IBA Karachi Launches Executive MBA in Islamabad to Serve Pakistan's Northern Leadership Pipeline
IBA School of Business Studies brings DRIVEN Leadership Framework to Federal Capital
FEBRUARY 2026: IBA Karachi is launching its Executive MBA program in Islamabad to serve senior leaders across Pakistan's northern regions, including the federal capital, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and adjacent areas.
Beginning September 2026, the IBA Executive MBA in Islamabad will deliver the same AACSB-accredited curriculum, faculty, and standards as its Karachi program while serving executives who cannot relocate. The program targets mid- to senior-level professionals with 5+ years of experience in management or leadership roles who are seeking to transition from operational management to strategic leadership roles.
“The IBA makes a major intervention in Islamabad, focusing on the huge potential in the north of the country, particularly across leaders in government, public enterprise, and the buoyant private sector in the region”, said Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA. By establishing our Executive MBA in Islamabad, we're ensuring that executives driving national policy, infrastructure development, and institutional transformation have access to world-class leadership education without disrupting their professional commitments and benefit from IBA's unique framework of management education, training, and development known as the DRIVEN Manifesto۔
The DRIVEN framework—Discipline, Reason, Integrity, Value-Added, Excellence, and Nobility—forms the foundation of IBA's MBA and Executive MBA programs. The Executive MBA program is designed for leaders who demonstrate discipline in execution, reason in decision-making, integrity in governance, value-creation for stakeholders, excellence in standards, and nobility in purpose-driven leadership.
"This isn't an MBA for busy people—it's a leadership laboratory for executives who recognize that sustainable impact requires continuous evolution," said Dr. Abdullah Zafar Sheikh, Dean, IBA School of Business Studies. We seek candidates who are ready to be transformed, not just credentialed. The Islamabad cohort will receive the identical faculty, a carefully curated mix of pedagogy, and international immersion experience as our Karachi cohort, ensuring no compromise in academic rigor or learning outcomes."
The two years graduate of program follows Level-7 qualification standards of HEC and uses an intensive alternate-weekend format (Saturday-Sunday) designed to minimize time away from work while maintaining the depth of engagement required for leadership transformation. The curriculum integrates core disciplines essential for the practice of management and a capstone consulting project for a Pakistani organization. The program features an international immersion module where participants engage with managers and leaders of renowned corporations of the world.
The September 2026 cohort is capped at 40 participants to ensure high-quality peer learning and personalized faculty interaction. The alternate-weekend format allows executives to immediately apply classroom insights to their organizations while building a powerful network of peers across sectors and regions.
Applications for the September 2026 cohort are now open and will be accepted on a rolling basis until April 15, 2026. Prospective candidates must hold at least a bachelor's degree (16 years) and possess a minimum of 5 years of experience in management or leadership role.
IBA will host information sessions for prospective applicants in Islamabad and surrounding regions in February 2026. Interested professionals can learn more and apply at emba.iba.edu.pk or contact the admissions office at emba.info@iba.edu.pk.
About IBA Karachi
Founded in 1955 as Pakistan's first business school, IBA Karachi is an AACSB-accredited institution—a distinction held by fewer than 6% of business schools globally. With over 22,000 alumni driving innovation and leading organizations across Pakistan and internationally, IBA offers undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in business, economics, computer science, and social sciences. IBA is committed to developing DRIVEN leaders who create sustainable value for Pakistan and the world. For more information, visit iba.edu.pk.
