Pakistani female lawyer becomes first to chair APAC board of Gail

GAIL is a community of legal leaders who are using the practice of law to have a positive impact on people

Dr Ammara Farooq Malik, a female lawyer, has made history by becoming the first Pakistani to chair the Asia Pacific board of the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers (GAIL).

GAIL is a global community of legal leaders working to have a positive impact on people and the planet by accelerating the just transition. The community has regional boards in the United Kingdom, North America, South America, Asia Pacific, and Europe.

Dr Ammara, who is the founding principal attorney of AFMalik Law, a Pakistani law firm, has been working in impact entrepreneurship development for over 20 years. She has been a social enterprise and impact lawyer since 2018, making her the first impact lawyer in Pakistan. AFMalik Law is the first female-led law firm in Pakistan to go global.

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Dr Ammara's recent election as the chair of the Asia Pacific board of GAIL for the term March 2023- March 2024 is a significant achievement. She is the only Pakistani on the regional board, which includes members from Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Hong Kong.

The lawyer hopes to use her tenure to raise awareness about GAIL's global work and impact law. She also intends to create regional linkages of lawyers in Asia Pacific and bring more opportunities for collaborations between impact entrepreneurs and investors in the region.

In an article published in the GAIL Asia Pacific Impact Lawyers Journal, Dr Ammara highlighted the need to mainstream ESG and Business and Human Rights in business operations in Pakistan. She noted that AFMalik Law has already initiated training programmes for young lawyers to introduce them to the concept of Impact Law and the urgency of its development in Pakistan. She added that Impact Law development in Pakistan has the potential to support the government in climate change adaptation by guiding the business sector to streamline their operations for the benefit of people and the planet.