Naveed Haq is Senior Director for Infrastructure and Connectivity at the Internet Society. He is focused on bridging the connectivity gap, particularly for unconnected and underserved communities in the Asia Pacific region. His background is in computer science and telecommunications, including regulatory work in his native Pakistan
Parvez Iftikhar
ICT Policy and Regulation Consultant
With more than 40 years of experience, Parvez Iftikhar is currently providing consulting services on ICT Policy and Regulation in various countries, mainly through global organizations like World Bank, ITU, DFID, USAID, and international consulting houses. Parvez has been the founding CEO of Universal Service Fund (USF) Pakistan (under the Ministry of IT), and the country-head of Siemens “Com” in Pakistan. He has been on sabbaticals to Carnegie Mellon, and Harvard Kennedy School, USA, and Oxford University UK. He received extensive technical and managerial training at Siemens, mainly in Europe. Parvez is also a member of Pakistan Prime Minister’s Task Force on IT and Telecom
Dr. Muhammad Mukaram Khan
Director General, CVD, PTA
Dr. Mukaram Khan is working as Director General Cyber Vigilance at Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. He is a Software Engineer from NUST and holds MPhil and PhD from the university of Manchester in Information Security and Super Computing respectively. He is a cyber security professional with CISSP to his credit, besides various technical certifications.
Before this assignment, he has been working as CTO Pakistan Army and worked in various capacities to manage datacenters, designing enterprise architectures and leading nation-wide IT/cyber security projects. He is also associated with NUST as part-time academic to teach and supervise postgrad research in the areas of cyber security, AI, blockchain and system engineering.
Ch. Mudassar Naveed
CEO, Universal Service Fund
CEO, Universal Service Fund
Syed Junaid Imam
International ICT Consultant
Member IT, Ministry of IT&T
Ahmed Bakhat Masood
Director (Cyber Security) in Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA)
Ahmed Bakhat Masood is currently working as Deputy Director (Cyber Security) in Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA), previously worked in PTCL and Instaphone. By qualification, he is MS Telecom & Networks, Master in Computer Science (MCS), Lead auditor ISO 27001, MCSE. Mr. Ahmed played a pivotal role in establishment of Pakistan IXP, in making consensus amongst all stakeholders of IXP in Pakistan and currently working as secretary to IXP board. He remained Chair of Task Force on Arabic Internationalized Domain Names (TF-AIDN), a subgroup of ICANN, from July 2017 to June 2020. He also remained a member of the Program Committee of the Middle East DNS Forum, ICANN for four from 2015 to 2018. He is currently a member of the steering committee of pkSIG since 2016 and managing secretariat. Apart from other achievements, Mr. Ahmed played a vital role in the success of South Asian Network Operators Group (SANOG) 29, at Islamabad Pakistan.
Waqas Hassan
Regional Lead for Asia at Global Digital Inclusion Partnership (GDIP)
Waqas spearheads the policy and advocacy engagements for GDIP in Asia. He is a seasoned ICT professional having strong expertise in inclusive policy development, especially the gender-responsive strategies and programs. He has implemented connectivity and community empowerment projects and programs with particular focus in underserved areas. Before GDIP, Waqas lead the international collaborations and partnerships for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) where he played a key role in development of the national-level ‘Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy’. He is also an active contributor to the internet governance community on the national, regional and international level. He is the former Vice-Chair of the Multistakeholder Group of the Asia-Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) and the current Vice-Chair of the Asia-Pacific School on Internet Governance (APSIG). He was also the President of the Internet Society Pakistan Islamabad Chapter for four years and the former Vice-Chair of its Board of Directors. He holds a Master’s degree in international relations from the SZABIST Islamabad and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Technology from Curtin University, Australia. Waqas believes in an open, secure, and all-inclusive Internet and would love to connect for community empowerment through meaningful interventions.
Umera Asmat Rana
Assistant Director - Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)
Umera Asmat Rana is a seasoned telecom professional with over 12 years of diverse experience in the ICT and telecommunications sector. She is currently serving as an Assistant Director at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in the Enforcement and Compliance Division, where she plays a key role in ensuring regulatory compliance and service quality across Pakistan’s telecom landscape. With a strong technical foundation, Umera has worked extensively on 4G and 5G technologies, contributing to the successful launch of 5G networks in the Middle East region. Her expertise spans network performance, spectrum planning, and next-generation mobile technology evolution, positioning her among the leading professionals driving digital transformation in the region.
Beyond her technical excellence, Umera is a passionate advocate for Internet Governance, digital inclusion, and policy development. She has been actively engaged in multiple national and regional Internet Governance initiatives, serving as the Co-Chair of the APrIGF 2024 Program Committee, and as an active member of the Program Committees for both APSIG and APrIGF. Her work reflects a deep commitment to advancing multistakeholder dialogue, regional collaboration, and capacity building across the Asia-Pacific. Umera continues to inspire as a voice of leadership, innovation, and empowerment in Pakistan’s growing digital ecosystem
Muhammad Adil Ali
Deputy Manager, Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd
Mr Muhammad Adil Ali has been volunteering for Pakistan School on Internet Governance since long. He served multiple tenures as office bearer of Internet Society Pakistan Islamabad Chapter. Helped in organizing and conducting multiple editions of pkSIG along with different other events under the umbrella of ISOC Islamabad Chapter. He is serving in Fauji Fertilizer Company as Deputy Manager – Information and Communication Technology. He is certified in different Microsoft, Cisco, SAP and Information Security Domains.
Naveed Haq
Senior Director - Infrastructure and Connectivity , Internet Society
Dr M Shabbir Awan
CEO, Pathfinders
Dr. Muhammad Shabbir is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis (ISSRA), National Defence University (NDU) Islamabad, and Editor of the NDU Journal. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations and specializes in geopolitics, digital governance, and technology policy. Dr. Shabbir is an internationally recognized advocate for digital accessibility and inclusive internet governance, currently serving as Coordinator of the UN Internet Governance Forum’s Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability (IGF-DCAD) as well as Member of Global Leadership Council (GLC) of International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). He has previously served on the Board of Trustees of the Internet Society (ISOC), Member BoD of ISOC Islamabad Chapter and Founding President of ISOC Accessibility SIG, and has contributed to global policy platforms including ICANN, APRIGF, APSIG, and EuroDIG. In Pakistan, he has worked with the Ministry of IT, State Bank, and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to integrate accessibility into national ICT policies and banking systems. Blind since childhood, Dr. Shabbir brings a powerful combination of scholarly expertise and lived experience to his work on inclusion and digital rights.
Dr. Haider Abbas
Director General, Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT), The Government of Pakistan
Dr. Haider Abbas is serving as the Director General of Pakistan’s National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) at The Government of Pakistan. He is a cybersecurity professional, researcher, and industry consultant who has received professional training and certifications from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States, Stockholm University, Sweden, the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship, Sweden, and IBM, USA, and is a Certified Ethical Hacker from EC-Council. He earned his MS and PhD in Information Security from KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
Dr. Abbas has received numerous awards from national and international organizations, including the Research Productivity Award from the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology, CyberPatriot Award and the Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance Award, as well as the P@SHA ICT Awards.
In recognition of his contributions to the international research community and professional excellence, Dr. Abbas has been awarded fellowships from The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), UK; The British Computer Society (BCS), UK; and The Institute of Science and Technology, UK, as one of the youngest recipients. He was also appointed the first ACM Distinguished Speaker from Pakistan by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), United States. Dr. Haider Abbas has been honored with the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence) by the Government of Pakistan in appreciation of his exceptional services
Professor Dr. Ghulam Mujtaba Shaikh
IBA Sukkur
Professor Dr. Ghulam Mujtaba Shaikh is a distinguished scholar and academic leader currently serving as Head of the Department of Computer Science and Director, Center of Excellence for Robotics, AI, and Blockchain at Sukkur IBA University, Pakistan. With over two decades of experience in higher education, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing teaching, research, and innovation in computer science, artificial intelligence, and data-driven technologies.
Dr. Shaikh has spearheaded several pioneering research and development initiatives, including CallSense.AI, aimed at leveraging emerging technologies to strengthen public service delivery and smart governance. His research expertise encompasses Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Agentic AI, and Natural Language Processing (NLP), with a strong emphasis on translating academic research into practical, high-impact solutions.
He has supervised numerous postgraduate research projects, published in reputable scientific journals, and continues to mentor emerging scholars and innovators dedicated to advancing the frontiers of AI and digital transformation.
Sidra Jalil
PSEB
Sidra is a Trust and Safety Manager at TikTok, where she researches, identifies, and collaborates with external experts and internal teams to develop and implement safety programs for key issue areas, such as minor safety, harassment, platform integrity, and hateful behavior. With over 15 years of experience in various industries, such as telecommunications, FMCG, technology, and development, she has a diverse background in research, communications, digital marketing, and innovation.
Sidra is passionate about fostering growth opportunities for youth and women, while also promoting entrepreneurship through technology-driven community initiatives. As the founder of InspireMill, she curated and convened a 3-day long bootcamp for rural women to empower them with digital skills and business solutions. As the Director of Operations at Code for Pakistan, she acted as a direct interface with donors, government departments, and other agencies, and facilitated over 10 mega hackathons across South Asia, resulting in the launch of multiple startups and product ventures. She thrives on leveraging the dynamic landscape of the digital world to create impactful strategies and drive results. Connect with Sidra to explore opportunities to collaborate and make an impact!
Zakir Syed
Director Internet Governance, Ministry of IT
Currently working as Director at the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication with a focus on digital transformation and internet governance, Zakir Syed is also part of the team that is responsible for national policies on emerging technologies including AI, Cloud, and Blockchain among others.
Zakir is a technology and public policy expert with more than 15 years of experience both in the public as private sectors. He has local, regional and international experience in Internet public policy, telecoms & ICTs, Internet governance and training.
A multiple times ICANN Fellow and Mentor, he was selected by the Internet Society as Ambassador to the United Nations’ Internet Governance Forum 2017 in Geneva. Previously, he has been Internet Society’s Next Generation Leader of on Internet and has been member of the program committee of the Middle East DNS Forum as well as that of the Middle East & Adjoining Countries School on Internet Governance (MEAC-SIG). He is a regular contributor to the PKSIG initiative since its inception.
Muhammad Akram Mughal
Deputy Director
Muhammad Akram Mughal is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with over 23 years of leadership experience across leading government and private organizations, including FIA’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), PSEB, and the Ministry of IT. Holding dual master’s degrees (MS Information Security, UET Taxila; MSCIT) and multiple global certifications (CISSP, CEH, CHFI, ISMS Lead Auditor, and more), he has delivered 60+ specialized trainings to law enforcement, judiciary, and intelligence agencies, and conducted over 35 federal-level information security audits. As Pakistan’s focal person to the OIC-CERT, he has led national teams in international cyber drills and contributed to the OIC-CERT 5G Security Framework. His cybersecurity contributions are recognized internationally across platforms including INTERPOL, ASEAN, and COMSTECH.
Seher Sagiroglu Ayhan
Global Stakeholder Engagement Manager – Middle East - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
Seher Sağıroğlu Ayhan is a Global Stakeholder Engagement (GSE) Manager at ICANN with over 13 years of experience in the domain name industry. She began her career at Nic.tr (the former .TR ccTLD operator) from 2011 to 2013, gaining expertise in country code domain management. She later spent more than six years in ICANN’s Contractual Compliance department before joining the GSE team as a regional specialist.
In her current role, Seher leads engagement activities across the Middle East, with a particular focus on Türkiye, fostering collaboration with academia, domain businesses, government, intellectual property experts, and technical communities. She is also responsible for developing and implementing regional engagement strategies through a data-driven approach to increase awareness and participation in ICANN’s work.
Seher holds a master’s degree in Political Science and Public Administration from Middle East Technical University.
Saad Hamid
Regional Lead - Developer Ecosystem, Google
Saad Hamid is the Regional Lead for the Developer Ecosystem at Google, leading programs across Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier. He is focused on empowering developer communities with new ideas, knowledge, and technology, particularly through AI tools and skills. In his spare time, he enjoys building cool and fun things.
Ameena Sohail
Precision Consultants
Sana Shah
Project Director, NIC Hyderabad
Sana Shah has been part of Pakistan’s IT and entrepreneurship ecosystem for over 16 years. She currently serves as the Project Director at the National Incubation Center (NIC) Hyderabad, a role she assumed in November 2024. At NIC Hyderabad, her work centers on building a space where ideas find direction, founders find support, and innovation finds its footing in Sindh.
Before joining NIC Hyderabad, Sana headed AshreiTech Academy @ National AerospaceScience & Technology Park (NASTP) as Director Academy, where she enrolled 300 students within just four months, offering training in leading global technologies such as Oracle, SAP, Salesforce, Microsoft, Cisco, and Cybersecurity. Under her leadership, the academy launched expansion plans to Lahore and Islamabad, aiming to train 10,000 students annually and create sustainable employment opportunities across Pakistan’s IT sector.
Srinivas Chendi (Sunny)
Senior Advisor - Strategic Relations APNIC
Srinivas Chendi (Sunny) serves as APNIC’s Senior Advisor for Strategic Relations, bringing a deep passion for collaboration with communities throughout the Asia Pacific region. Over his 23-year tenure at APNIC, Srinivas has worked across diverse roles and responsibilities, building extensive experience in regional Internet governance and community engagement.
In his current role, Srinivas is responsible for developing and maintaining high-level relationships with key stakeholders, including governments, intergovernmental organisations, APNIC Members, National Internet Registries (NIRs), and the broader Asia Pacific Internet community. He plays a vital role in supporting the APNIC community through the development of Internet number resource policies, capacity building initiatives, and programs focused on youth and next-generation leaders.
Srinivas is dedicated to increasing engagement and participation across the multistakeholder Asia Pacific community, ensuring these efforts align with APNIC’s long-term vision of maintaining an interoperable, open, secure, and stable Internet. He actively supports and contributes to key APNIC initiatives that advance the organisation’s mission while expanding its regional impact, constantly seeking new opportunities to strengthen collaboration throughout the Asia Pacific community.
Prof. Dr. Faheem Akhtar Rajput
Professor & Chairman, Department of Artificial Intelligence, Multimedia & Gaming, and Cyber Security Aror University of Art, Architecture, Design, and Heritage, Sukkur
Prof. Dr. Faheem Akhtar Rajput is a leading expert in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science. He completed his Ph.D. at Beijing University of Technology (BJUT) in China, where he was awarded the Outstanding International Student Award by the Chinese Scholarship Council and recognized as the Top Outstanding Graduate of BJUT in the year 2020. His exceptional academic performance was further honored with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing.
With over 65+ published research papers in renowned international journals and conferences, his work focuses on applying machine learning and deep learning to solve real-world challenges in healthcare, cybersecurity, and language processing. As Professor and Chairman at Aror University, he now leads strategic initiatives in AI and Cyber Security, building on his prior experience as an Associate Professor, Provost, and Campus Director at Sukkur IBA University. He also contributes to the global academic community as a Guest Editor for scientific journals and an organizer for prestigious IEEE conferences.
Dr. Priyanka Bhalla
Safety Policy Lead for South Asia, Meta
Dr Priyanka Bhalla is the Head of Safety Policy for Meta in APAC and based in Singapore. Previous to Meta, she worked for fifteen years in the international development and humanitarian space, with numerous UN agencies and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. Her focus was always addressing child and women’s protection concerns with an emphasis on gender-based violence prevention, youth well-being and mental health. Dr Bhalla also worked with a tech start up in Singapore for two years, studying online child safety, collecting training data for AI misogyny detection across social media platforms, researching mental health stigma in Asia and running “behaviour change for good” online campaigns. She holds a PhD in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University and a BA in Cultural Anthropology and French from the College of Wooster.
