Abdul Razzaq Kemal (known as A. R. Kemal) (14 April 1946 – 24 March 2008) was a Pakistani

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...

, considered "an authority on the Pakistani economy and on economic policy making". He was the director of the

Pakistan Institute of Development Economics Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. Islamabad is the na ...

(1999–2006).

Early life and education

Kemal was born in

Amritsar Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...

, India, in 1946. His qualifications in economics included a master's degree from

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

, US, and a PhD from the

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

, UK.

Career

Kemal served as the chief economist of the Pakistani government Planning Commission and economic advisor to the

Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfoli ...

. He directed the

from 1999 to 2006. During his directorship, he started MPhil and PhD programmes in economics, and was instrumental in the institute's application for degree-awarding status being approved in 2003, although the degree-awarding charter was not finalised until after his retirement. He was also a member of the restructuring committee of the Islamic Research and Training Institute and the

Islamic Development Bank The Islamic Development Bank (, abbreviated as IsDB) is a multilateral development finance institution that is focused on Islamic finance for infrastructure development and located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. There are 57 shareholding member st ...

. He advised organisations including the

United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...

(UNDP),

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

(ESCAP),

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...

(ILO),

Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank to promote social and economic development in Asia. The bank is headquartered in Metro Manila, Philippines and maintains 31 field offices around the world. The bank was establishe ...

and the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

. He served as president of the

(PIDE). He taught economics at the

International Islamic University The International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) is an Islamic public university located in Islamabad, Pakistan.

in Islamabad. He wrote or edited 12 books and published 186 research articles.

Personal life

He was married with two children, both sons. In 2008, Kemal died in Islamabad at the age of 62, after a heart attack.

Awards and recognition

Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and Civil decorations of Pakistan, civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially me ...

(Star of Excellence) Award by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

in 2007

Selected publications

*Rashid Amjad, A. R. Kemal (1997). Macroeconomic Policies and their Impact on Poverty Alleviation in Pakistan. ''The Pakistan Development Review'' 36: 39–68

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kemal, Abdul Razzaq 1946 births 2008 deaths Scholars from Amritsar Alumni of the University of Manchester Stanford University alumni Pakistani economists Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz