Miftah Ismail

Miftah Ismail
مفتاح اسماعیل
Ismail in 2014
Secretary-General of Awaam Pakistan
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 July 2024
PresidentShahid Khaqan Abbasi
Preceded byPosition Established
Minister of Finance
In office
19 April 2022 – 27 September 2022
PresidentArif Alvi
Prime MinisterShehbaz Sharif
Preceded byShaukat Tarin
Succeeded byIshaq Dar
In office
27 April 2018 – 31 May 2018
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterShahid Khaqan Abbasi
Preceded byRana Afzal Khan
Succeeded byShamshad Akhtar (Caretaker)
Minister of State for Finance
In office
27 December 2017 – 27 April 2018
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterShahid Khaqan Abbasi
Preceded byRana Afzal Khan
Succeeded byShamshad Akhtar (Caretaker)
Chairman of Board of Investment
In office
4 January 2014 – 28 July 2017
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
Personal details
Born (1965-07-23) 23 July 1965 (age 59)
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Political partyAP (2024-present)[1]
Other political
affiliations		PMLN (2011-2023)
Alma materDuquesne University (B.S)
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D)[2]

Miftah Ismail (Urdu: مفتاح اسماعیل; born 23 July 1965) is a Pakistani political economist who served as the Federal Minister of Finance from April 2022 to September 2022. He had previously served in the same office, from April 2018 to May 2018 in Khaqan Abbasi's cabinet. Prior to that, he served as the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs, chairman of the Pakistan Board of Investment and an economist with the International Monetary Fund.[3][4] He is the current Secretary of the Awaam Pakistan party, a political party he co-founded alongside former Pakistani prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Early life and education

He was born on 23 July 1965 in Karachi, Sindh. Ismail received his undergraduate degree in business from Duquesne University in 1985, followed by a Ph.D. in public finance and political economy from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 1990. Ismail worked with the International Monetary Fund as an economist based in Washington, D.C. in the early 1990s.[2]

In 1993, he returned to Pakistan to work for his family business, Ismail Industries Limited, a confectionary and snack food manufacturer.[5][6]

Political career

Ismail joined the Pakistan Muslim League (N) in 2011 and served as the head and vice-chairman of Punjab Board of Investment and Trade from 2012 to 2013.[5]

During the 2013 Pakistani general election, Ismail served as a member of the election strategy team and the manifesto committee of Pakistan Muslim League (N).[7] In October 2013, Ismail became a member of the Board of Directors of Pakistan International Airlines. In November 2013, he joined the Board of Directors of Sui Southern Gas Company.[6] Both of these positions he retained until 4 January 2014, when he was appointed as the head of Federal Board of Investment and was added as a junior member of then Prime Minister Sharif's cabinet.[8][6] Under his leadership the Board of Investment underwent massive restructuring including winding up of its regional offices.[9][10] During his tenure at the Board of Investment, the government of Pakistan formulated a new automobile sector policy that has attracted a lot of new investment in the automobile sector.[citation needed]

Ismail has served as adjunct faculty at the Institute of Business Administration and also as chairman of board at Karachi American School.[5]

After being appointed as one of the key finance advisers to the Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in December 2017, he stated that one of his top priorities is to help broaden the extremely narrow tax base in Pakistan which would strengthen the overall economy. He said that he would help design an economic policy that gives opportunity to the wealthy Pakistanis abroad to bring back their wealth. In other words, the government was ready to initiate an 'offshore tax amnesty scheme' soon.[2][11]

On 19 June 2023, he was removed by PML(N) as the general secretary of the party. It is also alleged he was disliked by the Chief Organizer of the PML(N), Maryam Nawaz, who is also the daughter of the PML(N) supremo, Nawaz Sharif, due to his criticism of Dar's economic policies.[12]

On 24 June 2023, he resigned from all senior positions of the PML(N) and party committees, while also announcing that he wouldn’t be active in electoral politics anymore.[13]

Finance Minister of Pakistan

On 27 April 2018, Ismail took oath as Federal Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs in Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's cabinet, where he served until 31 May 2018.[14] Ismail was reappointed to the position in 2022 but resigned in September of the same year, paving the way for the return of Ishaq Dar Rehan Sheikh. [15]

Other activities

References

  1. ^ Ayub, Imran; Rehman, Atika (21 June 2024). "Miftah Ismail, Khaqan Abbasi launch 'Awaam Pakistan' party". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Miftah Ismail becomes finance adviser". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 27 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Wharton Alumni Shine in Pakistan Elections". whartonmagazine.com. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  4. ^ Khan, Sanaullah (26 December 2017). "Miftah Ismail appointed adviser to PM on finance, revenue and economic affairs". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "Dr. Miftah Ismail - ICAP SAFA Conference 2016 (Profile of Miftah Ismail)". Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan website. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "Dr Ismail appointed new Board of Investment chairman". The News International (newspaper). 5 January 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Wharton Alumni Shine in Pakistan Elections". Wharton Magazine (University of Pennsylvania). 3 June 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  8. ^ "Dr Miftah Ismail appointed as Chairman Board of Investment". Geo News website. 5 January 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Nawaz orders Board of Investment restructuring; winding up of regional offices". Dawn (newspaper). 16 August 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Change in government: Investment inflows could not pick up pace - The Express Tribune (newspaper)". 17 February 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  11. ^ Miftah Ismail appointed as Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs Business Recorder (business newspaper), Published 26 December 2017, Retrieved 28 December 2017
  12. ^ "PML-N removes Miftah Ismail from party post citing 'disappointing' performance". Samaa. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  13. ^ Sherani, Tahir (24 June 2023). "Miftah Ismail resigns from PML-N posts, says won't be active in electoral politics anymore". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Miftah Ismail takes oath as new finance minister hours ahead of budget unveiling". Dawn. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  15. ^ "Miftah resigns as finance minister to pave way for Dar". DAWN.COM. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  16. ^ Board of Governors Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
  17. ^ Board of Governors World Bank.