Pakistan's first successful cornea transplant restores sight to 2 soldiers

By Muhammad MubashirPublished On 11 Oct 2025

Rawalpindi: For the first time in Pakistan, a cornea donated by a woman has been successfully transplanted.

The cornea was donated to the Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology (AFIO) at the will of the late wife of Major General (retd) Zafar Mehdi Askari.

The corneas of 30-year-old Sepoy Aliullah and 26-year-old Sepoy Falak Sher were successfully transplanted by expert surgeons of the Pakistan Army.

The Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology achieved a milestone by restoring the vision of 2 soldiers, both of whom lost their sight in an operation against terrorists.

The deceased's daughter, Zahra Mehdi, expressed pride in her mother's sacrifice and said that the greatest honor is that her mother's eyes were donated to two brave soldiers. The corneas donated by her mother brought light back to the lives of the soldiers, which is an ongoing charity.