SARDAR AHMAD NAWAZ SUKHERA
Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera is an officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service and joined as Secretary Commerce on March 27, 2019. Earlier, he was serving as Secretary Board of Investment (BoI) since November 14, 2018. Prior to BoI, he was Secretary, Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, while also holding additional charge of Managing Director, Pakistan Television Corporation besides being Chairman of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation and Associated Press of Pakistan, from March 2017 to October 2018, and Secretary, Privatisation Division from April, 2014 to March, 2017.
He joined the Civil Service of Pakistan in 1985, and over the course of his career, has held various Secretariat, Field and Staff assignments. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Small & Medium Enterprises Development Authority of Pakistan (SMEDA), held field assignments of Deputy Commissioner in Faisalabad (1995-96), and Sheikhupura (2000-01) Districts and District Coordination Officer, Sheikhupura (2001). Staff jobs done by him include Principal Secretary to the Governor Punjab (2008-11), PSO to Chief Minister, Punjab (1994-95) and Faculty Member at the National School of Public Policy (2011-12). In the Secretariat of Government of the Punjab, he has held assignments of Secretary (Implementation & Coordination) – 2005-08, Additional Finance Secretary (Budget & Development) – 2003-05, Chief, External Capital Assistance (1996-97), besides having been Project Director of the Technical Education Project (1998-99), an ADB Funded Project.
He earned his MPA degree from Harvard University (1994), MA (Development Economics) from Williams College (1993), BSc (Hons) degree in Economics, specialising in Industry & Trade, from the London School of Economics (1983). He had his schooling at the Aitchison College, Lahore.
He has attended executive courses in Investment Appraisal & Management, Infrastructure in Market Economy, and Public-Private Partnership for Infrastructure Development, at the Harvard University, and Budgeting & Financial Management in Public Sector at the Duke University.
He has taught economics at the undergraduate level at Harvard University (1993-94). His research paper on ‘Kalabagh Dam – contentious issues and ways of reproachment’ was published in the National Institute of Public Administration Papers (2004), and his master thesis at Williams College was on ‘Peace Dividend and its Impact on Social Sector Development – a case study of India and Pakistan’.
He was a fellow of the Centre for Development Economics at Williams College (1992-93) and Edward S. Mason fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (1993-94). He is also an awardee of the World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (1992-94).
He is a keen sportsman, playing cricket for, and captaining, Aitchison College, London School of Economics & University of London. Turning to Golf later on, he has played at the club level. He has served as an elected member of the Committee of Management of the Lahore Gymkhana Club, president of the Islamabad Golf Club, and as a member of the Committee of Management of the Islamabad Club.