In 1991 a group of experienced and highly qualified doctors with an interest in the welfare of children with thalassemia got together and laid the foundation of Pakistan Thalassemia Welfare Society (PATHWEL). It is registered as a non-profit organization vide Letter No VSWA/ICT/135 of 1991 under the Society Registration Act XXI of 1860.

Late Lt Gen Faheem Ahmed Khan (R), HI (M) became the founding President of the Society. In 1992 the first treatment Centre of the Society was started at the PMA House Liaqat Road Rawalpindi. The number of patients benefiting from the treatment Centre gradually started increasing and the space became inadequate. In 2006 with the efforts of Late Lt Gen Fahim Ahmed Khan and many others the Society was able to raise its own five storied building at Tipu Road.

PATHWEL is a member of Thalassemia International Federation (TIF) and Thalassemia Federation of Pakistan (TFP). It is also registered with Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP). At present over 500 patients of thalassemia major are getting treatment at the PATHWEL Thalassemia Centre.

In late 2019 PATHWEL started working on the establishment of a Bone Marrow Transplant and Haematology Daycare Centre. Both of these centers are now operational and providing excellent services for the poor and the deserving patients.

PATHWEL is run by an efficient management system. At the end of each financial year, an external audit of the financial transactions is conducted by an independent firm of chartered accountants. The system is meant to safeguard the asset of the organization, ensure reliability of the accounts and achieve operational efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. The basic principles of management include adherence to ethical and principled morals and ensuring that the staff, at all levels, is competent to carry out the duties assigned to them.

Executive Committee

Maj Gen Suhaib Ahmed (R) President

Maj Gen Suhaib Ahmed (R), HI (M) graduated from King Edward Medical College Lahore in 1980. He is a Fellow of Haematology from the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan and also has PhD in molecular genetics from University College London. He has served in the Armed Forces for over 32 years where he mostly worked at the prestigious Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP). In 1994 he started the first clinical service for prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia and other genetic disorders in Pakistan. He has a vast experience of doing prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia and other genetic disorders in Pakistan. His landmark research on extended family screening for thalassemia is adopted as the most feasible approach for carrier screening in countries where consanguineous marriage is common. He has over 80 research publications. He is the past President of Pakistan Society of Haematology and the founding President of Association for Molecular Pathology Pakistan. Presently he is working as Professor of Haematology at Riphah International University, Islamabad and heads the Genetics Resource Centre Rawalpindi. He is also the current President of Pakistan Thalassemia Welfare Society and Autism Society of Pakistan.

Dr Jamal Narir
Vice President

Dr Jamal Nasir is a graduate of Rawalpindi Medical College. He is a Clinical Pathologist and is the Chief Executive of City Lab. He is a renowned social worker and philanthropist. He has received the Presidential pride of performance award (social work), and medal of merit by the president of Pakistan. He is also the President Pakistan Green Task Force and is the Chairman Qamar Jahan Foundation.

Maj Gen Sefvan Majed Janjua HI (M) (R)
Secretary General & Treasurer

Maj Gen Sefvan Majed Janjua (R) is a graduate of King Edward Medical College. He has served for over 31 years in various command, staff and instructional appointments in the Army Medical Corps. He has the experience of commanding CMH Bahawalpur, PNS Shifa, and Armed Forces Postgraduate Medical Institute. He has also served as the Vice Principal Army Medical College.

Mr. Muhammad Saeed Akhtar

Mr Muhammad Saeed Akhtar is Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan. He is the founding member and legal advisor of Pakistan Thalassemia Welfare Society. He is also the Founder member of Pakistan National Heart Association, Islamic International Medical College Trust, and Member Board of Governors Rupiah International University Islamabad.

Dr. Abdul Qayyum Awan

Dr Abdul Qayyum Awan is a graduate of Nishtar Medical College, He is the founding member of PATHWEL. He is a renowned general practitioner and social worker. He is an Ex President PMA Rawalpindi, Executive Senior Vice President Pakistan National Association of Heart (PANAH) and Chairman Haji Abdul Hakeem Trust.

Lt Gen Karamat A. Karamat HI (M) (R)

Lt Gen Karamat A. Karamat (R) is Consultant Microbiologist & Virologist,  G. M. Education & Training at the Quaid-e-Azam Hospital Islamabad. He has an illustrious career in Pakistan Army. His past appointments include Commandant Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Surgeon General Director General Medical Services (IS) and Executive Director National Institute of Health.

Maj Gen Parvez Ahmed HI (M) (R)

Maj Gen Parvez Ahmed (R) is one of the pioneers in the field of clinical hematology and bone marrow transplantation in Pakistan. Since establishment of largest BMT facility of the country; Armed Forces Bone Marrow Transplant Centre (AFBMTC) Rawalpindi, on 20 March 2001, he has worked there as Hematologist & BMT physician and then as Commandant from August 2009 to August 2016. After his retirement from active service in the armed forces, he successfully established BMT facility at Quaid-e-Azam International Hospital Islamabad. He is instrumental in establishing two additional BMT facilities in Pakistan; one in public sector at Gambat Institute of Medical Science Sindh and the other at Thalassemia Welfare Society Rawalpindi. He is the founding President Pakistan Blood and Marrow Transplant (PBMT) group. Gen Parvez Ahmed is the Dean Committee of Clinical Haematology at College of Physician and Surgeons Pakistan. He is the immediate past president of Pakistan Society of Haematology, and is the member of American Society of Hematology and other international transplant groups like EBMT, APBMT and EMBMT.

Professor Tahira Zafar

Professor Tahira Zafar is a graduate of King Edward Medical College. She is currently working as Professor of Haematology, Frontier Medical College, Abbottabad. She is also the Director Hemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC) Rawalpindi, founder Executive Member & Chairperson Medical Advisory Board Hemophilia Patients Welfare Society, Rawalpindi. member National Medical Advisory Board, Hemophilia Foundation of Pakistan (HFP), member, Steering Committee World Federation of Hemophilia, HEMNET group, faculty member Aslan Project for educating physicians in developing countries for care of children with cancer.

Col Lubna Zafar (R)

Col Dr Lubna Zafar (R) is a Professor of Haematology and Consultant Hematologist at the Foundation University Medical College Islamabad. She is also the President of Hemophilia Patients Welfare Society (HPWS) Rawalpindi.

Murtaza Ameer Ali Burhani

Mr. Murtaza Ameer Ali Burhani is a renowned social worker and is well known for donating blood for over 150 times. He has received the Presidential award for social work. He is the President Burhani Blood Donor and Welfare Association, member Executive Council 
Thalassemia Federation of Pakistan, Joint Secretary PANAH, and Cause Ambassador SZABIST.

Aims and Objectives

Pakistan Thalassemia Welfare Society is a non-political, non-sectarian, charitable organization that has the following aims and objectives:

1. To establish, maintain, run, manage and administer centers for the comprehensive management of thalassemia and related blood disorder.
2. To provide facilities for the prevention of thalassemia through public awareness, carrier screening, genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for the affected couples.
3. To educate the public and various health delivery organizations of Pakistan about the problem of Thalassemia through lectures, symposia, and workshops. Pamphlets and literature on thalassemia will be produced for educational purposes.
4. To promote and coordinate research in the field of Thalassemia.
5. To bring together patients, families and well-wishers to exchange ideas and information.
6. To raise funds required for achieving aims and objectives of the Society.
7. To facilitate all kind of academic pursuits like teaching, organizing courses, doing research, publication of books, journals, booklets, pamphlets, holding seminars, symposia and workshops for promoting the objectives of the Society.
8. To act as an advisory body to safe-guard the socio-economic interests of Thalassemia Patients.
9. To cooperate with any similar Association in and outside Pakistan for the furtherance of the objectives of the Society.