ISLAMABAD: The Planning Commission made eight major inductions on Wednesday, including seven members and a chief economist.

The inductions were approved by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the recommendation of Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal.

According to an official statement, the commission has broken the tradition of appointing retired officials. “The new recruitments have been made by attracting talent from top academic and corporate institutions of the country in line with the new vision to transform the commission into a development think-tank.”

Nadeem Javed has been hired as chief economist. He holds a PhD in Economics from France and has previously worked with the State Bank of Pakistan and as the director of the Karachi School of Business and Leadership. He has taught macro and global economy at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

The post of chief economist had remained vacant for six years.

Malik Ahmad Khan has been selected as member, infrastructure and regional connectivity. He holds a degree in civil and environmental engineering from George Washington University and an MBA from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford where he was on a professional management scholarship at Green Templeton College.

He has worked with 10 companies of the Fortune 50 including McKinsey and Company, Standard Life Capital Partners, Fidelity Investments, Acumen and the City of Toronto, and also for the government of Pakistan.

Dr Syed Tahir Hijazi has been appointed member, governance. He is a PhD in Development Economics from Clark University, US, and has worked in the University of Central Punjab, International Islamic University and American College of Greece, Athens, at senior positions besides working with the UNDP and the government of Pakistan.

Dr Naeem uz Zafar has been selected member, social sector. He holds a PhD in Economics from Northern Illinois University, US. Prof Dr Mohammad Yahya Khawaja has been appointed member, information technology and science and technology. He has PhD in Information Management System and Masters in Computer Engineering from University of Missouri-Rolla, US. He is reported to have authored and co-authored over 70 research publications.

Mohammad Shahid Chaudhry has been posted member, implementation and monitoring. He has an MSc in Industrial Engineering from Mississippi State University, US. He is a member of American Institute of Industrial Engineering and has served DESCON, Smeda, Berger, KFC, Dow Hercules and the World Bank.

Ayesha Javed Eirabie has been hired as member, development communications. She has worked as executive vice president (marketing and communications) of the PTCL and also served the KESC, American Business Council, Pakistan Cricket Board and Daily Times. She has an MBA from Imperial College, London.

Akhtar Ali has been appointed member, energy. He is reported to have authored several books on energy policy, investment and tariff issues and has remained a research fellow (energy) at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He has also worked as a chief executive officer of Proplan Associates, managing director of Karachi Pipe Mills and general manager Heavy Mechanical Complex. He has MS from Turkey.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2014