APPNA's Governance Crisis —
And What I Will Do About It.

APPNA is a remarkable organization. But over the years, our governance structures have developed serious problems: conflicts of interest that go unaddressed, appointments driven by personal loyalty rather than merit, and a culture where raising concerns is discouraged rather than rewarded. I have raised these issues formally. I have documented them. I have proposed specific solutions. This page is that record — and a commitment to what I will do if elected.

Problem 01

Conflicts of Interest Go Undisclosed
Committee members routinely serve in roles where they have personal financial or reputational interests. No systematic COI disclosure process exists. This is not the standard in any well-governed nonprofit, hospital, or medical school.

Problem 02

Merit Is Secondary to Connections
Leadership appointments reward loyalty to factions over demonstrated service. The result is organizational stagnation, qualified physicians passed over, and a leadership pipeline that serves insiders rather than members.

Problem 03

Vulnerable Members Are Not Protected
Pakistani medical students are being charged for observerships and subjected to harassment. APPNA's institutional silence has enabled this. A formal letter was submitted — the response is on record. These students deserve better.

The Three Governance Problems

What Is Broken — Named Clearly

Specific Commitments

What I Will Do - Not Promises, Proposals

Mandatory COI Disclosure
Every committee nominee fills out a conflict-of-interest disclosure form before appointment. Not optional, not voluntary — required, on the record.

Formal Recusal Policies
Anyone with a material conflict steps aside from the relevant decision. Recusals are documented in BOD minutes and accessible to members.

BOD Minutes Published Within 10 Days
Board of Directors meeting minutes published to members within 10 days of each meeting as per our bylaws. Will Advocate for live streaming of the board meetings.

Council-Appointed Committees Oversight
I will advocate for quarterly meetings between Council‑appointed committees and their respective Council members to ensure regular feedback, strengthen oversight and improve accountability.

Whistleblower Protection
Members who raise formal concerns in good faith are protected from retaliation. A culture that punishes accountability is not a culture of integrity.

Annual Financial Transparency Report

A plain-language annual budget summary published to all APPNA members - not just the finance committee. Members fund this organization. They deserve to see how it is spent.

Evidence of Action
This Work Predates This Campaign
I have not invented these issues for election season. Here is the documented record

Formal Letter to the BOD
Submitted under my name in 2024. Six specific proposals on student exploitation and harassment. Before this campaign was announced.

COI & Merit Webinar
A public webinar produced as Liaquat Alumni President on Conflict of Interest, Implicit Bias and Assessing Merit in APPNA leadership. Dated more than 12 months before this election.

Bylaws & Code of Conduct Webinar
A Candid Conversations session specifically covering APPNA's bylaws, governance structure, and code of conduct — produced as a member education resource.

Read the Letter

Watch the Webinar

The Integrity Pledge
"If elected to the APPNA Board of Directors, I commit to raising a motion for mandatory COI disclosure in my first Board meeting. I commit to voting for Board meetings be held live via Zoom so members can observe in real time. I commit to pushing for a member-accessible annual financial report. And I commit to never recusing myself from raising an uncomfortable issue because it is inconvenient. I am asking you to hold me to this."
— Dr. Nauman Ashraf

APPNA's Governance Crisis —And What I Will Do About It.

The Three Governance Problems

What Is Broken — Named Clearly

Mandatory COI DisclosureEvery committee nominee fills out a conflict-of-interest disclosure form before appointment. Not optional, not voluntary — required, on the record.

Formal Recusal PoliciesAnyone with a material conflict steps aside from the relevant decision. Recusals are documented in BOD minutes and accessible to members.

BOD Minutes Published Within 10 DaysBoard of Directors meeting minutes published to members within 10 days of each meeting as per our bylaws. Will Advocate for live streaming of the board meetings.

Council-Appointed Committees OversightI will advocate for quarterly meetings between Council‑appointed committees and their respective Council members to ensure regular feedback, strengthen oversight and improve accountability.

Whistleblower ProtectionMembers who raise formal concerns in good faith are protected from retaliation. A culture that punishes accountability is not a culture of integrity.