ML Qureshi was ranked among the top 10 economists of the world during his professional career.
He was essentially the first economist of Pakistan who prepared the pre-partition economic plan for the new state with Quaid-e-Azam that was used as a convincing argument to validate Pakistan’s economic survival after independence. He served as university teacher, chemist, economist, planner, research director, development banker and policy maker. Before the partition of Indian sub-continent, he served as Member and Joint Secretary, All India Muslim league planning committee and prepared the first economic program for the emerging country. His other great contribution include the preparation and implementation of Pakistan’s First, Second and Third Five Year Plans that resulted in the country’s golden era of development, the visionary setting up of Pakistan Institute for Development Economics (PIDE) as its founding member and establishing the African Bank in Ivory Coast as a subsidiary of the World Bank. He held the position of Vice-President UN Committee for Development Planning contributing towards the General Assembly in the formulation of the Second Development Decade and also served in UN’s Economic Commission for Asia and Far East (ECAFE). Qureshi has authored two books and several reports for the UN in the domain of Economic Development. The First Five Year Plan Prepared by him is known to be the “most comprehensive document on planning for a welfare state” by leading economists. The economic model prepared by Qureshi for Pakistan was copied by Korea and Taiwan with his collaboration, and have been the prime source of these countries’ balanced industrial development to date. He was honored with Sitara-e-Pakistan and Sitara-e Quaid-e-Azam by the Government of Pakistan for his glorious services to the global economy as well as to the country ever since its inception.
He worked with Quaid-e-Azam and made the first pre-Partition economic plan for Pakistan that had to be implemented immediately after the birth of the country. This plan was used as a convincing argument to support the sustainability of Pakistan as an independent entity from India
Land reforms were a crucial element of his first pre-partition economic plan for Pakistan. State acquisition of agricultural land was considered very essential for the development and growth of the newborn country. However, at that time, before independence, this proposal was dismissed by Quaid-eAzam since it offended the feudal body in All India Muslim League. Keeping the political party intact had taken precedence in order to succeed in the struggle for freedom. It has been 73 years since the birth of Pakistan and to this date land reforms have not been implemented. It is one of the most retarding factors in the country’s economic and social growth. I believe that this element needs to be re-visited from scratch looking at the economic plans for Pakistan since inception and the international success of Qureshi’s economic model must be analysed as a case study for future plans. A detailed professional biography of ML Qureshi and references follow below:
FORMULATION OF THE PRE-PARTITION ECONOMIC PLAN FOR PAKISTAN — he worked with Quaid-e-Azam and made the first pre-partition economic plan for Pakistan that had to be implemented immediately after the birth of the country. This plan was used as a convincing argument to support the sustainability of Pakistan as an independent entity from India. The First Five Year Plan Prepared by him is known to be the “most comprehensive document on planning for a welfare state” by leading economists.
FOUNDER OF PAKISTAN INSTITUTE FOR DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS (PIDE) — after Independence he had a number of important assignments in Pakistan; his greatest contribution was setting up Pakistan Institute for Development Economics (PIDE) as its founding member in Karachi.
This institute was shifted to East Pakistan. After 1971, the institute remained in Dhaka and after the separation of East Pakistan, he recreated PIDE in Islamabad which is functioning to date. He served as its founding director for a period of six years.
ROLE IN THE UNITED NATIONS — outside Pakistan he had several assignments with the United Nations, Including the position of Vice President UN Committee for Development Planning 1965-71, which assisted the General Assembly in the formulation of the Second Development Decade. He was also President of the Association of Development Research and Training Institutes of Asia and the Pacific-ADIPA.
He also served in UN’s Economic Commission for Asia & Far East (ECAFE) with its HQ in Thailand. He was a leader of the Pakistan Delegation to ECOSOC and to UNCTAD.
He also served as an expert from the Muslim world to advise the Islamic Development Bank on the mobilisation of resources for the operations of the bank.
ESTABLISHING AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK — he was the pioneer to set up the African Development Bank based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, as a subsidiary of the World Bank. In 1961 he also prepared Somalia’s first five-year plan for the period 1963 to 1967 thus helping launch Somalia into a developing country.
PREPARATION OF PAKISTAN’S FIVE YEAR PLANS — Qureshi prepared the first, second, third and fifth five year plans of Pakistan as the Member and economic expert of the Planning Commission. The development of Pakistan under his five year plans was exemplary; this period, during the 1960s is referred to as the golden era in the development of Pakistan. The economic plans prepared by Qureshi for Pakistan were copied by Korea and Taiwan with his collaboration, and have been the prime source of these countries’ balanced industrial development to date.
BOOKS AUTHORED — ML Qureshi’s book “Introductory Survey of Economy, Resources and Prospects of South Asia” is his study and analysis of economic problems of South Asian countries and of the scope for economic cooperation amongst them. His other book titled “Planning and Development in Pakistan; Reviews & Alternatives from 1947-1982” is based on his observations of Pakistan’s economic trajectory ever since the country’s independence and it’s correlation with the country’s constitution.
PUBLICATIONS — as a corollary to his multifarious assignments at the international and national levels, ML Qureshi has written profusely for United Nations on the problems of the developing world.
He is the author of:
Qureshi, M. L. (1983) Planning and Development in Pakistan; Reviews and Alternatives from 1947-1982. Vanguard Books Ltd.
Qureshi, M. L. (1981) Introductory Survey of Economy, Resources and Prospects of South Asia Marga Institute, Sri Lanka
Qureshi, M. L. (1969) Strategy for the UN Second Development Decade United Nations
Qureshi, M. L. (1961) Report on International Compensation of Fluctuations in Commodity Trade United Nations
Qureshi, M. L. (1963) Somali first five year plan (1963-1967) Government of Somalia Qureshi, M. L. (1978) Approaches to New Development Strategies for reducing Economic and Social Inequalities in Asian Countries. UNESCO
Qureshi, M. L. (1978) The Pakistan Development review, Vol XVII. The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics
Qureshi, M. L. (1975) Approach to a New Development Strategy of Asian Countries Pakistan Institute of Development Economics
Qureshi, M. L. (1980) Review of Past Development of Pakistan I
Qureshi, M. L. (1980) Review of Past Development of Pakistan II
Qureshi, M. L. (1980) Alternative Development Strategy for Pakistan
Qureshi, M. L. (1976) Role of Universities in Urbanization, Unemployment and Brain Drain
Qureshi, M. L. (1974) Investment of Oil Revenues
Qureshi, M. L. (1973) Economic Implications for Population Growth in Pakistan
Qureshi, M. L. (1974) Problems and Prospects of Development and Economic Cooperation among Islamic Countries
The writer is the chief executive officer at Aero Engine Craft Pvt. Ltd