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174 

Editorial 

Change at the Helm 
Ophthalmological Society of Pakistan was founded 
on the 19th December 1957 at the King Edward 
Medical College. In its meeting on the 16th 
November 1968 the society resolved that it should 
have a publication of its own publication in the 
tradition of American Academy of Ophthalmology. 
While Raja Mumtaz was appointed as the first 
Editor, there was little expertise in publication of a 
scientific journal in Pakistan at the time. The task of 
publication was therefore taken up by international 
member, an expatriate Pakistani, living in the USA, 
Dr. Khalid J Awan. He carried out this task 
admirably well for a period of eight years from 1985 
to 1993. 

 However by 1992 the society felt strong enough 
to start publication from Pakistan. The task of 
publication was then entrusted to Prof Muhammad 
Lateef Ch. The first publication from Pakistan came 
in January 1993. He carried on with the task as Chief 
Editor until he took over as the President of the OSP 
center. For the next few years Prof Jahangir Durrani 
was the Chief Editor of the PJO until he abruptly 
immigrated to the USA. The Chief Editorship of the 
PJO was then returned to Prof Lateef Ch. with Dr. 
Tahir Mahmood, as editor, as his understudy. 

 In the beginning of 2011 Prof Lateef Ch. 
announced his plans of retirement from the post of 
Chief Editor of PJO and the search for a new chief 
Editor was started. The applicants for the post made 
a presentation to the Central council in Nathiagali 
and the new Chief Editor was announced during the 
Lahore Ophthalmo. 

 So much for the history. The PJO has been in 
continuous publication since its inception. That is no 
mean achievement. For most of that period there 
was no institutional support for the journal. The 
financial support was also limited. Often the 
publication of the journal was assisted from the 
Chief Editor’s own resources. Most journals in 
Pakistan publish no more that 200 to 300 copies. PJO 
is published in the quantity of 1300 copies ever 
quarter. PJO is sent to all members of the 
Ophthalmic society by Mail or courier. The PMDC 
and the WHO recognize the journal. Its recognition 
by the HEC is in progress. 

 The team led by Prof Lateef Ch. started of being 
IT illiterate. However the PJO now has its own 

website, is open access, has an archive and a search 
engine for the archive. You can log on to the website 
and look for previous issues or search them by 
author or title or subject. It speaks volumes for the 
leadership qualities and the commitment of Prof 
Lateef Ch. that he was able to bring together a team, 
which achieved all this. A team that often had strong 
dissenting voices. 

 This is the last issue being published under the 
Chief Editorship of Professor Lateef Ch. The task 
before the next Chief Editor and his team is just as 
hard. They have to maintain what they have and 
increase the impact factor of the journal. The final 
challenge before the new Chief Editor and is team is 
indexation with Medline. 

 On the plus side they now have solid 
institutional support. PJO has an office and support 
staff. There are many more doctors in Pakistan 
whole have experience in scientific publication. On 
the negative side the culture of research does not 
exist in the country. For any diehard researcher the 
obstacles are hamalyian. The funds do not exist; very 
few people know the meaning of p value or the 
relevance of sample size. Once a diligent researcher 
has gone past all these hurdles he or she soon finds 
that patients do not maintain follow-up. Most 
researchers have poor skill at writing in English. 

 While the hurdles are many the task is not 
insurmountable. A committed team can push the 
whole of Ophthalmology forward. The authors can 
be cajoled, guided, helped and prodded into writing 
a better paper and correcting their English. While 
indexation in Medline may appear distant, 
indexation in other regional and international 
indices can be achieved in not to distant future. 

 The central council of the OSP has given the new 
Chief Editor and his team four years to achieve a 
minimum editorial standard. The PJO has become 
the standard bearer of the Ophthalmic community of 
Pakistan, it cannot let the Ophthamic community 
down. The new team will have to show that they are 
worthy of stepping into the shoes of their illustrious 
predecessor and carrying this standard forward. 
 

Syed Ali Haider 
Chief Editor (Elect)