Shamshad Akhtar | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Masato Kanda on Sunday expressed deep shock and grief over the passing of Dr Shamshad Akhtar, paying rich trib-ute to her distinguished career and lasting contributions to regional develop-ment and public service.

Politicians and colleagues paid homage to Dr Shamshad Akhtar on Saturday as a trailblazer, noting that she was the first woman to serve as governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and achieved many other notable accomplishments. She passed away today due to cardiac arrest. At the time of her passing, Dr Akhtar was serving as chairperson of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSE), a rare position reflecting a career that spanned Pakistan’s monetary policy, fiscal management, and capital markets. Dr Akhtar, known for her leadership roles in both national and international financial institutions, took over as the 14th governor of the SBP on January 2, 2006, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She had also been the finance minister in the caretaker setups before the 2018 and 2024 general elections. Dr Akhtar served as the vice president of the World Bank for the Middle East and North Africa and the executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). ...

Renowned economist and former State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor Dr Shamshad Akhtar, 71, passed away due to cardiac arrest on Saturday. She was serving as chairperson of the Pakistan Stock Exchange at the time of her death, giving her a rare role spanning Pakistan’s monetary policy, fiscal management and capital markets. Akhtar, known for her leadership roles in both national and international financial institutions, took over as the 14th governor of the SBP on January 2, 2006, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She had also been the finance minister in the caretaker setups before the 2018 and 2024 general elections. Akhtar also served as the vice president of the World Bank for the Middle East and North Africa and the executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Prior to her appointment as SBP governor, Akhtar served as the director general of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Southeast Asia Department since January 2004. She also ...

Former Federal Minister for Finance and ex-Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, Dr Shamshad Akhtar, passed away on Saturday.