Dr Muhammad Mujtaba Piracha has been appointed as Pakistan’s ambassador to the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
Piracha, a governance expert specialising in public financial management, completed his PhD at IDS in 2016. His PhD thesis was on sub-national taxation. His PhD supervisor was political economist and IDS Professorial Fellow Mick Moore.
Professor Moore said: ‘Congratulations! I am delighted and wish you every success in helping to strengthen effective multilateral cooperation systems that not only contribute to economic growth, but also to stability, peace, and more equal and sustainable societies.’
Prior to his appointment Piracha worked in leadership positions at provincial and local government levels as well as in civil society organisations. Most recently, he served as Additional Chief Secretary for Services Economy. Before that he served as Lahore Comissioner. From 2016-18, after completing his PhD, he worked as Secretary of Industry and Commerce, Punjab, where he represented Pakistan in the 6th and 7th Joint Cooperation Committee working on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects. During his career he has been involved in a range of programmes relating to financial management and institutional development, and rural development and education.
Piracha will now be Pakistan’s permanent representative at the Mission of Pakistan to the World Trade Organization in Geneva.
