On March 23, ten of our esteemed alumni bagged prestigious civil awards for their contributions to the country.
Here’s more about them:
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar
Dr. Akhtar was awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence) in recognition of her outstanding service to Pakistan’s economic sector. She is a development economist and diplomat and has achieved numerous milestones in her career, including being the first woman appointed governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and the first woman elected as chairperson of the Pakistan Stock Exchange board. In 2018 and 2023, she served as the caretaker finance minister of Pakistan.
Dr. Akhtar attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University as a Fulbright postdoctoral research fellow in 1986.
Dr. Amjad Saqib
Dr. Saqib was awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence) for his exemplary contribution to the social sector through his non-profit organization Akhuwat. As a social entrepreneur, development practitioner, and former civil servant, Dr. Saqib provides interest-free microfinance services and free education to students from underserved areas in Pakistan. In addition to this recent honor, he has also received the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence), and the Point of Light Award.
He attended American University in 1993 as part of the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program.
Nasir Mahmood Khosa
Mr. Khosa was honored with the Hilal-i-Imtiaz for his service to the public service sector. He is a former career civil servant who has held various high-ranking positions, such as chief secretary to the governments of Punjab and Balochistan, principal secretary to the prime minister, and secretary to the Ministry of Finance. He has represented Afghanistan, Ghana, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, and Tunisia as the alternate executive director to the World Bank.
Khosa attended Pennsylvania State University as a Humphrey fellow in 1984.
Dr. Asma Ibrahim
Dr. Ibrahim was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence) for her contribution to archaeology and museology. She is a renowned archaeologist and the founding director of the State Bank of Pakistan’s Museum, Archives & Art Gallery department – the country’s first state-of-the-art ‘monetary museum’. She has advanced the preservation efforts of archaeological sites in Pakistan and established the Centre for Archaeological and Environmental Research.
Dr. Ibrahim pursued post-doctoral research in ancient human remains at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a Fulbright scholar in 2005.
Afaque Qureshi
Mr. Qureshi was honored with the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz for his contributions as the focal person for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). As commissioner of the FBR, he has been involved in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund since 2021 and has extensive experience administrating inland federal taxes, including income tax, sales tax, and federal excise duty.
Qureshi completed his master’s in economic policy from Boston University in 2008 on a Fulbright scholarship.
Dr. Quraish Khan
Dr. Khan received the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz for his exceptional public service as the assistant inspector general (AIG) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police force. In this role, he established the first Women Police Reporting Center in Parachinar, Kurram district, to strengthen the mechanisms for countering gender discrimination and violence. In 2023, he also bagged the Commonwealth Innovation Award.
Dr. Khan attended the University of Minnesota as a Humphrey fellow in 2011.
Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput
Dr. Rajput was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) for his relief and rehabilitation efforts during the devastating floods of 2022 in Sindh. As the chief secretary of Sindh, he played a pivotal role in establishing a company dedicated to overseeing the extensive reconstruction drive aimed at building over two million houses for homeless flood victims. He is currently serving as Sindh ombudsman with expertise in financial management and project development.
As a Humphrey fellow in 2004, Dr. Rajput attended the University of North Carolina and completed his professional affiliation at the World Bank.
Professor Dr. Kanwal Ameen
Dr. Ameen was awarded the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz for her contributions to the education sector. As a prominent educationist, she served as the former vice chancellor of Home Economics University in Lahore and has recently been appointed professor emeritus of information management at the University of Punjab.
Dr. Ameen carried out pre-doctoral research at the University of Texas, Austin and pursued her post-doctoral studies in library science at the University of Missouri in 2010.
Sibtain Fazal Halim
In recognition of his public service achievements, Mr. Halim received the Hilal-i-Imtiaz. He has represented Pakistan on national and international levels, including working for the Asian Development Bank, serving as secretary for the Economic Affairs Division, and acting as managing director of the Punjab Mass Transit Authority. He is credited with proposing the construction of a series of underpasses along Canal Road in Lahore.
Halim attended the American University in 1980 as a Humphrey fellow.
Dr. Muhammad Zia ul Haq
Dr. Zia ul Haq was conferred the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz for his services in the field of education and his leading role in the dissemination of the peace-building narrative. He is a professor of Islamic law and currently works as the director general of the Islamic Research Institute at the International Islamic University Islamabad.
He completed his postdoctoral research in religious studies at Xavier University as a Fulbright scholar in 2014.
