About us

Atique Azam Mirza, MD., FACC., FSNC., FACP., FCPS., – Founding President CTAPPNA

I finished my cardiovascular fellowship at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, in June 2003 and moved to Connecticut to pursue my training at the University of Connecticut (UCONN). I knew that Dr. M. Saud Anwar and his wife, Dr. Yusra Anis-Anwar, both Aga Khan graduates, were already settled in the area and working as a pulmonologist and an internist, respectively. They supported the idea of having a physicians’ organization of Pakistani descent in Connecticut. My wife, Dr. Faryal Mirza, an Aga Khan graduate, and I reached out to other friends in the area and presented the idea of forming an official organization to provide a platform to local physicians of Pakistani origin. The response from the local community of Pakistani physicians was very encouraging, and there was significant interest in joining together on a national platform and being united as one voice.

Towards the end of 2003 and the beginning of 2004, we started meeting in small gatherings at local restaurants. The first formal email to the physicians of Connecticut was sent in November of 2004 to accept charter membership of the organization. Saud Anwar sent the email for the nomination and election of the officers of the organization in April 2005, and the first executive committee was announced on April 13, 2005. I, Atique Azam Mirza, was elected as the first president. Rizwan Khalid was elected secretary, and LalaRukh Mufti was elected the first treasurer. As the organization’s founding president, I remained president for a few years to stabilize its infrastructure. Initially, the organization was named the Connecticut Association of Pakistani Physicians (CAPP). Still, we later found that a physicians’ group from the Philippines had a similar name, so the name was changed to the Connecticut Association of Physicians & Surgeons of Pakistani Descent. Once our organization was recognized as an affiliate of APPNA in July of 2005, it was renamed the Connecticut Chapter of Association of Pakistani descent Physicians of North America (CTAPPNA). The organization was incorporated in the State of Connecticut in December 2020, the bank account was established, and the application process for Non-Profit status was initiated.

Since its inception, Drs. Atique Azam Mirza, Inam Kureshi, Muhammad Afzal Memon, Salman Zafar, Momina Salman, Faryal Sardar Mirza, Syed Salman Ali, Irfan Munawar, Tariq Latif, and Khuram Ghumman have served as Presidents of the organization.

The CT APPNA chapter is thriving and has become an integral part of the community in Connecticut. Our annual Pakistan Day event has become a tradition that the community looks forward to every year. It is usually held at the end of August to celebrate the independence of Pakistan. Young Pakistanis and our children are often highlighted in our programs to highlight and celebrate the occasion.

CT APPNA has ongoing charity and humanitarian programs for migrants in collaboration with Catholic Charities and other faith-based institutions in the State. Our members and officers also mentor young doctors and provide observer ships through St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center and various private practices. This program has helped numerous young doctors get residencies in the USA. CTAPPNA has a dynamic, motivated team, and as our chapter grows and matures, we expect to see great things happen in the future.