The 30th Annual International Conference of the Pakistan Association of Plastic Surgeons concluded in Islamabad with broad participation from the national and international surgical community. Organized under the leadership of Conference Secretary Prof. Dr. Abdul Khaliq Malik, head of Plastic & Burn Surgery at PIMS, the three-day meeting attracted more than 400 delegates and 12 international faculty members despite regional challenges.
Delegates engaged in a dense scientific programme of research presentations, expert lectures and live surgical workshops. A dedicated track on non-invasive aesthetic techniques such as Botox, fillers and fat grafting offered residents and specialists hands-on exposure to current global practices, reinforcing training standards that will feed into the country’s medical tourism offering.
International speakers included prominent figures such as Prof. Dr. Eva Maria of Germany, president of ICOPLAST, and Prof. Nick Wilson John of the UK, chair of the BAPRAS Education Committee, alongside leading specialists from China, Egypt, Turkey, Argentina and Saudi Arabia. Their participation strengthened clinical exchanges and helped showcase Pakistan’s growing expertise in reconstructive and aesthetic care.
A major development at the conference was the formal inauguration of the Pakistan National Medical Tourism Initiative under the Special Investment Facilitation Council. The launch, attended by Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri and DG SIFC Maj. Gen. Asad ur Rehman Cheema, set out a roadmap to position Pakistan as a regional destination for affordable, high-quality reconstructive and aesthetic surgery and to attract international patients through structured standards and facilitation.
Academic endorsement came from the vice chancellors of NUMS and SZABMU, while administrative patronage was provided by Prof. Dr. Rana Imran Sikandar, executive director of PIMS. New leadership for PAPS was also sworn in, with Prof. Dr. Mazhar Nizam as president and Prof. Dr. Mughees Amin as president-elect, signalling continuity in efforts to raise clinical and educational standards that support medical tourism growth.
Conference Secretary Prof. Dr. Abdul Khaliq Malik thanked the organising committee and particularly acknowledged the sustained efforts of Dr. Safdar Ali and Prof. Dr. Farrukh Aslam. Long-serving pioneers including Prof. Mamoon Rasheed and Prof. Moazzam Nazir Tarar were recognised for inspiring new generations of surgeons and strengthening institutional expertise that underpins Pakistan’s emerging medical tourism sector.
The event closed with a collective resolve to deepen international academic collaborations, enhance training pathways and promote quality standards that will help cement Pakistan’s reputation in plastic surgery innovation while driving growth in medical tourism.
