Prof. Dr. Hafiz Pasha SMS - BNU

Prof. Dr. Hafiz A. Pasha, Professor Emeritus and Founding Member of the BNU Center for Public Policy Research (BCPR), is one of Pakistan’s most esteemed economists, with a profound impact on academia, public policy, and economic governance. His career spans several decades, during which he has played a pivotal role in shaping economic policy and fostering sustainable development both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Pasha has served in key leadership positions within the Government of Pakistan, including Federal Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs, Federal Commerce Minister, and Deputy Chairman (Federal Minister) of the Planning Commission. His tenure in these roles was marked by significant contributions to fiscal policy, trade liberalization, poverty alleviation, and economic reform.

An internationally recognized scholar and policy expert, Dr. Pasha holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University and an M.A. in Economics from Cambridge University, UK. His academic achievements have positioned him as a leading voice in economic research, particularly in the areas of governance, public finance, taxation, and social development.

Beyond his governmental service, he has been a trusted advisor to global institutions such as the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). His expertise has been instrumental in designing and implementing economic policies across developing nations, with a focus on sustainable growth and social equity.

Dr. Pasha’s contributions to economic thought and policy have earned him numerous prestigious accolades, including the Mahbub ul Haq Lifetime Achievement Award in Social Sciences and recognition as one of the Top 100 Educationists in the World by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, UK. He was also awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by the Philippines Congress for his services to economic development.

As a prolific writer and researcher, he has authored numerous books, policy papers, and reports, providing in-depth analyses of macroeconomic stability, trade policy, tax reforms, and inclusive growth strategies. His work continues to shape the discourse on Pakistan’s economic challenges and the pathways to reform.

With a lifelong commitment to education, policy reform, and economic progress, Dr. Hafiz Pasha remains a transformative force in Pakistan’s intellectual and policymaking landscape, inspiring future generations through his scholarship, advisory roles, and leadership in public policy research.

• PhD in Economics, Stanford University, USA
• M.A. in Economics, Trinity College, Cambridge University, UK

Academic Experience

• Professor Emeritus, School of Management Sciences, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore (2013–To Date)
• Professor Emeritus, Department of Economics, Lahore School of Economics (2014–2016)
• Teaching Fellow, Department of Economics, Lahore School of Economics (2013 – 2016)
• Dean, School of Social Sciences / Professor, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore (2008–2013)
• Vice Chancellor, University of Karachi (1996–1997)
• Dean and Director, Institute of Business Administration, Karachi (1994–1996)
• Research Professor, Applied Economics Research Center, University of Karachi (1976–1994)

Government Appointments

• Advisor to the Prime Minister / Federal Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs (1998)
• Deputy Chairman / Federal Minister, Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan, 1996-98 Federal Minister for Education, 1996-97

International Experience

• United Nations Assistant Secretary General (USG)
• Assistant Administrator, UNDP
• Regional Director of Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, UNDP, New York, USA (2002-2007)
• Member, Board of Governors, World Bank, Washington DC, USA (1998)
• Visiting Scholar, New York University (2004-07)
• Visiting Assistant Professor, Stanford University (1986-87)

Corporate Leadership Roles

• Member, Board of Trustees, Aga Khan University, Paris (2004-2007)
• Chancellor, Textile University, Karachi (1999-2001)
• Director, Central Board of Directors, State Bank of Pakistan, Karachi (1994-1996)
• Director, Board of Directors, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) (1994-1996)

Chairperson roles

• Advisory Panel of Economists, Planning Commission (2008-09)
• Economic Advisory Council to Federal Ministry of Finance (2008-2012)
• Revenue Advisory Council, Federal Board of Revenue, Government of Pakistan (2009-2011)
• Economic Advisory Board, Government of Pakistan (1999-2000)
• Tax Reforms Committee (1996)
• Founder Chairman, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (1997)

Research Appointments

• Managing Director, Institute of Policy Reforms (IPR), Lahore (2013-2015)
• Vice Chairman, Institute of Public Policy (IPP), Lahore (2008-2013)
• Managing Director (Founding), Social Policy and Development Centre, Karachi (1998-2000)
• Director, Applied Economics Research Centre, University of Karachi (1990-1994)
• Assistant Vice President, United Bank Ltd. (UBL) Research Department (1973-1976)
• Economic Assistant, Prices and Income Board, London, U.K (1969-70)

• Development Leadership Award, Ministry of Planning and Development, Government of Pakistan (2023)
• Mahbub ul Haq Lifetime Achievement Award in Social Sciences (2011)
• Nominated as one of the Top 100 Educationists in the World by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, UK (2011)
• Congressional Medal of Honor, Philippines Congress (2005)

Research Publications

Social Development:

• Pasha, Hafiz A. and Others, The State of Social Development in Urban Pakistan, SPDC Annual Review, 2016.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., and Others, The State of Social Development in Rural Pakistan, SPDC Annual Review, 2014.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., and Others, Devolution and Social Development, SPDC Annual Review, 2012.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., and Others, Towards Poverty Reduction, SPDC Annual Review, 2000.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., and Others, Social Development in Economic Crisis, SPDC Annual Review, 1999.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and T. Palanivel, ‘Pro-Poor Growth and Policies: The Asian Experience’, Pakistan Development Review, 313-348, 2003.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and Kalim Hyder, ‘The Slowing down of the Growth of Total Factor Productivity in Pakistan’, Social Policy and Development Centre.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and S. Jafary, ‘Evaluation of Social Safety Nets in Pakistan, Social Policy and Development Centre.
• Ismail Z.H. and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘Cost Effectiveness in Primary Education’, Pakistan Development Review, 33(4), 1169-1180, 1994.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and T. Palanivel, ‘Macroeconomic of Poverty Reduction: Analysis of the Experience in eleven Asian Countries’, UNDP Discussion Paper, 2003.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and S.A. Wasti, ‘Unemployment and Rate of Return to Education’, Singapore Economic Review, 34(2), 64-77, 1989.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘Political Economy of Higher Education’, Pakistan Economic and Social Review, 33(1/2), 19-36, 1995.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and M.A. Hasan, ‘Integrated Social Sector Macro Econometric Model for Pakistan’, Pakistan Development Review, 35 (4), 567-579, 1996.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and S.A. Wasti, ‘Social Costs of University Closures’, Pakistan Development Review, 32(4), 677-685, 1993.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and A. Nasar, ‘Public-Private Partnership in the Health Sector’, The Lahore Journal of Economics, 8(2), 2003.
• Hasan, M.A. and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘Can Cost-Effective Reallocation of Inputs increase the Efficiency of the Public Health System?’ Pakistan Development Review, 669-693, 1997.

Public Finance:

• Ghaus A. and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘Excess Burden of the Property Tax: the Open Jurisdiction Case’, Public Finance Review, 24(1), 120-128, 1996.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘General Equilibrium Effects of Local Taxes’, Journal of Urban Economics, 38(3), 253-271, 1995.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘Political Economy of Tax Reforms: The Pakistan Experience’
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and M. Fatima, ‘Fifty years of Public Finance in Pakistan’ A Trend Analysis’, Pakistan Economic and Social Review
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and M.A. Iqbal, ‘Taxation Reforms in Pakistan’, Pakistan Journal of Applied Economics, 9(1), 1-26, 1990.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘The Differential Incidence of a Land Tax’, Urban Studies, 27(4), 591-595, 1990.
• K. Bengali and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘Issues in Municipal Finance and Management: The Case of Karachi’, Regional Development Dialogue, 10(1), 81-103, 1989.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and A. Ghaus, ‘Growth of Public Debt and Debt Servicing in Pakistan’, SPDC Research Report No.17, 1996.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., and A. Ghaus, ‘Financial Development of Megacities’, SPDC Conference Paper No.16, 1996.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘Fiscal Decentralization: Lessons from the Asian Experience’, SPDC Research Report No.19, 1997.
• Ghaus A. and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘Dynamic Budgetary Consequences of the 1991 NFC Award’, Pakistan Development Review, 33(4), 627-645, 1994.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., A.G. Pasha and M. Imran, ‘Budgetary Consequences of the 7th NFC Award’, Pakistan Development Review, 375-385, 2010.
• Pasha, A.G. and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘Fiscal Equalization among Provinces in the NFC Awards’, Pakistan Development Review, 563-576, 2010.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and Naveed Aamir, ‘Hidden Subsidies’, Pakistan Development Review, 41, 629-640.
• Pasha, A.G., and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘Devolution and Fiscal Decentralization’, Pakistan Development Review, 981-1011, 2000.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and M.A. Hasan, ‘Is the Social Action Programme Financially Sustainable’, Pakistan Development Review, 34(4), 1995.
• Ghaus A. and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘Buoyancy of Provincial Tax Revenues in Pakistan’, Pakistan Economic and Social Review, 127-149, 1983.
• Ghaus A. and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘Excess Burden of the Property Tax: The Open versus the Closed City Case’, Journal of Housing Economics, 4(4), 392-402.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and M. Akbar, ‘IMF Conditionalities and Structural Adjustments in Public Finances’, Pakistan Economic and Social Review, 31(1), 1-23, 1993.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘Tax Audit Schemes and the Level of Income Declaration’, Singapore Economic Review, 38(2), 167-184, 1993.

Urban and Regional Economics:

• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘Suburban Minimum Lot Zoning and Spatial Equilibrium, Journal of Urban Economics, 40(1), 1-12, 1996.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and T. Hasan, ‘Development Ranking of Districts of Pakistan, Pakistan Journal of Applied Economics, 1(2), 157-192, 1982.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and M.S. Butt, ‘Demand for Housing Attributes in Development Countries’, Urban Studies, 33(7), 1141-1154, 1996.
• Ghaus A. F.A. and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘Social Development Ranking of Districts of Pakistan’, Pakistan Development Review, 593-614, 1996.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘Comparative Statics Analysis of Urban Land Value in the Presence of Government Regulation’, Urban Studies, 32(9), 1505-1515, 1995.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘Comparative Statics Analysis of Density Controls’, Journal of Urban Economics, 32(3), 284-298, 1992.

Other Areas:

• Pasha Hafiz A., A. Ghaus and S. Malik, ‘The Economic Cost of Power Outages in the Industrial Sector of Pakistan’, Energy Economics, 11(4), 301-318, 1989.
• Hasan Aynul. and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘What explains the Rate of Inflation in Pakistan?’ Pakistan Development Review, 34(4), 927-943, 1995.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and Kalim Hyder, ‘The Slowing down of the Growth of Total Factor Productivity in Pakistan’, Social Policy and Development Centre.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and M. Imran, ‘Prospects for Indo-Pak Trade’, The Lahore Journal of Economics, 293–313, 2012.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and T. Qureshi, ‘Capacity Utilization in Selected Industries of Pakistan’, Pakistan Journal of applied Economics, 3(1), 29-56, 1984.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and M.A. Altaf, ‘Return Migration in a Life-Cycle Setting’, Pakistan Journal of Applied Economics, 6(1), 1-21, 1987.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and W. Saleem, ‘The Impact and Cost of Power Loadshedding to Domestic Consumer’, Pakistan Development Review, 52 (4), 355-373, 2013.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘Elements of Good Economic Governance’, Social Policy and Development Centre, Research Report No.30, 2000.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘Economy of Tomorrow: Case Study of Pakistan’, FES publication, 2014.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and M. Fatima, ‘Macro trends in Corporate Profitability in Pakistan’, Pakistan Economic and Social Review, 225-242, 1998.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and S.A. Wasti, ‘Social Costs of University Closures’, Pakistan Development Review, 32(4), 677-685, 1993.
• Pasha, Hafiz A. and A. Nasar, ‘Public-Private Partnership in the Health Sector’, The Lahore Journal of Economics, 8(2), 2003.
• Hasan, M.A. and Hafiz A. Pasha, ‘Can Cost-Effective Reallocation of Inputs increase the Efficiency of the Public Health System?’ Pakistan Development Review, 669-693, 1997.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., ‘Consumption Planning: A Suggested New Approach’, Pakistan Journal of Applied Economics, 1988.
• Pasha, Hafiz A., N. Ahmad and Y. Jamal, Case Studies in Applied Microeconomics, Oxford University Press, 1988.

Books

• Human Security in Pakistan (September 2023)
  ISBN: 978-969-9675-56-3
• Leading Issues in the Economy of Pakistan: Agenda for Reforms (June 2023)
  ISBN: 978-969-9675-51-5
• Charter of the Economy: Agenda for Economic Reforms in Pakistan (2021)
  ISBN: 978-969-9675-31-7
• Labor and Employment Issues in Pakistan (2021)
  ISBN: 978-969-9675-28-7
• UNDP National Human Development Report (2020)
  Lead Author – The Three Ps of Inequality: Power, People, and Policy
  ISBN: 978-969-8736-21-7
• Growth and Inequality in Pakistan (2019)
  ISBN: 978-969-9675-16-4
• Towards Poverty Reduction (2000)
  Lead Author – Social Policy and Development Centre
• Case Studies in Applied Microeconomics (1987)
  ISBN: 0-19-577-312-8

Reports

• Expansion of the Sales Tax Base, for Sindh Revenue Board, Government of Sindh, 2014.
• Fiscal Implications of the 18th Amendment and the 7th NFC Award, World Bank, 2015.
• Tax Incidence Analysis for DFID, UK, 2016.
• Closing the Tax Gap for DFID, UK, 2016.
• Study to Identify the Potential of Taxation at the Sub-National Level for GIZ, Germany, 2015.
• Strengthening Research and Teaching in Governance for University Grants Commission, Government of Pakistan, 2013.
• Fiscal Federalism and Fiscal Decentralization in Pakistan for FES, Germany, 2014.
• Agenda of Tax Reforms for DFID, UK, 2016.

• Email Address: hafiz.pasha@gmail.com
• Ext Number: 320