Abdul Hafeez Shaikh


Abdul Hafeez Shaikh is a Pakistani economist with international experience in policy making and economic management. He has twice served as the Minister of Finance. He has also at various times held the portfolios of Minister of Economic Affairs, Revenue, Planning and Development, Statistics, Privatization and Investment.
His work experience includes Harvard University, The World Bank, and Private Equity. He was thrice elected to the Senate of Pakistan.
Under his leadership, Pakistan completed its successful privatization program, covering telecommunications, electricity, banking, oil refining, manufacturing and other sectors for over 5 billion USD.
Shaikh was also Minister for Finance and Development in the Sindh province of Pakistan, reforming the finances of the province and led the province to become one of the first sub-national governments to develop a program with the World Bank.

Early life and education

Shaikh was born in Jacobabad, Sindh. He holds a PhD in Economics from Boston University.

Academic career

Shaikh has many publications, including a book on Argentina's privatisation program.

Political career

Shaikh is primarily an economist and a technocrat, however he has held high offices in the management of the economy which are of a political nature.
In 2000, he was appointed the [Government of Sindh|Provincial Minister of Sindh for Ministry of Finance (Pakistan)|Finance and Planning] in the military government.
He was elected to the Senate of Pakistan as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) from Sindh in March 2003. He was a member of the Senate between 2003 and 2006.
Shaikh was next elected to the Senate of Pakistan as a candidate of Pakistan Peoples Party from Sindh in March 2010. In March 2010, he was made the Minister of Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs, Statistics and Planning and Development.
He was again elected to the Senate of Pakistan as a candidate of PPP from Sindh in 2012. In February 2013, he resigned as the Finance Minister of Pakistan as he was a candidate for Interim Prime Minister.
In April 2019, he was appointed an Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan for Finance by Prime Minister Imran Khan and on December 11, 2020, he was appointed Federal Minister of Finance and Revenue.

Other activities