Board of Directors

Dr. Shahida Jaffery is the Chairperson of Institute of Rural Management. She is the founder and the first Vice Chancellor of Sardar, Bahadur Khan Women’s University – SBKWU, Quetta, Balochistan. She holds a Masters degree in English Literature from University of Punjab, Lahore and a PhD in Education from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Manila, Philippines.
She was the First Women Chief Executive Officer of Balochistan Rural Support Programme(BRSP), one of the largest rural support programme in Balochistan. She has been part of a number search committees for appointment of Vice Chancellor for different universities of Pakistan. She was Chairperson of All Pakistan Women’s Association- APWA Balochistan, and Behbud Balochistan, working for underprivileged women and children of Balochistan . She also served as a Director on the Policy Board of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan – SECP. She was awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz by President of Pakistan. She was nominated for Accolade of Excellence and honored in Balochistan for being a Role Model for the people of Balochistan, especially women, her work and life was recognized as a Success Story, by Decentralization Support Programme, PPSO Balochistan , She was awarded Woman of the Year for Education, 15th Star Awards, by South Asia Publications, and Civil Society Organization, she was Nominated by the Higher Education Commission for the Mohtrama Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal for Excellence and she was also nominated for the Magsaysay Award. Currently, She serves as Director of Rural Support Programmes Network and Advisor to the board of National Rural Support Programme and Balochistan Rural Support Programme.

Mr. Shoaib Sultan Khan has served as a member of the Civil Service of Pakistan in different positions from 1955 till 1978. Later he joined UN and served as Social Development consultant of UNICEF in Sri Lanka (1979-82) and as Senior Adviser, South Asia Poverty Alleviation Programme (SAPAP) of UNDP (1994-2002). pursued academic studies at Universities of Lucknow, Cambridge, and Peshawar studying English Literature, Law and Public Administration. After his retirement from UN, Mr. Khan has been associated, in an honorary capacity, with Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN), Institute of Rural Management (IRM) & other RSPs in Pakistan to date.
In 1982, Shoaib Sultan Khan initiated the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) making a difference to the livelihood of a million people in the Northern Areas and Chitral (NAC) district of Pakistan. The development strategy pursued by AKRSP inspired replications in Pakistan and India currently improving livelihood of over 40 million rural households comprising nearly 200 million populations.
In recognition of his contributions, Mr. Khan was awarded various awards including, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the Magsaysay Award, the World Conservation Medal, Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Lifetime achievements award by His Highness the Aga Khan and many more.

Mr. Nazar Memon holds MA in Economics from the University of Karachi and MA in Regional Planning, Clark University, USA. He has also obtained Diploma in Comprehensive Regional Planning from United Nations Center for Regional Development, Japan and Diploma Certificate in District Health Planning from Institute of Child Health, London UK.

He was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) till 2008. As a Consultant Capacity Building National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) he has worked on the Capacity Building of elected representatives and government functionaries that came under the paradigm shift of Devolution in Pakistan. He has contributed to the final draft of Local Government Ordinance 2000.

He has served UNICEF in the area of Social Planning, with special focus on women and children. He has also worked in Tanzania and Uganda in the development of Area based programmes. As Head of Area Services in Kenya and South Africa, he extended his services in the areas of Programming, Planning, Implementation and Monitoring of community-based programmes/projects in collaboration with the local communities.

Mr. Fazalullah Qureshi  holds MA Economics from the Sindh University and a Certificate in Development Economics from Glasgow University UK. He has completed Fellowship in Development Economics from World Bank’s Economic Development Institute (EDI) Washington. Mr. Qureshi was appointed as the Vice Chairman National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) in 2001 and has served as the Federal Secretary Planning & Development twice. He was also the Chairman of National Tariff Commission in 1999. He is an active BOD Member of various organizations including Sindh Rural Support Organization, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, Rural Support Programme Network, NRSP Microfinance bank, National Rural Support Program and Sindh Graduate Association. He is also a Member of Trust for Voluntary Organization.

Dr. Rashid Bajwa is leading one of the largest development programme: National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) in Pakistan. He holds an MPH degree from the UK and an MBBS from Pakistan. He has extensive experience in the fields of management, social mobilisation, community development, microfinance and policy. Dr. Bajwa is implementing one of the largest microfinance programmes in Pakistan. He has helped in setting up Khushaali Bank, while also providing guidance to other non-profits Director of Khushaal Pakistan Fund, Punjab Rural Support Programme, Sindh Rural Support Organisation, Ghazi Barotha Tarqiati Idara  and Rural Support Programmes Network.

Dr. Syed Kaleem Imam holds a PhD in Politics and International Relations, an LLM degree in Human Rights Law from SOAS, UK, and an LLB and master’s degree in Philosophy.
He shares his understanding and research regularly at various training institutes and public forums, as well as in print and electronic media. He is the author of several publications both nationally and internationally. A 33-year career of exemplary service characterized his career. A former police officer and Federal Secretary of the Narcotics Control Ministry, he is a civil servant with extensive experience in the field. His national experience includes serving as SSP in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Sibi and Nasirabad; Additional Director Immigration, Chief Security Officer to the Prime Minister, Deputy Director General, Intelligence Bureau, Director of National Public Safety Commission; Inspector General Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh, and National Highways and Motorways twice. During his time with the United Nations, he served as Chief of Operations in Mozambique, Planning Coordinator in Liberia, and UN Police Commissioner in Darfur, Sudan. He has been decorated with three UN peace medals, the Quaid Azam Police Medal, the President’s Police Medal, and the Tamagha-i-Imtiaz for national distinguished service. He is well-known as an academic, a practicing lawyer, a security analyst, a strategist, and a policy practitioner.

Ms. Shandana Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) has over eighteen years of extensive grassroots and policy level experience in rural development, mainly in the Rural Support Programmes. Her strengths are in project management, their design and social assessment. Her work at the RSPN has involved undertaking policy advocacy with donors as well as with the highest levels of government and associated institutions (e.g. the National Reconstruction Bureau and the Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment). She contributed strategic insights and inputs into the Pakistan Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, the Local Government Ordinance 2001, gender mainstreaming policies, and inclusion of social mobilisation in government programmes at all levels. She has been an advocate for meaningful, result-oriented partnerships between the poor communities and the government and private sector.

Shandana Khan is a strong team player and leader, managing a team of over 100 multidisciplinary professionals at RSPN. She has a social sciences background, with a Masters degree in the Social and Political Sciences from Pembroke College, University of Cambridge as well as a Masters in International Public Policy from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University. She has widely traveled and comfortable in multi-cultural settings. She is fluent in English, Urdu and Pushto and functional in French.

Mr. Mukhtar served on multiple committees that drafted the Punjab RTI law and Whistle-Blowers Protection Bill; Has served in the government as Information Commissioner (Punjab) as well as on the Federal Tax Ombudsman’s Advisory Committee; M. Phil degree in Development Studies (with distinction) from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, UK; Over 18 years of work experience in Pakistan in areas like elections, local governments, capacity building, empowering the excluded groups, youth development, right to information, democratic development, legislative oversight, budget tracking, governance, decentralization, police reforms and consumer protection. Board members of the Institute of Rural Management (IRM) and Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI); Visiting faculty member of, among others, the National Institute of Management (NIM), Lahore; NIM, Quetta; and National Management College (NMC), Lahore

Mr. Nadeem Akbar is Country Director of the American Institute of Pakistan Studies (a bi-national academic and research institution) at Islamabad. He is a former Fulbright fellow and holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA. He has over 20 years of work experience in the field of research and educational exchange management. Being Director of the Institute, he administers and promotes exchange of scholarship, organizing policy forums and facilitating collaborative programs between US and Pakistani institutions of higher learning. In addition, he has to his credit a thorough knowledge of management issues of not-for-profit programs and partnerships. He maintains an active network of scholars and professionals in over 32 American universities and institutions and is a key player in formalizing joint research projects for US and Pakistani academic community.

Dr. Noor Fatima is a Post-doctorate Fellow at Department of International Affairs,(Public Policy, Political economy of Terrorism) University of North Carolina, Wilmington , United States. She holds a PhD(Major Developmental Economics, Political Economy).

Previously she had been working as Chairperson of Department of International Relations and Political Science till June 2017 and presently She is working as Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, International Islamic University Islamabad. Her major interest areas are research in Public Policy and International Political Economy.

Dr. Roomi Saeed Hayat is Chief Executive Officer Institute of Rural Management, with a 38 years of experience working in the Government and Non-Government sectors of Pakistan and his areas of expertise include rural development, women empowerment, environment and poverty reduction.
Dr. Hayat is Chairman of IUCN Pakistan National Committee, he is the founding Chairman of an international think tank Human Resource Development Network (HRDN). He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN).
Dr. Hayat specializes in livelihoods and poverty reduction with strong expertise in fostering Community Based Organizations, developing need based innovative livelihoods programmes, and formulating short cycle employable vocational and technical skills training. He has designed and conducted over 500 short- and long-term training programmes in more than 20 countries and has extensive multi-disciplinary experience of managing and executing donor funded projects including UNDP, ILO, USAID and World Bank with a special focus on livelihoods, rural development with gender as a cross cutting theme.
Dr. Hayat holds multiple degrees including a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA. He has also completed a diploma from Harvard University, USA. Doctorate in Anthropology. Mr. Hayat is the founding Chairman of an international think tank Human Resource Development Network (HRDN). He has served as advisor on International assignments for various bilateral and UN agencies.