Khushnood Aftab, Group Chairman of Viper Technology Pvt Ltd, has announced his candidacy for a seat on the PASHA Central Executive Committee for the 2026 to 2028 term. Aftab says he has spent close to three decades building Viper Technology within the local technology sector, and he has framed his candidacy around turning what he describes as the industry’s biggest barriers into direct, measurable action, with progress that members can track rather than promises that remain abstract. His manifesto sets out five commitments, each built around a specific problem he says the industry currently faces.
The first point of his platform addresses government procurement, where he argues that Pakistani companies are building competitive technology while government purchasing decisions continue to overlook local solutions. His commitment is to secure a Made in Pakistan preference across qualifying categories including AI, software, cloud, cybersecurity, BPO, systems integration, digital products, IoT devices and IT hardware, so that public spending contributes directly to building local capability, jobs and intellectual property. His second point focuses on the limits of companies working in isolation, noting that many lack the scale or combined credentials needed to win larger contracts on their own, and he wants PASHA to create a deal sharing and consortium platform that would let members bid together for bigger local and international projects.
Read: PASHA CEC Elections 2026: Every Candidate Contesting
The third and fourth points of his manifesto turn to capital access and regulatory friction. Aftab points out that investors are interested in Pakistani technology opportunities but lack a trusted bridge to credible local companies, and he wants to launch verified investor deal rooms alongside practical incentives that channel local capital into local technology firms. On regulation, he argues that complex taxation, registration and approval processes are draining time and discouraging investment, and he is committing to push for simpler one window processes, clearer rules, and more accountable engagement with bodies such as FBR and SECP.
His fifth point addresses Rule 42(f), which currently allows direct contracting with state owned entities without open competitive bidding. Aftab wants to see narrow and transparent use of this provision, with open bidding treated as the default so that Pakistani private companies get a fair chance at competing for public contracts. His candidacy comes as PASHA members prepare to vote on September 17, 2026, for the ten open seats of the Central Executive Committee, with two additional reserved seats for women entrepreneurs to be filled the following day. Based on the Election Commission’s regional structure, voting is expected to be coordinated across Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi, where PASHA maintains its secretariat and regional offices. Voting will take place through secret ballot between 9 am and 5 pm, with original CNIC or passport required for identity verification at polling stations. The complete final voters list for the 2026 elections is available on the PASHA final voter list, and more information about Aftab’s professional background can be found on his LinkedIn profile.
Computerworld is profiling every candidate contesting the 2026 PASHA CEC elections. View the manifestos and candidate profiles here on CWPK. Profiles are drawn from published campaign material by PASHA Election Commission. Public manifestos for all CEC contestants can be found here.
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