Dr. Ghaffar received his M.B.B.S. from Rawalpindi Medical College, University of the Punjab and has worked in a number of medical specialties in Pakistan. He worked for the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in Southend Hospital in the U.K, which allowed him to familiarize himself with the workings of the British health system. Dr. Ghaffar also worked as a volunteer for the World Health Organization polio vaccination and Hepatitis C awareness programs in Pakistan.