DR. MUHAMMAD AMJAD SAQIB
(Sitara-a-Imtiaz)Email: amjadsaqib1@gmail.com
Cell: +92 300 842 0495
A medical graduate from King Edward Medical College, Dr. Amjad Saqib was selected for the nation’s topmost bureaucratic institution, the elite Civil Service of Pakistan with great distinction in 1985. Having stood out as a public servant, right when his career was about to move towards higher echelons, he resigned in 2003 with the intent to dedicate himself to becoming a social entrepreneur and make a difference in societal change through Akhuwat – which had already been founded and launched by him in 2001 and had meanwhile started taking strides towards the force it was to become.
The salient feature of his public service career – one that perhaps changed the course of his life – was his last assignment, a five-year stint as general manager of the Punjab Rural Support Programme (PRSP) from 1998 to 2003.
It is here that he had the opportunity to closely examine the various initiatives of poverty alleviation, participatory development and conventional microfinance. And this made him realize that “something different had to be done”. This desire to do ‘something different’, something more effective as a panacea for the poor spurred him on to conceive and introduce an interest-free microfinance model based on the idea of Mawakhat or brotherhood.
This makes Akhuwat a unique microfinance organization – indeed the first of a kind. The model has by now been replicated in two countries but at close to $100 million in base capital Akuwat remains the largest such institution in the world.
Meanwhile, Dr. Amjad Saqib took his Master’s degree in Public Administration through Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship from the American University, Washington D.C., USA. He also studied at LUMS, where he completed the one-year LUMS - McGill University Program in Social Enterprise & Management.
Dr. Saqib is founder of Akhuwat and Akhuwat is his real passion but he also renders honorary other services for many other NGOs. He is Vice Chairman Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, Chairman Management Committee Fountain House, Honorary Managing Director Punjab Welfare Trust for the Disabled, Member Board of Director Punjab Education Foundation, Member Syndicate Punjab University, Member Syndicate University of Education, Commissioner Punjab Health Care Commission, Member Punjab Red Crescent Society. Recently, Prime Minister of Pakistan appointed him Chairman Steering Committee for Prime Minister’s Interest Free Loan Programme.
Work:
Besides his pro bono work for Akhuwat, for a living Dr. Amjad Saqib is a highly sought after consultant, and has provided consultancy to various highbrow international development agencies, such as the Asian Development Bank, International Labour Organization, the UNICEF, the World Bank, Canadian International Development Agency, USAID and DFID.
This consultancy work has also been in his core area of interest: poverty alleviation, microfinance, social mobilization and education management.
Dr. Amjad Saqib is also a regular guest speaker at the Civil Services Academy (CSA), the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and many other professional forums. He has also been among the visiting faculty at the Kinnaird College, Lahore, the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and the University of Punjab. He has spoken at Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, Warrick and Kings College London.
In recognition of his services across many spheres, on March 23, 2010 the President of Pakistan honoured him with Sitara-a-Imtiaz, a most coveted civil award.
Publications:
Dr Amjad Saqib has also authored six books. These are: Shehr-e Lab-e-Darya (Khushal Khan Khattak Literary Award Winner), AikYadgarMushaira, Gautam Kay Des Mein (A travelogue to Nepal), published by Sang-e-Meel Publications), and Ghurbat aur Microcredit. Subsequently, he wrote another travelogue Akhuwat Ka Safar, and a compilation based on real life stories of victims of loan sharks, Dasht-e Zulmat. Another book, under the title Shahab-e Saqib is under publication.
Dr. Amjad Saqib indeed is a prolific writer, and his exceptionally well-written columns appear quite frequently for leading Urdu dailies Nawa-i-Waqt, Jang, Pakistan, Nai Baat and Jinnah. These are mostly on current affairs, events, ideas and personalities, and, according to critics, have the pleasing touch of a litterateur.
Books
Dr. Amjad Saqib has written following books:
• Shahar-e-lab-e-Darya (Khush –Hal Khan Khattak Literary Award Winner)
• Aik Yadgar Mushaira
• Gotham Kay Des Main (A travelogue to Nepal, Sang-e-Meel Publications)
• Ghurbat aur Microcredit
• Shahab-e-Saqib (under publication)
• Dasht-e-Zulmat
• Akhuwat Ka Safar
He has edited following book:
• Devolution and Governance – Reforms in Pakistan (Oxford University Press)
Voluntary Assignments
1. Executive Director, Akhuwat - (2001 – to date)
Akhuwat is an interest free microcredit programme that provides small loans to the poor and helps them start a business and come out of poverty. It is first ever and the largest interest free microfinance programme in Pakistan and has so far served more than 47,000 poor families in fifteen cities.
2. Vice Chairman, Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) – (Dec 2008 – to date)
PEEF is the largest educational fund in the country created by Government of the Punjab with initial seed money of Rs. 4 billion. It provides financial assistance to talented but needy students. Chief Minister Punjab is the Chairman of PEEF.
3. Managing Director, Punjab Welfare Trust for the Disabled (PWTD) – (Dec 2007 – to date)
PWTD endeavors for the treatment and rehabilitation of the persons with the disabilities. It is the largest endowment fund in the country for the disabled and works in collaboration with 80 NGOs working for the visually impaired, hearing impaired, mentally retarded and physically incapacitated persons. PWTD has served more than 2.8 million patients in last fifteen years.
4. Member Governing Body/Executive Committee, Punjab Red Crescent Society (2007-to date)
Red Crescent is one of the oldest international NGOs and a part of global network for humanitarian support and relief efforts. Governor of the Punjab is the President of Governing body.
5. Chairman, Farrukh Amjad Trust (FA Trust) – (July 2008 – to date)
FA Trust is founded by Dr. Muhammad Amjad Saqib, his family and close friends. This Trust aims at supporting the poor, widows and the disabled.
6. Member Board of Directors of:
• Fountain House Lahore (A project of Lahore Mental Health Association for the treatment and rehabilitation of mentally ill patients)
• Abroo Welfare Trust (Educational Trust for education of poor students living in slums)
• Abroo Welfare Trust (Educational Trust for education of poor students living in slums)
• Line of help (An NGO working for disaster relief and rehabilitation of earthquake victims)
• Anjuman Sulemania (Custodian of one of the biggest orphanage houses in Lahore)
• Hum Pakistani Trust (An organization working for relief of disaster)
• Punjab Fund for Rehabilitation of Special Persons (A State of the Art Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Persons) owned by Government of the Punjab
• Member Board of Governors Children Library Complex
• Member Provincial Consumer Protection Council (PCPC), constituted under Section 24 of Punjab Consumer Protection Act, 2005
• Member of the Committee of Citizen Feed Back Model Project Government of the Punjab
• Member of the Committee to Improve Services in Education Sector
• Member of the Committee of Punjab Health Strategic Plan
• Member of the Committee of Punjab Day Care Fund Society
• Member of the Syndicate, University of the Punjab
• Member of the Syndicate, University of the Education
• Vice Chairman of the Committee of Prime Minister’s Microfinance Scheme
Education
• MBBS (King Edward Medical College, Lahore)
• Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship in Public Administration (One year training programme in best universities and institutions in the USA) 1993-1994
• Masters in Public Administration - MPA (The American University, Washington D.C. USA) 1994-1995
• Graduate of LUMS – McGill University Social Enterprise & Management Programme (Lahore University of Management Sciences – LUMS) 2003-2004