RESEARCH PROFILE:

Dr. Imtiaz Bhatti

Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, IBA
Email: ibhatti@iba.edu.pk

Dr. Imtiaz Bhatti is a senior civil servant, currently serving as the Director General of Urban & Regional Policy and Strategic Planning at the Planning & Development Board in Sindh. A strong advocate for institutional reform and good governance, he has a broad background encompassing academia and the not-for-profit sector, in addition to civil service. Dr. Bhatti received his PhD in Public Policy from George Washington University and has held teaching roles at IBA, Karachi. His extensive career in Sindh highlights his expertise in policy issues, focusing on governance reform, public finance, and behavioral economics.

In 2008, Dr. Bhatti was awarded the Fulbright Fellowship to pursue his doctoral studies. He achieved the highest nationwide rank in the Senior Management Course at the National Institute of Management, Karachi, in 2022, and earned a distinguished scholarship for the Behavioral Insights in Public Policy course at Harvard Kennedy School.

Prior to his appointment as Director General of DURSPS in January 2024, Dr. Bhatti served as a Special Secretary in the Culture, Tourism, Antiquities and Archives Department, and as an Additional Secretary in the Services, General Administration & Coordination Department, Education & Literacy Department, and Governor House. In 2015, he worked as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi.

His previous roles include being the General Manager of the National Commission for Human Development across four districts in Sindh and serving as a consultant for the Social Policy Development Center in Karachi. Dr. Bhatti has contributed to numerous development projects funded by organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, USAID, and the World Bank.

He has previously held the position of General Manager for the National Commission for Human Development in four districts of Sindh and served as a consultant at the Social Policy Development Center in Karachi. Dr. Bhatti has been involved in several development initiatives funded by organization like the Asian Development Bank, USAID, and the World Bank.

To date, Dr. Bhatti has authored more than 40 academic papers, policy briefs, and newspaper articles.