Professional Experience

August 2019 to December 2025

Section Chief, Public Advocacy and Communication

United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya

As the Section Chief, I demonstrated exceptional technical leadership in key areas such as public advocacy, knowledge management, citizen science, and social mobilisation, aimed at fostering enhanced environmental outcomes with a strong focus on sustainable development. I held the ultimate responsibility for providing strategic intelligence and executive oversight to the communication initiatives of the UN Environment Programme. This included ensuring the successful execution of public-facing campaigns, outreach activities, and movement-building endeavours. I also formulated strategies and implemented programs that leveraged the power of sports, entertainment, and youth engagement to advocate for and ignite environmental action. My specific responsibilities included:

• Leading the development and implementation of UNEP's public advocacy and communication strategies, ensuring alignment with organisational goals.

• Providing strategic direction and innovative approaches to enhance the effectiveness of communication initiatives.

• Offering guidance on strategies and approaches that leverage public advocacy and communication efforts for greater impact.

• Planning and monitoring the Section's activities within UNEP's communication strategy.

• Managing the Section's resources in adherence to organizational policies.

• Contributing to resource mobilization efforts for the Section and the Division.

• Ensuring timely analysis, reporting, and documentation to meet stakeholder requirements.

• Designing and implementing impactful engagement initiatives, i.e., youth, media, civil society, and others, fostering meaningful engagement, and driving behaviour change.

• Acting as the Division's focal point for stakeholder engagement strategy and collaboration.

Through my strategic leadership, comprehensive oversight, and commitment to innovation, I strive to propel the UN Environment Programme's communication efforts, effectively conveying its mission and driving positive environmental change worldwide. 

April 2015 to July 2019

Executive Director

Center for Communication Programs Pakistan, Islamabad

I spearheaded the organization's mission to be the market leader in study and application of development communication in the West Asia region. Leading a robust team of 50+ communication professionals, I provided unwavering support and astute oversight, while driving organizational growth, fostering partnerships, developing strategic initiatives, and ensuring quality assurance. During my tenure, I achieved remarkable milestones, including a substantial revenue increase of nearly 600% and successful management of 20 new projects in three years. Notably, I designed national communication strategies for prominent countries like Pakistan, Jordan, and Afghanistan. My leadership and strategic acumen established the organization as a key player in development communication, driving unprecedented growth and influence. My specific responsibilities included:

• Developing impactful social and behaviour change strategies, implementation frameworks, and evaluation tools.

• Leading diverse media production across multiple platforms to ensure high-quality and engaging communication.

• Providing strategic leadership to engage the media industry, foster collaboration, and drive impactful initiatives.

• Demonstrating expertise in grassroots community-led initiatives and inclusive approaches for collective mobilization.

• Ensuring technical soundness by incorporating theoretical foundations, evidence-based practices, and robust design.

• Cultivating effective partnerships with public and private sectors for joint implementation and support.

• Establishing strong working relationships with stakeholders in media, communication, public relations, service industries, government, and corporate sectors.

• Providing guidance to staff and consultants for successful execution aligned with organizational requirements.

Through my strategic leadership and dedication, I have consistently driven the organization's success, paving the way for impactful communication initiatives, and positioning it as a trusted and influential leader in the field.

May 2011 to March 2015

Lead Communication for Development

Child Protection, United Nations Children's Fund

I played a pivotal role in the design and implementation of strategic communication initiatives aimed at behaviour and community-led social change for protection of the rights of children. Leading UNICEF's response in Pakistan, I addressed critical issues including birth registration, child marriage, landmines and explosives, emergency response and preparedness, and violence against children. Notably, I pioneered the use of mobile technologies for birth registration and establishing a comprehensive repository of localised communication tools and materials for child protection. Additionally, I led the development of a code of ethics for media reporting on children, launched a Mine Risk Education programme, and designed and implemented communication strategies for Public Treasury and the national/provincial Ombudsperson, with a focus on preventing violence against children and ensuring their rights. My responsibilities included:

• Conducting consultations and employing participatory approaches to design and develop development communication strategies and action plans for partners.

• Implementing comprehensive situation assessments, including baselines and formative research, particularly after natural disasters.

• Supporting training needs identification, conducting training activities, and developing materials to enhance the capacity of government counterparts and various partners.

• Monitoring and evaluating activities using communication research methodologies.

• Cultivating partnerships with diverse organized and unorganized groups.

• Organising and managing the development, pre-testing, and production of high-quality, culturally, and socially relevant development communication materials.

Through my multifaceted responsibilities, I demonstrated my commitment to driving positive change, ensuring the dissemination of accurate information, fostering collaboration with stakeholders, and producing impactful communication materials that resonate with the target audience. 

March 2008 – May 2011

Senior Communication Manager

Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Islamabad

I had the overall responsibility for designing, executing, and assessing strategic communication initiatives in Pakistan. I successfully led pioneering projects that achieved significant impact, including, modelling and facilitating engagement with religious leaders and organizations, harnessing their influence to drive development goals effectively. I also led communication aimed at repositioning of family planning as a health and lifesaving intervention, transforming perceptions and fostering positive attitudes within communities. I employed innovative communication outreach strategies including utilsing an indigenous form of puppetry as a powerful tool for health communication, effectively disseminating crucial information and empowering communities as well implementing a ground-breaking initiative that brought entertainment media directly to remote communities in Pakistan through makeshift cinemas, ensuring access to informative and entertaining content. I also had the charge of capacity strengthening and network building programs focused on enhancing health journalism skills and knowledge among media professionals and journalists. Under my guidance, specific activities included:

• Designing, implementing, and evaluating national and sectoral communication strategies pertaining to mother and child health, reproductive health, and disease prevention.

• Implementing comprehensive communication, advocacy, and mobilization interventions across diverse media platforms.

• Leading communication research endeavours to inform policies, plans, and programs, ensuring evidence-based decision-making.

• Developing, testing, and scaling-up innovative communication models for community-based and community-led engagements.

• Crafting detailed technical reports encompassing program proposals, quarterly and annual performance reports, implementation reports, budgets, work plans, and sub-contracts.

These accomplishments demonstrate my ability to design and execute impactful communication strategies, conduct rigorous research, and effectively communicate technical information through comprehensive reports.

August 2007 – February 2008

Research Specialist

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB), Islamabad

As a UNDP appointee, I played a crucial role in supporting the Government of Pakistan in the design and implementation of its devolution agenda. My primary responsibility was to provide technical leadership to the National Reconstruction Bureau, driving planning, policymaking, and the implementation of good governance initiatives. One of my notable achievements was enhancing community participation in development planning and implementation through the establishment of Citizen Community Boards. To accomplish this, I developed implementation frameworks, design templates, reporting guidelines, and monitoring checklists. My activities included:

• Providing strategic planning, policy, and procedural recommendations and implementing research findings to support devolution and good governance initiatives.

• Planning, monitoring, and evaluating project activities for the establishment of local governments.

• Designing and developing research-based reports and program-related documents.

• Developing indicators and monitoring mechanisms for various local government themes.

• Monitoring the state of reforms based on in-depth analysis and research.

Through my efforts, I contributed to the successful implementation of the devolution agenda, empowering communities, and fostering good governance practices.

August 2003 – October 2004

Project Officer

International Labour Organization (ILO)International Program on the Elimination ofChild Labour, Islamabad

In my role, I had the responsibility of implementing programs aimed at eradicating the worst forms of child labour, as mandated by International Conventions 138 and 182. Additionally, I oversaw the monitoring, evaluation, and phasing-out of child labour projects in 11 countries. The main activities I engaged in included:

• Developing and implementing social and behaviour change initiatives to eliminate the worst forms of child labour in Pakistan.

• Formulating and negotiating projects, as well as preparing technical documents such as program proposals, budget revisions, research briefs, and program implementation reports.

• Conducting advocacy and media campaigns, including writing media briefs and press releases, to raise awareness about the issue.

• Designing and delivering trainings, as well as developing communication and educational materials to support awareness and prevention efforts.

Through these efforts, I actively contributed to the global fight against child labour, working towards creating a safer and more secure future for children.

April 2001 – July 2003

Executive Officer

Population Association of Pakistan, Islamabad

As the person responsible for establishing and managing a newly created platform aimed at advancing the agenda of population and development in Pakistan, I successfully expanded the Association's membership network both domestically and internationally. I organized several international events and implemented initiatives that became self-sustaining, such as a regular publication stream, an Information Resource Centre, and a Policy and Research Network. In addition to these achievements, my other responsibilities included:

• Formulating a comprehensive communication strategy and designing informational, educational, and promotional material to effectively convey the Association's message.

• Identifying program activities and developing detailed technical and financial proposals to support the Association's initiatives.

• Serving as a Technical Editor for the quarterly newsletter "Population Windows," ensuring the quality and accuracy of content.

• Providing technical expertise and support in documentation and research related to population and development issues.

Through these endeavours, I played a pivotal role in fostering knowledge dissemination, collaboration, and advocacy in the field of population and development, contributing to positive social change in Pakistan and beyond.