Islamabad: The federal cabinet has approved a new Board of Governors (BoG) for the National Institute of Health (NIH), ending a 27-month governance vacuum at Pakistan’s premier public health institution by appointing a group of respected health professionals widely regarded for their expertise, credibility and independence.
The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on Thursday notified the appointment of six members to the board following cabinet approval on June 2, 2026, under Section 6(2) of the National Institute of Health (Reorganisation) Act, 2021.
The newly appointed members are Dr Ambreen Anwar, Maj Gen (Retd) Dr Pervez Ahmed, Maj Gen (Retd) Dr Irfan Ali Mirza, Prof Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Prof Dr Saeed Sadiq Hamid and Dr Faisal Dar. They will serve for a term of three years in addition to the institute’s ex officio board members.
Health officials and public health experts welcomed the appointments, saying the board comprises accomplished professionals from public health, academia, clinical medicine and health administration who are known for their professional integrity and are expected to guide the institute in the national interest.
Among the appointees, Prof Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta is internationally recognised for his work in maternal, newborn and child health and serves as Founding Director of the Institute for Global Health and Development at Aga Khan University. Prof Dr Saeed Sadiq Hamid is a distinguished gastroenterologist and academic leader, while Dr Faisal Dar is Dean of the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and has held several senior leadership positions in Pakistan’s health sector.
Dr Ambreen Anwar is a public health specialist with extensive experience in health systems, policy and healthcare management.
The notification restores a regular governing body at the NIH, whose previous board completed its tenure in March 2024. Since then, the country’s principal public health institution had been functioning without a formally constituted board despite its expanding role in disease surveillance, outbreak investigations, laboratory services, vaccine-related activities and public health emergency response.
The delay in constituting the board had attracted attention within public health circles after a previously prepared summary for the appointment of a different panel of board members was withdrawn before being placed before the federal cabinet. The earlier panel had reportedly been finalised after months of consultations and scrutiny by a search and nomination committee headed by Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal.
The withdrawal of the summary triggered concerns among public health experts and former officials, who argued that the prolonged absence of a governing board was affecting institutional decision-making and oversight at a time when the NIH was facing growing administrative, operational and manpower challenges while serving as the country’s lead agency for disease surveillance and outbreak response.
Under the NIH (Reorganisation) Act, 2021, the Board of Governors provides strategic direction to the institute, approves policies, budgets and major programmes, oversees research and surveillance activities, ensures transparency and accountability, and supervises overall institutional performance. The board also plays a critical role in the appointment of senior leadership and long-term institutional planning.
Officials said the newly constituted board is expected to address several pending governance and administrative matters, strengthen oversight and support reforms aimed at enhancing the NIH’s effectiveness as Pakistan’s national public health institute.
Officials also recalled that renowned infectious diseases expert Dr Naseem Salahuddin had reportedly been among the names considered during consultations on the board’s composition. However, her untimely death in a road accident in Morocco last month deprived Pakistan of one of its most respected infectious disease specialists before the board could be finalised.
The NIH serves as Pakistan’s national public health institute and plays a central role in disease surveillance, outbreak response, reference laboratory services, vaccine and biological production, public health research and national health security programmes. Health officials expressed hope that the newly appointed board would strengthen governance, improve institutional performance and help the institute respond more effectively to emerging public health threats facing the country.
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