Professional experience
Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan is the founding partner of Khursheed Khan & Associates, established in 1985. His career combines intellectual-property practice, engineering, legislative drafting, international engagement and service as a Judge of the High Court of Sindh.
His strategic focus encompasses IP enforcement, technology and commercial disputes, constitutional and appellate matters, and dispute resolution. His experience provides a connection between the technical subject matter of a dispute, the legal framework and the wider objectives of the client.
Institutional reform and knowledge-based development
His legislative and international work informs the firm’s IPR Policy & Special 301 and IP Strategy, Audits & Training services. These practices address the needs of institutions and jurisdictions as well as businesses seeking to strengthen the role of intellectual property in their development.
His contributions to the firm’s copyright-reform history and international IP engagement form part of this broader background. The legislative, judicial and publication sections below identify the distinct elements of his experience.
Qualifications and professional development
- Mechanical Engineering, NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi
- LL.B., University of Karachi
- Postgraduate Diploma in IT and Telecom Laws, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
- Professional patent-drafting training in Australia
- Accredited Mediator
Judicial experience
Justice Khan served as a Judge of the High Court of Sindh from 2015 until his retirement on 31 July 2025. His judicial experience complements his work in constitutional, commercial, intellectual-property and cross-border disputes.
He also founded the Khursheed Khan Dispute Settlement Centre, bringing his legal and technical background to alternative dispute resolution.
Legislative and institutional contributions
| Instrument or project | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Trade Marks Ordinance, 2001 | Principal author |
| Patents Rules, 2003 | Principal author |
| Patent Office Handbook | Principal author; prepared pursuant to a WIPO assignment |
| Draft Geographical Indications Law, 2000 | Principal author of the draft |
| Patents (Amendment) Ordinance, 2002 | Member of the amendment committee |
| Copyright amendments, 2000 | Proponent of amendments |
| PIPRO legislative initiatives | Contribution to drafting teams |
| Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing Law, 2012 | Contribution to the drafting team |
His international work includes representing Pakistan before the WTO Council for TRIPS in connection with the review of its intellectual-property laws. Drafting contributions are identified separately from the enactment of legislation by the competent authorities.
Selected publications and reference works
- Pakistan chapter in Trade Marks, Trade Names and Unfair Competition (Financial Times publication)
- Pakistan Country Report for the International Trademark Association
- Pakistan chapter in The Life Sciences Law Review (Law Business Research)
- Pakistan Patent Office Handbook
His published work connects Pakistan’s IP practice with international legal reference resources.
Professional engagement
Professional associations
Over a professional career spanning more than three decades, Justice Khan has been associated with numerous national and international organisations in intellectual property, commercial law and dispute resolution, including the Asian Patent Attorneys Association; Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia; International Chamber of Commerce; Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle (FICPI); American Bar Association; International Trademark Association; International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), where he served as a Past Delegate for Independent Members from Europe and Asia; European Communities Trademark Association; American Intellectual Property Law Association; South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law; Institute of Trade Mark Agents; DRI – Defense Attorneys Association; Chartered Institute of Patent Agents; International Bar Association; Licensing Executives Society; Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau / Counter Force; National Association of Patent Professionals; Pharmaceutical Trade Mark Group; Center for International Legal Studies; German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (GRUR); Biotechnology Industry Association; Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA); Japan Intellectual Property Association; ICANN At-Large for the Asia Pacific Region; Pakistan Industrial and Intellectual Property Rights Association; Pakistan Engineering Council; Urban and Regional Information Systems Association; and Pakistan Japan Business Council.
Areas of focus
- Intellectual-property strategy and enforcement
- Constitutional and appellate matters
- Technology, engineering and commercial disputes
- Arbitration, mediation and neutral evaluation
- International family and Hague Convention matters
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