Academic Background

M.Phil and Phd from the Faculty of Economics, Cambridge University, UK.
B.A. in Economics and Social Thought from Lawrence University, Wisconsin, USA.

Research Experience

Asad has been with the Collective since its inception, but actively started working as Senior Research Associate in 2003. Previously, Asad has worked as Senior Economist at the Social Policy Development Centre from 1995 to 1997. He was then Director of Research at the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research from 1997 to 2000. In 2001-02, he was Visiting Research Fellow at the Applied Economics Research Centre (AERC), University of Karachi. In 2002-03, Asad was awarded a fellowship by the Asia Scholarship Foundation to conduct research on Thailand. He was associated with them as a Research Fellow at the Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.

Research Interests

Political Economy of Growth and Structural Change, Industrial Policy in Developing Countries, New Institutional Economics, Labour Market Dynamics in Developing Countries, Social Protection, Macroeconomic Policy with special reference to growth, debt management and poverty alleviation, Political Economy of Corruption

Reports and Publications at the Collective

1. Asad Sayeed and Hussain Bux Mallah, Climate Change Vulnerabilities and Climate Action in Sindh Province, Pakistan. Collective Blog. September 2024.

   Keywords: Climate Change

   

2. Asad Sayeed, Fiscal federalism in a hybrid state. Collective Blog. April 2024.

   

3. Asad Sayeed, NFC: myths and realities. Collective Blog. March 2024.

   

4. Asad Sayeed, Yasser Kureshi, Zoha Waseem and Sidra Adil, Federalism in a hybrid regime: the 18th amendment in Pakistan. June 2023.

   

5. Asad Sayeed, Fiscal federalism in a hybrid state: the case of Pakistan. April 2023.

   Keywords: Democracy

   

6. Asad Sayeed and Haleema Hasan, Rural Livelihood Programs in Pakistan: Lessons from the past as guide to the future. Study conducted for the Rural Livelihoods in South Asia Program, World Bank, New Delhi. October 2021.

   Keywords: Community Mobilization, Political Economy, Poverty Alleviation, Rural Support Program

   

7. Asad Sayeed, Kabeer Dawani and Haleema Hasan, Living Income Report: Rural Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. November 2021.

   Keywords: Labour

   

8. Kabeer Dawani and Asad Sayeed, Mafia Domination or Victim of Neoliberalism? Contextualising the Woes of Karachi's Transport Sector. In N. Kirmani (ed). Marginalization, Contestation and Change in South Asian Cities. Oxford University Press. September 2021.

   Keywords: Karachi, Political Economy, Transportation

   

9. Asad Sayeed and Aqdas Afzal, Pakistan’s Macroeconomy and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Jinnah Institute, Islamabad. June 2021.

   Keywords: Covid-19, Economy, Growth, Pakistan, Public Finance, Social Protection

   

10. Kabeer Dawani and Asad Sayeed, Anti-corruption in Pakistan’s Pharmaceutical Sector: A Political Settlement Analysis. SOAS University of London: Anti-Corruption Evidence (ACE) Research Consortium Working Paper 25. July 2020.

    Keywords: Corruption, Health, Political Economy

    

11. Asad Sayeed, Economic Dynamics and Resource Envelopes. Collective Blog. May 2020.

    Keywords: Covid-19, Economy

    

12. Kabeer Dawani and Asad Sayeed, Pakistan’s Pharmaceutical Sector: Issues of Pricing, Procurement and the Quality of Medicines. SOAS University of London: Anti-Corruption Evidence (ACE) Research Consortium Working Paper 012. August 2019.

    Keywords: Corruption, Economy, Health

    

13. Asad Sayeed, Natasha Ansari and Usman Naeem, Women’s mobility and labour force participation: Early evidence from Karachi. IGC Policy Brief No.37429 . April 2019.

    Keywords: Karachi, Labour, Migration, Patriarchy, Women's Work

    

14. Asad Sayeed and Natasha Ansari, Women’s mobility, agency, and labour force participation in the megacity of Karachi. International Growth Centre Report No. C-37429-PAK-1. March 2019.

    Keywords: Karachi, Labour, Women

    

15. Kabeer Dawani, Asad Sayeed, Richard Anker and Martha Anker, Updating Anker Methodology Living Wage Estimates: Methodological Issues and Guidelines. Paper prepared for the Global Living Wage Coalition. January 2019.

    

16. Asad Sayeed, In the midst of a crisis. Collective Blog. June 2018.

    Keywords: Economy, Growth, Monetary Policy

    

17. Asad Sayeed, India-Pakistan Trade: Economic Sense and Other Sensibilities. Chaophraya Essays, The Jinnah Institute. July 2017.

    Keywords: Economy

    

18. Asad Sayeed and Kabeer Dawani, Living Wage Report:Urban and Rural Pakistan. March 2017.

    

19. Asad Sayeed, Flying Low: Everyone Seems to Have a Solution for PIA. Collective Blog. January 2017.

    Keywords: Employment, Privatization, Transportation

    

20. Asad Sayeed and Kabeer Dawani, Infographic for Living Wage in Urban and Rural Sialkot, Pakistan. May 2016.

    

21. Asad Sayeed, Khurram Husain and Syed Salim Raza, Informality in Karachi's Land, Manufacturing and Transport Sectors: Implications for Stability. United States Institute of Peace, Peaceworks No. 114. May 2016.

    Keywords: Informality, Karachi, Political Economy, Stability

    

22. Asad Sayeed, Who Benefits from CPEC? Collective Blog. February 2016.

    Keywords: CPEC, Economy

    

23. Asad Sayeed and Kabeer Dawani, How Trade with India Helped Lollywood. Collective Blog. December 2015.

    Keywords: Media, Trade

    

24. Asad Sayeed, Social Protection in Pakistan. Sarnet Working Paper No.2/2015. December 2015.

    

25. Asad Sayeed, The Developmental Role of the Central Bank. Collective Blog. June 2015.

    Keywords: Central Bank, Monetary Policy, State

    

26. Asad Sayeed and Zubair Faisal Abbasi, The role of Central Banks in supporting economic growth and creation of productive employment: The case of Pakistan. I.L.O.. May 2015.

    Keywords: Central Bank, Economy, Monetary Policy

    

27. Haris Gazdar, Yasser Kureshi and Asad Sayeed, The Rise of Jihadi Militancy in Pakistan's Tribal Areas. in A. Sundar and N. Sundar eds. Civil Wars in South Asia: State, Sovereignty, Development. New Delhi: Sage India. November 2014.

    Keywords: Institutional change, Political Economy, State, Terrorism

    

28. Asad Sayeed and Kabeer Dawani, Debating Political Economy of the Budget. Collective Blog. November 2014.

    Keywords: Political Economy, Public Finance, Taxation

    

29. Asad Sayeed, Hussain Bux Mallah and Laila Rajani, Class Conflict,Extraneous Factors or Institutional Vacuum? Review Paper on Causes of Violence in Swat. The Asia Foundation. May 2014.

    Keywords: Conflict, State

30. Asad Sayeed and Thomas Kirk, Institutional Vacuum, Violence and the State: The Case of Swat, Pakistan. JSRP Blog. December 2013.

    Keywords: Conflict, State

    

31. Ayesha Khan, Asad Sayeed, Fatima Haider and Sidra Kamran, Child Protection System Mapping and Assessment 2013 - Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa. UNICEF. March 2013.

    

32. Ayesha Khan, Asad Sayeed, Saba Shaikh, Asad Jamal and Sidra Kamran, Child Protection System Mapping and Assessment 2013 - Punjab. UNICEF. January 2013.

    

33. Asad Sayeed, Ayesha Khan, Fatima Haider and Sidra Kamran, Child Protection System Mapping and Assessment - Sindh. UNICEF. December 2012.

    

34. Asad Sayeed, Ayesha Khan and Sidra Kamran, Child Protection System Mapping and Assessment - Balochistan. UNICEF. December 2012.

    

35. Asad Sayeed, Employment Program in the Flood Affected Areas. ILO. May 2011.

    

36. Asad Sayeed, Gains from Trade and Structural Impediments to India-Pakistan Trade. E. Sridharan, ed., International Relations Theory and South Asian Regional Cooperation, Vol. II. Oxford University Press, Delhi. 2011.

    

37. Asad Sayeed and Ali Cheema, Addressing Economic Distress Through Public Works: The Case for Pakistan. December 2010.

    

38. Shehla Zaidi, Shafqat Shehzad, Asad Sayeed and Liaquat Khowaja, Landscaping Health Financing Works in Pakistan: Report. World Health Organization (W.H.O.). December 2010.

    

39. Asad Sayeed, Overcoming the Livelihood Crisis in Flood-Affected Areas, in Pakistan at Risk: Challenges and Opportunities After the Flood. Jinnah Institute. October 2010.

    

40. Asad Sayeed, Contextualising Corruption in Pakistan. Social Science and Policy Bulletin, Lahore University of Management Sciences. Vol. 2, No. 1. Summer 2010.

    Keywords: Corruption, Governance, Political Economy

    

41. Panel Of Economists, Final Report of the Panel of Economists: Medium-Term Development Imperatives and Strategy for Pakistan. Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan. April 2010.

    

42. Asad Sayeed, Graduation Strategies for Safety Net Beneficiaries - Policy Note. January 2010.

    

43. Dr. Shehla Zaidi, Prof. Zulfiqar Bhutta, Asad Sayeed, Zahid Memon and Dr. Ajmal Agha, Result Based Financing Mechanisms for Improving Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Outputs: A Feasibility Study for 10 Selected Districts of Rural Sindh. The Aga Khan University, Karachi. 2010.

    Keywords: Health

    

44. Naila Kabeer, Khawar Mumtaz and Asad Sayeed, Beyond Risk Management: Vulnerability, Social Protection and Citizenship in Pakistan. Journal of International Development. Vol. 22, No. 1. January 2010.

    Keywords: Citizenship, Inequality, Social Networks, Social Protection, Vulnerability

    

45. Ali Cheema, Haris Gazdar, Mohammad Farooq Naseer and Asad Sayeed, Elections 2008 Turnout. Herald. March 2008.

    Keywords: Elections

    

46. Ali Cheema, Haris Gazdar, Mohammad Farooq Naseer and Asad Sayeed, Elections 2008 Voter Registration. Herald. March 2008.

    Keywords: Elections

    

47. Ali Cheema, Haris Gazdar, Mohammad Farooq Naseer and Asad Sayeed, Elections 2008 Representation. Herald. March 2008.

    Keywords: Elections

    

48. Ali Cheema, Haris Gazdar, Mohammad Farooq Naseer and Asad Sayeed, Support Base. Herald. March 2008.

    Keywords: Elections

    

49. Ali Cheema, Haris Gazdar, Mohammad Farooq Naseer and Asad Sayeed, Elections 2008 Trends. Herald. March 2008.

    Keywords: Elections

    

50. Syed Akmal Hussain, Haris Gazdar and Asad Sayeed, Macroeconomic Management and Poverty Trends in Pakistan 1999-2007. The Asia Foundation, Islamabad. December 2007.

    Keywords: Economy, Poverty

51. Haris Gazdar and Asad Sayeed, Pro-Poor Growth Agenda - Institutions and Institutional Change. The Asia Foundation, Islamabad. December 2007.

    Keywords: Political Economy, Poverty

52. Haris Gazdar and Asad Sayeed, The Taliban/Al-Qaeda Threat as an Institutional Challenge to the State in Pakistan. The Asia Foundation, Islamabad. December 2007.

    Keywords: Political Economy, Conflict

53. Haris Gazdar and Asad Sayeed, The Politics of Demilitarizing State and Society. The Asia Foundation, Islamabad. December 2007.

    Keywords: Political Economy

54. Asad Sayeed and Rashid Memon, Beyond the Investment Climate: Understanding the Investment Conundrum in Pakistan. Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. September 2007.

    Keywords: Political Economy

    

55. Asad Sayeed and Ayesha Ibrahim, Domestic Commerce in Pakistan: Synthesis Report. Innovative Development Strategies, Islamabad. May 2007.

    Keywords: Economy

    

56. Asad Sayeed and Ali Cheema, Bureaucracy and Pro-Poor Change. Working Paper No. 3. Pakistan Institute of Development Studies, Islamabad. 2006.

    Keywords: Political Economy

    

57. Asad Sayeed and Ayesha Ibrahim, Country Background Report: Trade Unions in Pakistan. Berenschot and Institute of Social Studies, Hague. November 2006.

    Keywords: Labour

    

58. Asad Sayeed, Naila Kabeer and Khawar Mumtaz, Citizenship and Social Protection: Towards a 'Transformative' Agenda for Pakistan. DFID, United Kingdom. April 2006.

    Keywords: Marginality

    

59. Asad Sayeed, The Defence Budget and Good Governance. SZABIST, Karachi. 2004.

    Keywords: Political Economy

60. Asad Sayeed and Radhika Balakrishnan, Why Do Firms Disintegrate? Towards an Understanding of the Firm-level Decision to Subcontract and its Implications for Labor. in ed. William Milberg, Labor and the Globalization of Production: Causes and Consequences of Industrial Upgrading. Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire. 2004.

    Keywords: Labour

    

61. Asad Sayeed, Rashid Memon, Hussain Bux Mallah and Haseeb Athar, Labour and Governance in the Road Sector: Issues arising in ADB operations in Pakistan. Asian Development Bank, Islamabad. December 2004.

    Keywords: Labour

    

62. Asad Sayeed, Violence as a Handmaiden to Development? The Story of Capital Accumulation in Thailand. Paper Presented at the First South Asia Fellows of the Asian Scholarship Foundation Conference, New Delhi, November 7-8, 2004.

    Keywords: Political Economy

63. Asad Sayeed, Corruption, Governance and Development in Thailand. Paper Presented at the Fourth Annual Fellows Conference of the Asian Scholarship Foundation, Bangkok, August 3-4, 2004. August 2004.

    Keywords: Political Economy

    

64. Asad Sayeed, Social Protection in Pakistan: Concept, Situation Analysis and the Way Forward. Working Paper 5. Center for Research on Poverty Reduction and Income Distribution, Islamabad. Febuary 2004.

    Keywords: Social Protection

    

65. Haris Gazdar and Asad Sayeed, Drivers of Pro-Poor Change in Pakistan: Scoping Paper. Mimeograph. Collective for Social Science Research, Karachi. December 2003.

    Keywords: Political Economy

    

66. Asad Sayeed and Khalid Nadvi, Industrial Capital and Pro-Poor Change. Mimeograph. Collective for Social Science Research, Karachi. December 2003.

    Keywords: Political Economy

Press Publications

1. Asad Sayeed, Landmark for greater federalism. TNS. May 2015.

   Keywords: Economy

   

2. Asad Sayeed, Economic Cost of Protests. Dawn. August 2014.

   

3. Asad Sayeed, A middle-class revolution. The Herald. February 2014.

   

4. Asad Sayeed, The great trade bounty. The News. September 10, 2011.

   

5. Asad Sayeed, Subsidies-Missing the target. Business Recorder Fiscal Review 2011. August 25, 2011.

   

6. Asad Sayeed and Mysbah Balagamwala, Structural Character of the Budget Deficit. The News. August 22, 2011.

   Keywords: Economy

   

7. Asad Sayeed and Mysbah Balagamwala, Implications of the budget deficit. The News. August 22, 2011.

   

8. Asad Sayeed, Against the tide. The Express Tribune. January 2011.

   

9. Asad Sayeed, Opposition to RGST is shortsighted and irresponsible. The News. December 2010.

   

10. Asad Sayeed, Welfarism And Social Protection . Friday Times. October 8- 14 2010.

    Keywords: Social Protection

    

11. Asad Sayeed, Viability of new units. The News. 25 April 2010.

    

12. Asad Sayeed, Short March to Despotism. The Friday Times. 23-29 April 2010.

    

13. Asad Sayeed, The Political Economist. The News, Interview. 7 March 2010.

    

14. Asad Sayeed, The Imperfect Best, Book Review of Electoral Processes and Governance in South Asia, edited by Dushyantha Mendis. Herald. February 2009.

    Keywords: Elections, Democracy,

    

15. Asad Sayeed, Reap What You Sow: Pakistan's Economy in 2008. Daily Dawn, New Year Special Edition. January 2009.

    Keywords: Economy

    

Other Reports and Publications

1. Asad Sayeed, Income Patterns of Woman Workers in Pakistan: A Case Study of the Urban Manufacturing Sector. The Lahore Journal of Economics. Vol 8, No.1. 2003.

2. Asad Sayeed and Ejaz Rashid, Pakistan's External Debt Burden: Causes, Complexities and Remedies. Research Report No. 45. Social Policy and Development Centre, Karachi. 2003.

   Keywords: Development, Economy, Political Economy

   

3. Asad Sayeed, Sub-Contracting: The Push and Pull Dynamics. in ed. R. Balakrishnan, The Hidden Assembly Line: Gender Dynamics of Sub-Contracted Work in the Global Economy. Kumarian Press, Bloomfield, Connecticut. 2002.

4. Asad Sayeed, Should There Be a Minimum Wage in Pakistan? The NIPA Journal. Vol 7, No2. 2002.

5. Asad Sayeed, State-Society Conjunctures and Disjunctures: Alternative Explanations of Pakistan's Manufacturing Performance. in eds. K. Nadvi and S.M. Nasim, The Post-Colonial State and Social Transformation in South Asia: Essays in Honour of Hamza Alavi. Oxford University Press, Karachi. 2002.

   

6. Asad Sayeed, Household Characteristics, Poverty and Indebtedness Among Woman Workers In Urban Pakistan. NIPA Journal. Vol 7, Number 4. 2002.

7. Asad Sayeed, Structural Adjustment and its Impact on Women. Pakistan Perspectives. Vol 7, No.2.

8. Asad Sayeed, Structural Adjustment and Poverty in Pakistan: Is there a Causality? NGORC Journal. Vol 1, No. 2. 2001.

9. Asad Sayeed and Saba Gul Khattak, Sub-Contracted Women Workers in the Global Economy: The Case of Pakistan. SDPI Monograph Series No. 15. 2000.

10. Asad Sayeed, Growth and Mobilisation of the Middle Classes in West Punjab: 1960-70. in ed. P. Singh, Punjabi Identity in a Global Context. Oxford University Press, Delhi. 1999.

11. Asad Sayeed, Labour Market Policies and Institutions: A Framework for Social Dialogue. Study Conducted as part of the Country Employment Policy Report, Pakistan for the ILO, Geneva in 1999 .

12. Asad Sayeed, External Debt: What are the Options? Pakistan Journal of Applied Economics. Vol XV Nos.1&2. pp.79-85. 1999.

13. Asad Sayeed, Political Economy of Corruption in Pakistan: Locating Structural Features. in ed. N. Tahir, The Politics and Economics of the Market Economy in Post Cold War Europe: Lessons for South Asia.. University of Karachi Press, Karachi. 1998.

14. Asad Sayeed and A.f. Aisha Ghaus, Has Poverty Returned to Pakistan? 1996.

    Keywords: Development, Poverty, Social Change, Social Protection

    

Collective Seminars

1. Natasha Ansari and Asad Sayeed, Migration and Differential Patterns of Patriarchy: Contours of Female Labour Force Participation in Karachi, Collective Seminar 2019-05, 02 May 2019.

   Project Photo Gallery
2. Kabeer Dawani and Asad Sayeed, Estimating a Living Wage Benchmark in Sialkot, Pakistan, Collective Seminar 2019-01, 18 Jan 2019.

   Project
3. Asad Sayeed, External Account Imbalances, Accumulation and Productive Investment (with Rashid Mehmood), Collective Seminar 2018-07, 30 Oct 2018.