On a personal note, Dr. Aftab expressed his long-standing passion for contributing to Pakistan's education sector, specifically his desire to establish a university focused on cybersecurity. "I envision a platform where we can identify and resolve industry-specific challenges—a homegrown initiative that reduces dependence on external resources.”

Dr. Aftab also discussed his plans for extensive industry-wide training programs, noting, "Conducting Training is not the issue; we have global access to resources. But I want to facilitate, to contribute back to the industry, and help drive forward solutions that benefit both Pakistan and the wider region."

He urged the industry to contribute in solving these issues and outlined his plans for extensive sector-wide training programmes. "Conducting trainings is not the challenge; we have global access to resources. What I wish to do is facilitate and contribute back to the industry, driving forward solutions that benefit both Pakistan and the wider region."

The event concluded with a round of appreciation from the participants, who commended Dr Aftab’s vision and leadership in addressing the pressing challenges of the industry. They expressed their eagerness to support his initiatives, "It’s reassuring to see Dr Rizvi’s deep commitment to the industry, and we are ready to contribute and work together towards these shared goals."

The event was attended by a notable group of industry leaders, including CISOs and CIOs from leading Pakistani banks and financial institutions, who all left with a renewed sense of purpose and optimism for the future of compliance and cybersecurity.

The evening saw key leaders of Risk Associates in attendance, including Kashif Hassan, Managing Director; Aziz A. Rahim, Chief Operating Officer; Waqas Haseeb, Executive Director; Mobin Khan, Executive Director, ERS; and Junaid Rizvi, Senior Manager, all of whom echoed Dr Aftab’s vision for a future driven by stronger cybersecurity and compliance standards. They engaged with the participants throughout the evening, sharing insights into Risk Associates' growth and contributions to the industry.

Among the distinguished guests were leaders from Pakistan’ major financial institutions, such as Syed Adnan Ahmad of the State Bank of Pakistan, Syed Athar Ahmed, Haider Wahab – CEO of Hysabkytab, Imran Ahmad – CTO and Zeeshan Siddiqui – CISO of Bank Al Falah Ltd, Fahd Azam – CISO and Moammar Ghani – Head of Risk from Meezan Bank Ltd, M. Tauseef Aslam – CISO from UBL, Navaid Naqvi from Habib Metropolitan Bank, Iftekhar Imtiaz Ahmed Khan - CISO from JS Bank, Ubaid Jafri from Habib Bank Limited, Qazi Misbah Uddin from Hugo Bank, and Sufyan Ali Sheikh from PSW. Other notable executives and associates were also present, contributing to the evening’s productive discussions.