Syed Abu Ahmad Akif

Securing the first position in the national civil service (CSS) examination of 1983, Syed Akif joined the Pakistan Administrative Service, the premium cadre within the federal civil services, and served on many positions for nearly 35 years. In August 2018, he retired from one of the most prestigious assignments in the Pakistani bureaucracy: Secretary of the Cabinet Division. Previously, he headed the ministries of Inter-Provincial Coordination and Climate Change. He also served as Director General Hajj in Saudi Arabia and Chief Instructor at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA). He currently serves as a member of the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission. He has edited and translated several books. In 2019, he was awarded the Sitara-i-lmtiaz, a national civil award for public service.