zaftab@pmu.edu.sa
F-095
Development Economist with exceptional analytical skills and over nine years of applied research experience, working for both public and private sector organizations, with a keen interest in issues related to inequality, social stratification and social mobility, especially in the context of post-colonial societies. The distributional aspects of policies are of particular interest, with a special attention to underlying causes relating to gender, language and education. Proficient in the use of statistical software and experienced in conducting field surveys. Well practiced in translating complex ideas into clear, accessible narratives, and in possession of a natural aptitude for communicating with a broad cross-section of the community.
Mobility for What?: Space, Time, Labor, and Gender in South Asia, Gender and Society. October 2024. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08912432241284047
When Norms Collide: The Effect of Religious Holidays on Compliance with COVID Guidelines. 2023. Journal of Public Health, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-023-01911-7
The Fall of Urdu and the Triumph of English in Pakistan: A Political Economic Analysis. Pakistan Development Review, vol 62:1. 2023. DOI: 10.30541/v62i1pp.87-104
Experimental Evidence on Public Good Behavior across Pakistan’s Fractured Educational System. Pakistan Development Review, vol 60. No 3. 2021. DOI: 10.30541/v60i3pp.283-308
Dynamism in Gender Wage Gap, Pakistan Development Review., 46:4, 2007.
Province-Wise Growth Patterns in Human Capital Accumulation; Pakistan Development Review, Dec 2007.
The State of Education, Annual Review, SPDC, 2002-03; co-authored SPDC Annual Report on Education, 2003.
State of the Economy: Behind the Aggregates; SPDC policy paper, June 2003.
Emerging Macroeconomic Imbalances; NIPA Journal. June 2003.
Long run and short run exchange rate dynamics for Pakistan; Pakistan Development Review. Autumn 2002.
Industrial Policy and the Environment, (1999) part of the UNIDO team that authored this report.
Working Papers
Gender Socialization Among Pakistani Preadolescents and Adolescents (July 2020). PIDE working paper.
Bilateral J-Curves between Pakistan and Her Trading Partners (January, 2008) PIDE working paper.
Work in Progress
Emotional Well-being in Times of Covid: A Tale of Two Factors: Academic and Structural (with Fareena Malhi)
Digital bodyguards: A field experiment on the role of personal safety on mobility and empowerment
(with Sheheryar Banuri, Fareena Noor Malhi)
Faculty Fellow, American University, September 2020 – Present
Social Stratification
Conducting research on issues related to social stratification and inequality -- focusing on how language in education still remains a contested terrain in most post-colonial societies and how education is actually reinforcing inequality in these societies. Also, investigating other inequalities across gender and class and how public spaces remain masculinized spaces in South Asia.
Economist, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) July 2006 – August 2008
Institutions and Governance
Prepared a documentary on Institutions and Governance in Pakistan and wrote a policy brief on Monetizing Salaries in the Civil Service.
Gender Inequality
Worked on estimating the Gender Wage gap using Pakistani Labor Force Survey (LFS) data
Economist, Social Policy Development Centre (SPDC) September 2001 – June 2004.
Macroeconomic Modeling
Used the SPDC Integrated Social Policy and Development Planning model (ISPM) to analyze the impact of economic policy decisions on the long-term development of Pakistan’s social sector.
Poverty and Women
The study charts the descent of low-income women into poverty and investigates the coping strategies they adopt to deal with their plight. This research is based on more than 100 individual/collective interviews with low-income women, including beggar women, drug addicts and commercial prostitutes.
Industry Review
Prepared policy papers on both the sugar and fertilizer industries in Pakistan. These papers constituted a Credit Risk Analysis frame-work which was shared with specific Pakistani investment banks and facilitated their respective credit decisions.
Economic Research Analyst, World Bank, Islamabad. March 2000 – July 2001.
Poverty
Prepared short notes on the existing Safety Net Schemes including the Food Support Program, Zakat and Ushr and the Microfinance Bank. These reviews formed an input for the Country Assistance Strategy and the Bank's dialogue with the Government of Pakistan (GoP).
Governance
Worked on a policy note summarizing the Devolution Plan announced by GoP on 23 March 2000. The analysis identified strengths and weaknesses of the Local Government Plan 2000.
Private Sector Development (PSD)
Drafted the sectoral study on the sugar industry. The thrust of analysis involved understanding industry structure, looking at comparative trends in international and domestic prices, updating the current status of policies, and identifying policy issues from the perspective of both consumers and producers. The study was part of the overall PSD strategy.
Short-term Monitoring
Regularly prepared the Daily Update based on newspaper summary. The update incorporated both political and economic developments and was drafted on daily reporting basis.
National Program Officer, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Islamabad. 1997 – Feb. 2000
Introducing Micro-credit in Nangarhar and Qandahar
Prepared the micro-credit program to be launched in the Qandahar and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan by the United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP). The proposed scheme is based on Islamic financial instruments and aims to substitute the existing, exploitive, informal micro-credit system, thereby providing an incentive for the local Afghans to reduce poppy cultivation.
Industrial Policy and the Environment
Formed part of UNIDO National Experts team conducting the subject study in Pakistan. Specific ToR included looking at major industrial policy instruments, particularly those that have the potential to offset the negative impacts of industrial activity on environment
