Shahid Javed Burki
Shahid Javed Burki | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 14, 1938 Simla, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Himachal Pradesh, India) |
| Occupation | Economist |
| Years active | 1974–1999 (World Bank career) |
| Known for | Vice President at the World Bank; Acting Finance Minister of Pakistan |
Shahid Javed Burki () (born 1938) is a Pakistani-American economist notable for his tenure as Vice President at the World Bank and his interim role as the de facto Finance Minister of Pakistan. He has produced extensive literature addressing economic development and the political evolution of Pakistan.
Early life and education
Born on 14 September 1938 in Simla, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Himachal Pradesh, India), Burki hails from a Punjabi-Pathan lineage belonging to the Burki tribe. Following the 1947 Partition, his family relocated to Pakistan, settling in Rawalpindi where his father was employed at the Pakistan army headquarters. He is related to cricketer Javed Burki as a cousin.
Burki completed his early schooling at Presentation Convent High School and St Mary's College in Rawalpindi before enrolling at Government College University in Lahore to study Physics and Mathematics. He obtained an MSc degree in Physics from Punjab University in 1959. In 1960, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship representing Pakistan and pursued economics at Christ Church, Oxford, earning an MA in 1963. Subsequently, he undertook advanced studies in Economics and Public Administration as a Mason Fellow at Harvard University. Burki holds citizenship in both Pakistan and the United States.
Career at World Bank
Beginning his career with the World Bank in 1974 as a Senior Economist, Burki progressed through various senior positions. He became the inaugural Director of the China Department from 1987 to 1994, managing all analytical assessments and lending operations related to China. Following the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident, he championed ongoing engagement with China despite resistance from key stakeholders. Between 1994 and 1999, he fulfilled the role of Regional Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean.
During 1996–1997, Burki temporarily left his World Bank duties to serve as Pakistan's acting Finance Minister for a period of 67 days, overseeing fiscal matters without formally holding the ministerial title. After completing 25 years of service, he retired from the World Bank in 1999.
Publications
Burki has authored and edited numerous works concentrating on Pakistan’s political economy and developmental issues. His notable publications include: Pakistan Under Bhutto (1980); Pakistan under the Military: Eleven Years of Zia Ul-Haq (co-authored with Craig Baxter, 1991); Pakistan: Fifty Years of Nationhood (1999); A Historical Dictionary of Pakistan (1999); and Changing Perceptions, Altered Reality: Pakistan's Economy under Musharraf, 1999–2006 (2007). His contributions to development economics encompass titles such as A Study of Chinese Communes (1969), First Things First (co-written with Paul Streeten, 1981), and Transforming Socialist Economies: Lessons from Cuba and Beyond (edited alongside Daniel P. Erikson, 2005).
Other activities
Burki has regularly contributed opinion editorials to Pakistani newspapers including Dawn and presently writes for the Daily Times.
He holds the position of Chairman at The Shahid Javed Burki Institute of Public Policy at NetSol (BIPP), located in Lahore, Pakistan.