Bioethics Links
December 2025 edition of the CBEC's biannual newsletter is finally here! This edition is dedicated to the city of Karachi, the home of CBEC–SIUT. It includes essays highlighting the city’s multi-faceted history, its architecture and rich cultural and religious diversity.
ABOUT US
The Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture (CBEC), SIUT was inaugurated on October 8, 2004 in Karachi, recognizing the need for ethics related education and research in Pakistan that are relevant and responsive to local cultural and social realities. CBEC remains the only such centre in Pakistan today.
COLLABORATIONS
COLLABORATIONS
World Health Organization
The Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture (CBEC), SIUT was designated a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre (CC) for Bioethics in 2017. CBEC was the first CC for Bioethics in the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) of WHO. At present, there are – WHO CCs for Bioethics, including CBEC, in different regions of the world. These CCs are key institutions serving as essential resources in support of the WHO’s implementation of its ethics mandate.
CBEC-Kemri Bioethics Trainng Initiative
In 2016, the Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture (CBEC) in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) were funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s Fogarty International Centre to build capacity in bioethics through implementation of a bioethics training initiative. This funding facilitated the development of the CBEC-KEMRI Bioethics Training Initiative (CKBTI).
Upcoming Event
CBEC Forum (Hybrid) - Tiny Kidneys, Big Dilemmas: Approaching Pediatric Nephrology Ethics in Different Socioeconomic Contexts
This Forum will focus on the role of colonialism in creating the Zionist state and the impact of the creation of Israel on Palestinians and neighboring countries.
Dr. Taymiya R. Zaman will provide context for the events of October 7, 2023, and discuss the forces shaping activism today.
Through parallels with British colonialism in India and how that continues to impact present-day Pakistan, she will explore the interconnected nature of post-colonial struggles in the Global South.
Dr. Zaman is a professor of history at the University of San Francisco, US, where she teaches classes on South Asia and the Middle East.
She is also a writer and artist. She can be followed on her Instagram @taymiyazaman.
This Forum will be held in person at CBEC-SIUT. Those who are unable to attend on-site can participate via Zoom.
Click this link [https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsdO2vrz8uGNGjcPz0jfDCFqSFgZ58Xfwh] to register for the Zoom invite.
This session will also be live-streamed on our Facebook page.
CBEC Forum (Hybrid) Awaz Khazana: Lutfullah Khan’s Audio Archives
Dr. Khursheed Abdullah
CBEC Events
Conference Participation, June 12, 2026
Mr. Farid bin Masood virtually presented findings from his MBE thesis on medical decision-making at the International Conference on Clinical Ethics and Consultation (ICCEC), Ohio, USA.
Publication Alert, June 3, 2026
Mr. Farid bin Masood published an important piece in the Journal of Medical Ethics Forum. The article draws on Heidegger to examine the limitations of artificial intelligence in clinical practice.
Empirical Bioethics Summer School, Ghent University
May 18–21, 2026
Ms. Sualeha Shekhani attended the event, an important faculty development initiative that offered an alternative approach to bioethics research.
CBEC Forum: Recriminalization of Attempted Suicide in Pakistan: A Multidisciplinary Analysis
May 18, 2026
After years of advocacy, Pakistan decriminalized attempted suicide in 2022. However, on May 18, 2026, the Federal Shariat Court declared the decriminalization repugnant to the injunctions of Islam, effectively re-criminalizing attempted suicide. To explore the implications of this ruling, CBEC organized a Forum on June 6, 2026, featuring Dr. Murad Moosa Khan (Psychiatrist), Ms. Farah Khan (Advocate, High Court), and Dr. Summaiya Syed-Tariq (Chief Police Surgeon, Karachi). The event attracted an exceptionally large in-person and online audience, making it one of the highest-attended CBEC Forum held. Discussions focused on the ruling’s impact on survivors, and access to life saving-care. The Forum concluded with a call for public engagement and continued advocacy including an appeal before the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the decision.
Sessions: Research Ethics for Nurses Sindh Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS)
April 29 and May 6, 2026
Ms. Ranjeeta Rajesh Kumar, Principal of the School of Nurs-ing, Sindh Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), invited CBEC to conduct sessions on research ethics for 7th semes-ter nursing students enrolled in the Research Methods course. Although bioethics is included in the Pakistan Nurs-ing Council (PNC) undergraduate curriculum, it has not yet been fully integrated into the SIMS nursing program. CBEC faculty Ms. Sualeha Shekhani introduced key concepts in research ethics, including informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality in nursing research. Building on this, further sessions are planned focused on ethics in clinical practice for nursing students at SIMS.
Plenary Talk: International Conference on Health Research (ICHR) Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar
17 April, 2026
Dr. Aamir Jafarey was invited to speak at the plenary session titled “From Research to Practice: Translating Clinical and Public Health Evidence into Action” during ICHR 2026. In his talk, “Resisting the Pied Piper: Crafting an Ethical Agenda for Research,” he emphasized that ethical reflection should begin at the earliest stages of research, when ideas are first being conceptualized, as it shapes the entire research process. Using examples from Pakistan, he highlighted how health research often fails to translate into meaningful impacts on policy and practice.
Understanding Medical Error and Negligence CPSP Pre-conference Workshop, CBEC-SIUT January 24, 2026
As part of the International Medical Education Conference organized by the College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP), CBEC faculty Dr. Nida Wahid Bashir and Dr. Bushra Shirazi conducted a workshop titled “Understanding Medical Error and Negligence in Clinical Practice: Moving Beyond the Blame Game.” The workshop highlighted the importance of addressing systemic factors to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety. The workshop was attended by twenty-two participants from diverse specialties, including Critical Care, Internal Medicine, Paediatric Cardiology, Family Medicine, Vascular Surgery, and Dentistry, with wide representation from SIUT.
Depiction of Gender Roles in the 1960s Cinema of Pakistan December 18, 2025
“Depiction of Gender Roles in the 1960s Cinema of Pakistan” with Dr. Kamran Asdar Ali, Professor of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin on December 18, 2025, during Module 4. This session was not only attended by the PGD and MBE students, but also attracted a large on-site and online audience.
Inauguration of the International Islamic
Bioethics Association (IIBA)
December 10-11, 2025, Doha, Qatar
Dr. Farhat Moazam (first, left) at the IIBA inaugural event with its founding president, Dr. Mohammed Ghaly (third, left), Professor at the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics. IIBA aims to enhance Islamic contributions to global ethical dialogue. Dr. Moazam is a member of the IIBA Advisory Board, which includes international scholars such as Dr. Mohammad Ahmad Aljarallah (Kuwait, sixth, left), and Dr. Nancy Jecker (USA, third, right) among others.
33rd International Conference: Association of
Pediatric Surgeons of Pakistan (APSP)
December 4-7, 2025, Karachi
Dr. Moazam gave a keynote address at the association’s conference. She is seen here with Dr. Muhammad Arshad, President APSP (second right) and Dr. Saleem Islam, pediatric surgeon and Chair, Department of Surgery, AKU, Karachi (far right). Her talk, “Ain’t nothing small about operating on little humans: Reflections of an erstwhile pediatric surgeon,” included empirical data from an ongoing CBEC study about male and female representation in different surgical subspecialties in Pakistan.