Who We Are

BIAFO Industries Limited is a manufacturer of commercial explosives and blasting accessories. Established in 1988 and listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the company commenced commercial production in 1994 at its Hattar facility in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Operating under ETI/DuPont technology and supported by a strategic partnership with Hanwha Group of South Korea, BIAFO serves the infrastructure, cement, hydropower, oil & gas, quarrying, and mining sectors — within Pakistan and internationally.

ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified management systems govern operations across all sites. The company is listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange under ticker BIFO.

BIAFO Industries — Company Team

Board of Directors

Ehsan Mani
Ehsan Mani
Chairman of the Board

A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (England & Wales), Mr. Ehsan Mani qualified in 1970 and has extensive experience in international corporate governance, banking and audit. Until September 2015, he served as Senior Independent Director of one of the UK’s largest affordable housing companies, with assets exceeding GBP 3 billion. During his tenure, he chaired the Audit & Risk Committee and served on the Strategic Finance Committee.

He has more than 25 years of experience as a director of two UK banks, chairing the Audit & Risk Committees of both institutions. From 1990 to 1992, he was a co-opted member of the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Inspection Commission, tasked with reviewing and reporting on WAPDA and PIA.

Mr. Mani served as Chairman and President of the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 2003 to 2006 and chaired its Finance Committee from 1996 to 2002. He also represented the Pakistan Cricket Board at the ICC from 1989 to 1996.

His institutional and charitable commitments include membership of the Board of Governors of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, where he chairs the Audit & Finance Committee, and chairmanship of the Finance Committee at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. He is a trustee of several charities in Pakistan and the UK, including the Sir Feroze Khan and Lady Viqar-un-Nisa Noon Foundation, which provides financial assistance to Pakistani students admitted to Oxford and Cambridge universities, and the Sanjan Nagar Educational Trust in Lahore, which provides quality education to underprivileged children.

He also chairs the Galiyat Development Authority and Ansar Management Company Limited. Mr. Mani has served on the Board of BIAFO Industries Limited since 2016.

Matin Amjad
Matin Amjad
Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Matin Amjad is a business leader with more than two decades of industrial and corporate experience. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and has completed executive education programmes at the University of Oxford, UK, and INSEAD, France. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of BIAFO Industries Limited with effect from 1 July 2026.

He began his career in 1998 at ICI Pakistan Limited, then part of ICI Plc, UK, and subsequently AkzoNobel. There, he gained experience across commercial, supply chain, strategy and operational functions.

His career spans several industrial sectors, including pharmaceuticals, animal healthcare, paints, chemicals, polyester fibres and soda ash. Before joining BIAFO, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Oxygen Limited. His experience encompasses manufacturing, business transformation, operational excellence and stakeholder management.

Shirin Safdar
Shirin Safdar
Executive Director

Ms. Shirin Safdar is a retired career diplomat who served in Pakistan’s Foreign Service, holding several key diplomatic positions, including Ambassador of Pakistan to Portugal. She is a graduate of the University of the Punjab and a certified director.

Khwaja Ahmad Hosain
Khwaja Ahmad Hosain
Non-Executive Director

Mr. Khwaja Ahmad Hosain is a distinguished corporate and commercial lawyer with extensive expertise in privatisation, arbitration and complex business transactions. He has represented bidders in several privatisation processes conducted by the Government of Pakistan and advises both buyers and sellers on share and business sale agreements, as well as transaction structuring.

His work includes involvement in major commercial initiatives, among them the International Gas Pipeline Project connecting Iran, Pakistan and India. He has also served as Additional Attorney General of Pakistan, contributing to high-profile legal matters at the national level.

Mr. Hosain is an adjunct law faculty member at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and a CEDR-accredited mediator. He is recognised by Chambers and Partners among leading lawyers in corporate and commercial law, and by The Legal 500 for his expertise in dispute resolution and insurance law.

Ayesha Humayun Khan
Ayesha Humayun Khan
Non-Executive Director

Ms. Ayesha Humayun Khan has served on the Board of BIAFO Industries Limited since 2018. She brings more than 16 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications, developing and delivering campaigns for international and regional clients across retail, real estate, hospitality and consumer banking.

Her work has covered the Middle East and other international markets, including public-information campaigns and change-management initiatives for government agencies and NGOs in Pakistan, the Middle East and South Asia. Having lived and worked in seven countries, she brings a culturally informed, collaborative approach to communication strategy and the development of messaging for diverse audiences.

Syeda Shahbano Abbas
Syeda Shahbano Abbas
Non-Executive Director

Ms. Syeda Shahbano Abbas graduated from the University of Warwick with a degree in History and Politics. Her professional experience spans banking and education, where her roles have involved the analysis and interpretation of information. This interest has led her to pursue formal training in data analytics and programming alongside her full-time role as a data analyst at an educational technology firm.

She has served on the Board of BIAFO Industries Limited since October 2017.

M. Zafar Khan
M. Zafar Khan
Non-Executive Director

Mr. Muhammad Zafar Khan served in the Pakistan Army and retired with the rank of Colonel from the Army Aviation Corps. He has served on the Board of BIAFO Industries Limited since 2004.

Adnan Afridi
Adnan Afridi
Independent Director

Mr. Adnan Afridi has more than 30 years of international experience in change management, business transformation, innovation and profitability enhancement. His career spans blue-chip companies, public-sector organisations and high-growth businesses, with senior executive and board-level experience across capital markets, private equity, financial services, healthcare, natural resources, logistics, large-scale manufacturing, technology and food.

He is the former Chairman and Managing Director of National Investment Trust Limited (NITL), Pakistan’s first and largest asset management company. He has also served as Managing Director of the Karachi Stock Exchange and Chief Executive Officer of the Overseas Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) and Tethyan Copper Company.

His previous board appointments include Gul Ahmed Textile Mills, Trading Corporation of Pakistan, Central Depository Company and National Clearing Company of Pakistan, where he served as Chairman. He was also nominated by the Government of Pakistan as its private-sector representative on the SECP Policy Board for a four-year term ending in November 2022.

Mr. Afridi has a longstanding involvement in social causes. He chairs the Board of The Kidney Centre and has served as President of the Old Grammarians Society, focusing on fundraising for educational scholarships. He is a former board member of YPO Pakistan and currently serves on the board of YPO Gold Pakistan.

His current independent directorships include BIAFO Industries Limited, Bank Al Habib Limited, Dynea Pakistan Limited, Lucky Core Industries Limited and Siemens Engineering Limited. He is also a member of the Boards of Governors of The Kidney Centre Institute and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust.

Himayat Ullah
Himayat Ullah
Independent Director

Mr. Himayat Ullah was elected as an Independent Director of BIAFO Industries Limited in October 2022. He received his early education at Aitchison College and Edwardes College, Peshawar, before earning a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Peshawar. His professional training includes programmes at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK; the International Agriculture Centre, Wageningen, the Netherlands; and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, USA.

With more than 42 years of experience, he has held senior positions in policy formulation, regulation and operations within Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments. His expertise includes strategic planning, organisational change management, team leadership and collaboration with government institutions, NGOs and development partners.

He began his career in the Pakistan Audit & Accounts Service in 1979 and joined the Secretariat Group in 2010. He has more than 17 years of experience in accounts, finance and statutory audit, including his tenure as Accountant General of N.W.F.P. His power-sector experience spans more than 20 years, including service as Secretary of WAPDA from 1998 to 2003 and National Coordinator for the Water & Hydropower Development Programme Vision 2015.

While serving as Additional Secretary in the Economic Affairs Division, he negotiated an USD 840 million loan with the World Bank for the 1,410 MW Tarbela-IV Hydropower Project. In 2010, he also served as Chief Negotiator for the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).

His other appointments include Special Secretary at the Ministry of Water & Power in 2012, Special Secretary to the President of Pakistan in 2013, Member of NEPRA from 2014 to 2018, and Advisor to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Energy & Power from 2018 to 2021.

Mirza Rehan Baig
Mirza Rehan Baig
Independent Director

Mr. Mirza Rehan Baig brings extensive international experience in board, advisory and senior executive roles, with a focus on brand development and strategic growth in emerging markets. His career includes leadership positions with a FTSE 10 company across Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, with postings in Riyadh, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Lebanon, Dubai and Pakistan.

He has represented several companies on listed boards and has served as an Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Philip Morris Pakistan. Previously, he was Chief Corporate Affairs, Strategy and Sustainability Officer at ACWA Power Limited, listed on the Tadawul Saudi Exchange.

Mr. Baig holds a BA in Economics and Political Science from McGill University. His further qualifications include executive training in General Management, Leadership and Strategic Marketing from IMD Business School, a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Digital Marketing, London, and a director qualification from the Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance (PICG).

Yawar Ikram
Yawar Ikram
Independent Director

Mr. Yawar Ikram is a Registered Professional Engineer with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) and a graduate of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore, where he specialised in Electrical Engineering, with a focus on electronics and telecommunications. He brings more than 43 years of experience in oil refining and power generation.

He retired as Chief Executive Officer of the Power Division of a leading Pakistani company. His technical and managerial experience includes engineering design, operations, maintenance and large-scale project execution. His achievements include revamping refinery electrical systems, installing a 132/11 kV grid station, converting pneumatic control systems to electronic and distributed control systems (DCS), designing and commissioning a 7.5 MW captive power plant, and leading major refinery expansion projects.

He has also played a key role in negotiating Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and Implementation Agreements (IAs) with the Government of Pakistan, and in the successful installation and management of a 165 MW Independent Power Producer (IPP) plant.

His career has included specialised training and international collaborations in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Germany and other countries, strengthening his technical expertise, leadership and ability to manage multidisciplinary teams in complex environments.

Ehsan Mani
Matin Amjad
Shirin Safdar
Khwaja Ahmad Hosain
Ayesha Humayun Khan
Syeda Shahbano Abbas
M. Zafar Khan
Adnan Afridi
Himayat Ullah
Mirza Rehan Baig
Yawar Ikram

Milestones

BIAFO established in 1988.
Origin
Began commercial production at Hattar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in 1994.
Production
Scaled up industrial production of explosives and blasting accessories.
Scale
Licensed ETI/DuPont technology.
Technology
ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certified. Listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange.
Credentials
Strategic partnership with Hanwha Group, South Korea.
Partnership
Entry into global export markets.
Export
Commissioning of the Shock Tube Plant, 2022.
Expansion
Recognised for 5 years amongst Pakistan’s Top 25 companies of PSX.
Recognition
In-house R&D and innovation to market new and safer products.
Innovation

A Lasting
Legacy

Vision

To be Pakistan’s most reliable
blasting solutions partner
, with an
expanding presence in regional markets.

Mission

To deliver safe, efficient blasting solutions (explosives, initiation systems and expert blasting services) to mining, quarrying and infrastructure customers at home and abroad.

To be driven by innovation, skilled people and strong partnerships.

To create lasting value for our customers, shareholders and communities.