LAHORE (Sarfraz Ali) – The Board of Directors of WWF-Pakistan have elected Ahmer Bilal Soofi, renowned Supreme Court advocate and international law expert, as the new president of WWF-Pakistan.
He was preceded by Khalid Mahmood, CEO of Getz Pharma (Pvt) Ltd, who was the president of the organisation from June 2011 to April 2015.
During the leadership of Khalid Mahmood, the organisation flourished in the areas of climate change, alternate livelihood interventions, and marine and coastal protection initiatives.
Over the decades, WWF-Pakistan has been headed by many noted Pakistani philanthropists and business leaders who have guided the course of the organisation to make it one of the most active environmental and conservation NGO in the country.
Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan thanked Khalid Mahmood for his untiring efforts. The outgoing president welcomed his successor to the post and hoped the organisation will benefit from the passion, experience and forward thinking of Ahmer Bilal Soofi.
Ahmer Bilal Soofi is a lawyer by profession and holds an LLM in international law from the University of Cambridge, UK. He is the founding president of the Research Society of International Law and a senior partner of a reputable law firm with offices in Lahore, Islamabad and Dubai. He served as the Federal Minister for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, in the caretaker government in 2013 and has been elected as Member Advisory Committee to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
He also serves on the panel of OIC Eminent Persons Council.
Soofi has been associated with WWF-Pakistan for over a decade, having twice served on its Board. He and his law firm have taken up pro-bono cases in major environmental causes and have supported WWF-Pakistan by representing it in both the High Courts and the Supreme Court in matters such as the new Murree case, Murree forest case, protection of Surla Wildife Sanctuary near Chakwal and several other matters.
He is known to promote conservation causes and is also advising the provincial government on the implementation of international conventions on climate change and environment. Born on 25 November 1962, Soofi attended St. Anthony’s High School, Lahore and graduated from Government College, Lahore with Roll of Honour.
