Originally hailing from Civil Service of Pakistan (DMG), Dr. Amjad Saqib is founder and Chairman of Akhuwat, the largest interest-free microfinance program in the world. This program has disbursed over Rs. 198 billion to around 5.8 million poor families in Pakistan and has launched Pakistan’s first free ‘Akhuwat College University’ that is open to talent from impoverished families without regard to gender, religion, or politics.
He is also working as chairman Punjab Development Network (PDN) which is a network of more than 160 development and charity organizations, working for social and economic development especially in areas like clean drinking water and sanitation. He is Executive Director, Fountain house – an Institute of treatment and rehabilitation of mentally challenged people.
His areas of expertise include governance, poverty alleviation, microfinance and rural development. Because of his remarkable achievements in restoring human dignity to Pakistan’s most vulnerable communities, including poor women and trans-genders, through financial inclusion, education, health care, and provision of shelter and housing, Dr. Saqib has received world-wide recognition, including “Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021”, popularly known as “Asia’s Nobel Prize”, the Islamic Economy Award by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Thomson Reuters in 2018.
He is also recipient of Social Entrepreneur of the year award for 2018 by World Economic Forum (WEF) and Schwab Foundation and Commonwealth’s 31st Point of Light award by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018. He has also been awarded Life Time Achievement Award, 2014 by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Thomson Reuters, for his efforts to promote Islamic finance.
President of Pakistan bestowed on him Sitara-a-Imtiaz, one of the coveted civil awards of Pakistan. He is author of seven books and an acclaimed speaker who has spoken at UN, Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge.
