Nadira Panjwani is a social worker and philanthropist based in Karachi, Pakistan. She is the Founder and Managing Trustee of the Panjwani Charitable Foundation and Trusts.
In 1994, she established the Zainab Panjwani Memorial Hospital in memory of her late mother. This 75-bed, not-for-profit organization is dedicated to serving the public and providing quality medical care at subsidized rates and also on free basis.
In the year 2000 she established the Dr Panjwani School/College for the Blind, which was inaugurated by the President of Pakistan. This is a modern, purpose-built training complex providing education from nursery to Master’s level for visually-handicapped students. This school complex, affiliated with the University of Karachi, is the largest academic centre for visually handicapped people in Pakistan. It is functioning under the management of the Ida Rieu Welfare Association, Karachi.
In 2004, President Pervez Musharraf inaugurated the Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research at the University of Karachi. This is the first centre of its kind in Pakistan and second in South-East Asia. The Centre conducts research in the field of molecular medicine and drug development. It focuses on developing a comprehensive understanding of the molecular basis of prevalent diseases in Pakistan through its MPhil and PhD training programmes at national and international levels. This Centre has put Pakistan on the international map of drug research through its valuable contributions to leading scientific journals.
Nadira Panjwani teaches at the Bahria Institute of Management & Computer Sciences of the Bahria University (an educational organ of the Pakistan Navy) in Karachi. She is an honorary instructor at the University since 1996 and has arranged for a large number of scholarships for deserving students for pursuing studies at different levels.
Nadira Panjwani is a Trustee of the PANAH Shelter Home for Women. This organization provides support and protection to women in distress who are victims of societal and domestic violence.
She is a member of the Jinnah Society. The main objective of this society is to assist in the development of projects dedicated to the memory of Quaid-e-Azam for propagation of his ideals, principles and vision.
Nadira Panjwani is a Founding Director of the Pakistan Human Development Fund, established in early 2002 to assist the National Commission for Human Development towards promoting health and educational facilities at the grass roots level in rural areas of Pakistan.
She is a member of Board of Governors of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, Syndicate of the Dow University of Health Sciences, Board of Governors of the National University of Modern Languages, and Board of Governors of the Bahria University.
Nadira Panjwani also served as the Minister for Women Development and Population Planning in the 2007-2008 caretaker cabinet of Sindh.
In recognition of her meritorious services in the field of Public Service, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan conferred upon her the prestigious awards of Sitara-i-Imtiaz in the year 2000 and Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2004.
