MUZAFFARABAD: For the first time in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), a woman civil servant has been elevated to the post of chief economist in the Planning and Development (P&D) department.

According to a Services and General Administration Department notification circulated on Thursday, Mahnaz Faheem, who was serving as chief of section (BS-19) in the P&D department, was promoted to BS-20 and appointed chief economist in the light of a decision taken by Selection Board-I, chaired by the chief secretary, on Dec 9 last year.

Ms Faheem joined AJK’s civil service in 1997 as a planning officer after obtaining a Master of Business Administration degree from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

In 2000, she earned a master’s degree in gender and development from the University of Sussex, the UK, becoming one of the first two Chevening scholars from AJK.

Earlier, she had secured a gold medal in BSc with double mathematics and physics from the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

After the devastating 2005 earthquake, she also served in two UNDP-funded projects in AJK.

In a statement, Ms Faheem expressed gratitude to the government for the confidence reposed in her and said the appointment carried both honour and responsibility.

“Women’s representation at senior policy-making levels is essential for balanced and responsive development,” she said, adding that she would work to ensure economic planning in AJK was informed by evidence, equity and a gender-sensitive approach that translated into tangible outcomes on the ground.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2026