The Pakistan Boxing Council (PBC) has entered a new chapter with the appointment of Kaleem Ahmed Azad as its new President, effective 1 June 2026.
Azad was assigned the presidency by former PBC President Zaigham Rasheed Baloch following Zaigham’s resignation from the position. His appointment represents a continuation of the PBC’s established professional boxing structure while bringing an experienced ring official into the organization’s highest leadership role.
Kaleem Ahmed Azad is not new to the Pakistan Boxing Council or to professional boxing in Pakistan. He has been involved in combat sports for approximately 30 years, developing extensive experience across different areas of boxing administration and officiating. The PBC has previously listed him among its senior officials, with responsibilities and experience spanning judging, refereeing, supervision and ring operations.
His qualifications include certification as a WBC Asia referee and judge, a PBC International certified ring official, and an Olympic Council of Asia certified coach, referee and judge. These qualifications have given Azad experience not only inside the ring but also in understanding the technical, regulatory and administrative requirements involved in professional boxing.
Azad’s involvement with professional boxing in Pakistan goes back many years. Public records show him officiating and supervising professional boxing events during the period when the organization operated under the Pakistan Professional Boxing Federation (PPBF) name, before the organization became known as the Pakistan Boxing Council. In one documented professional boxing event, Azad served as an event supervisor, while in other events he worked as a referee or judge.
His work has also included officiating at events involving professional boxers from Pakistan and overseas. Records from professional boxing events list Kaleem Ahmed Azad as a referee, including bouts held at the PBC Head Office in Karachi. His experience therefore extends beyond administrative work and includes direct responsibility for applying boxing rules and overseeing bouts inside the ring.
Azad has also previously served in senior administrative positions within the PBC. Historical PBC records identify him as General Secretary, while earlier professional boxing coverage identified him in leadership and supervisory roles within the organization. His long-term involvement has allowed him to work alongside promoters, boxers, coaches, referees, judges, medical personnel and other boxing officials.
The appointment also marks another stage in the development of the Pakistan Boxing Council. The organization was established to provide a professional boxing structure in Pakistan, with a focus on regulating professional bouts, licensing boxers and officials, sanctioning championships and helping Pakistani professional boxers gain opportunities at national and international level. The PBC has organized numerous professional boxing events across Pakistan and has worked with international boxing figures and organizations.
The leadership transition follows the tenure of Zaigham Rasheed Baloch, who became the PBC’s second President in 2024 after succeeding the organization’s founding President, Olympian and professional boxer Abdul Rasheed Baloch. Zaigham led the council through a period of continued event activity, organizational development and efforts to strengthen professional boxing infrastructure in Pakistan.
With Kaleem Ahmed Azad now at the helm, the PBC enters its next phase under a President with extensive technical experience in the sport. His background as a referee, judge, supervisor and administrator provides him with first-hand knowledge of the challenges faced by professional boxers and the responsibilities involved in conducting safe, fair and professionally regulated boxing events.
One of the key strengths Azad brings to the position is his understanding of boxing from inside the ring. Years of officiating have given him direct experience with judging decisions, bout supervision, ring regulations, fighter conduct and the operational requirements of professional boxing events.
As President, Azad will be responsible for leading the council and working with its officials, promoters, boxers and stakeholders to continue developing professional boxing in Pakistan. His experience places him in a position to build upon the systems and structures developed by the PBC over the years while addressing the evolving needs of the country's professional boxing community.
The PBC’s leadership transition comes at an important time for Pakistani boxing. The country continues to produce professional fighters competing for national, regional and international recognition, while promoters are increasingly staging professional events across major cities.
Under Kaleem Ahmed Azad’s leadership, the Pakistan Boxing Council aims to continue strengthening professional boxing through proper regulation, qualified officials, athlete safety, transparent administration and opportunities for Pakistani fighters to compete at a higher level.
The appointment of Azad is therefore more than a change in leadership. It places an experienced boxing official at the center of the organization responsible for overseeing professional boxing under the PBC banner.
With nearly three decades of experience in combat sports and a long association with professional boxing in Pakistan, Kaleem Ahmed Azad begins his tenure as President of the Pakistan Boxing Council with extensive knowledge of the sport and its administration.
The new chapter of the PBC officially began on 1 June 2026.
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