., Double Master Literature and Linguistics, MA in Economics,
Advanced German Language – Berlin University – Germany

Country Director – Pakistan Britain, Business Council – UK
Liaison for the promotion of Education (700+ UK-certified courses for all ages) and
Trade between the UK and Pakistan (Faculty Exchange Program, Teacher Training Programs)

Country Director: Anglo-German Education (250+ Renowned Universities) UK / Germany for Universities Collaboration (Research, Recruitment, Students / Faculty Exchange Programs, Students’ Project Financing, Incubation center, JVC)

Former Project Director – Akhoond University
Former Vice Chancellor – Metropolitan University
Former COO- Institute of Computer and Management Sciences (ICMS)

CEO- CPD- Center for Professional Development (International Training Courses, Consultancy) Intlconnection.com.pk
CPD – Official Training Partner of Benazir Bhutto Human Resource & Research Board – Sindh CPD – Official Training Partner – CISCO Academy – USA

Member – Affiliation committee Sindh Board of Technical Education (SBTE) for technical
and Vocational Courses– Pakistan

Teaching Experience: German Language, English Language, Literature, Computer Applications in Business, Economics, at the following universities.

NUST, NED, National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Al Ghazali University,
Pakistan Rangers, Greenwich University, IQRA University, Karachi University, Hamdard University, Dow Medical University, Sindh Medical University, Sir Syed University, UIT- Usman Institute of Technology, Institute of Business Management (CBM-IoBM), MAJU Muhammad Ali Jinnah University, Institute of Business and Technology – Ilma University, Newport’s Institute of Communications and Economics, Sindh Madarsatul Islam
(Alma Mater of the Founder of Pakistan – Quaid-e-Azam)

Corporate Trainer: Siemens Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd., Ufone (German online), Descon Engineering Limited, Defense Central Library, K-Group of Companies, Mechanical
Equipment Company – USA, Sterling – Germany, Kraft Hidrolik – Turkey, Mushko,– Muratec, Ibrahim Home Textile Outsourcing, GRP International, Business Machine Center

Malik Salman Saeed

Ambassador Diplomatic and Corporate Affairs

Syed Mukhyyar Hussain Rizvi

Head of Web Design & Development

Syed Mukhyyar Hussain Rizvi, an IBM-certified expert in Designing User Interfaces and Experiences (UI/UX), Developing Websites and Front-Ends with Bootstrap, Getting Started with Front-End and Web Development, Intermediate Web and Front-End Development, Introduction to HTML, CSS, & JavaScript, and Introduction to Software Engineering, is a seasoned professional in full-stack web development, UI/UX design, and digital strategy with over a decade of experience. As the Head of Web Design & Development, he has consistently demonstrated his proficiency in both front-end and back-end technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Next.js, PHP, and CodeIgniter. His deep understanding of these technologies allows him to deliver seamless and intuitive web solutions that meet diverse digital needs.

With a keen eye for design and a passion for creating meaningful user experiences, Syed excels in UI/UX design, prioritizing user-centric principles to enhance engagement and usability. His innovative approach to PHP development enables him to engineer custom functionalities tailored to unique business requirements, ensuring robust and scalable web applications. As a seasoned WordPress expert, Syed specializes in transforming concepts into captivating websites through meticulous theme customization and plugin integration, optimizing WordPress platforms for performance and success.

Throughout his career, Syed has founded and led Professional Web Solutions (PWS), guiding the company to new heights and providing top-tier web solutions to a global clientele. His leadership at PWS has driven the success of numerous projects, establishing the firm as a premier web development company. In his previous roles as Lead UI/UX Designer and Software Engineer at KCompute (Pvt) Ltd., Senior Engineer – User Interface at Axact, and Web Developer & Social Media Team Member at Geo TV Network and ARY Digital Network, Syed has significantly contributed to the growth and success of these organizations through his technical acumen and innovative designs.

Syed’s extensive certifications underscore his commitment to professional excellence. In addition to his IBM certifications, he is certified by Coursera in Designing User Interfaces and Experiences (UI/UX), Software Engineering Essentials, and Getting Started with Front-End and Web Development.

Academically, Syed holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Karachi University and an Intermediate from Karachi. He also has an ASP.net certification from Sir Syed University and a Diploma in Information Technology from NCR-CET.

Passionate about collaborating with forward-thinking individuals and businesses, Syed is dedicated to bringing digital visions to life. His expertise and commitment to digital excellence make him an invaluable asset for launching new projects or elevating existing ones. Reach out to Syed Mukhyyar Hussain Rizvi and embark on a journey of innovation and success with a true leader in web design and development.

Azam Khan

Head of Food and Drinks Sector

Azam Khan is a seasoned leader in Marketing, Sales, and Business Management with over 24 years of experience in Processed Food, FMCG, CHC, and Personal Care industries, spanning domestic and international markets. He holds an MBA from the Institute of Business Management (loBM), Karachi. He has a proven track record of setting up new business verticals and driving growth through dynamic and fearless leadership.

Azam currently serves as Senior Consultant and Head of Commercial at Woot Food. He was the Head of Marketing, International Sales & Business Development at Q&N Flavors, a food brand of Dreamworld Ltd., where he managed top-line and bottom-line growth.

He has successfully launched several well-known brands and established robust channel management across diverse trade sectors.

He is an active member of various professional organizations, including the Pakistan British Business Council (PBBC), PUK Business Council (FPCCI), and the Consumer Association of Pakistan.

Waqar Ullah

Head of Punjab | Director of Trade & Investment (UK & Pakistan)

Waqar Ullah serves as PBBC’s Head of Punjab and Director of Trade & Investment for the UK and Pakistan, bringing nearly two decades of experience in UK-Pakistan trade relations. Based in Lahore, Waqar currently leads an education consultancy, following a distinguished 19-year tenure with the British High Commission, where he independently managed UK Trade operations across Punjab.

 

Waqar has played a pivotal role in promoting UK businesses across key sectors including education, life sciences, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and food & drink. He is widely recognized for his strong network with trade bodies, business chambers and key stakeholders throughout Pakistan.

 

His notable achievements include launching prestigious UK educational institutions in Pakistan such as LSBF, CIMA, Study Group, BPP University, and ABE. Waqar has also conducted extensive market research for UK and international firms, facilitating their entry into the Pakistani market, and has led multiple business development visits to the UK.

He has also substantially contributed for the PBBC Market growth and supported several trade delegations since last few years.

Umaimah Makhdoom

Chief Coordinator | Director of Operations (UK & Pakistan

Umaimah serves as the Chief Coordinator at the Pakistan Britain Business Council (PBBC), bringing dynamic leadership and strategic insight to the organization’s mission of strengthening UK-Pakistan ties. She is currently CEO of an Education Consultancy based in Lahore.

 

With a Master’s degree in Media and Communication and a Dean’s Merit Award to her credit, Umaimah has consistently demonstrated academic and professional excellence. Her previous role as Head of International Relations and Business Development at a leading consultancy further sharpened her expertise in forging global academic partnerships with destinations including the UK, Australia, USA, Canada, and Turkey.

 

A results-driven business development professional, Umaimah has a strong command of the educational and business landscape in Punjab. She excels in building strategic relationships with trade bodies, regional chambers of commerce and key stakeholders across Pakistan. Her dedication to fostering meaningful international collaborations continues to make her a valuable asset to PBBC and the broader education and trade sectors.

Arsalan Ijaz Anwer

Interrelations Advisor

Aisha Suhail

Head of Partnership and Corporate Engagements

Saima Amjad

Senior Advisor on Trade Relations