Masood Ul Mulk

Masood Ul Mulk
Born 1 May 1956
Nationality Pakistani
Occupation CEO of the Sarhad Rural Support Programme
Known for Humanitarian Work
Social Development
Poverty Reduction
Participatory Development
Board member of
 AKH Resource Center
Rural Support Programme Network (RSPN)
The United States Education Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP)
Pakistan Micro Finance Network
National Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Masood Ul Mulk (Urdu: مسود الملک) is a leading Pakistani expert on humanitarian aid and a renowned development practitioner. He is the CEO of SRSP, the largest NGO working to alleviate poverty in north-west Pakistan.[1]

Background and education

Masood hails from Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He is the son of shahzada Khush Ahmed Ul Mulk and the grandson of H.H Sir Shuja Ul Mulk, the former ruler/mehtar of the Princely State of Chitral.[2] Masood is the son in law of veteran politician Shahzada Mohiuddin.[3]

Masood pursued academic studies and professional courses from Lawrence College, Wye College, University of York, American University, the World Bank and IMF, Washington. He has also been a Hubert Humphrey Fellow at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, US.[4]

Career

Masood has served in the development field for over 20 years. While serving as the Regional Programme Manager for the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) in Chitral, his developmental work for the area manifested in the extensive building of roads, bridges, water channels. He also introduced a micro-hydro power system that supplied electricity to about 175,000 people in over 110 villages, and won the organisation an Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy.[5][6]

Since 2001, Masood has been leading the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP), the organisation set up by Sitara-i-Imtiaz recipient and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Shoaib Sultan Khan.[7] Masood led SRSP’s relief and reconstruction work following the 2005 earthquake,[8] 2009 Swat Valley conflict and 2010 floods,[9] and worked closely with civil and military authorities. Given the technical difficulties and social resistance faced by international NGOs and multilateral organisations, their ability to deliver on ground was restricted, more so after 9/11. Hence a very high proportion of the international developmental, humanitarian and relief aid to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had to flow through SRSP. Masood has combined innovative techniques with aboriginal ones to make sure that the aid reaches those in need. At the core of his approach is the compelling idea that downward accountability is as important as upward accountability.

Following the earthquake of 2005 Masood oversaw the phenomenal relief work of SRSP followed by its reconstruction of 62,000 houses. The multimillion dollar project was funded by the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund and continues to be one of the largest of its kind anywhere in the world.

He was part of the five-member United Nations, government and humanitarian team that led the 2009 UN Humanitarian Appeal for Internally Displaced Persons.[10] While doing so he also headed SRSP's humanitarian assistance, reaching out to 3.5 million IDPs, providing transportation, accommodation, food items and medical services. Masood was invited to represent the Pakistani Civil Society in 2009 as one of the speakers at the Presidency where the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan had organised a function to honour those who had worked for the IDPs. He was among a select gathering of international donors, NGOs and civil society representatives who were honoured by the President for their efforts and contributions.[11][12][13]

Once again, during the 2010 floods Masood spearheaded SRSP’s humanitarian and relief assistance to hundreds of thousands in distress. The immediate reflexive actions were followed by more protracted and deliberate efforts to rebuild community infrastructure throughout KP, where they had been damaged by the floods.[14][15]

As the Chief Executive of SRSP Masood has over the years presided over many locally and internationally funded projects. Two of the more illustrious would include the Bacha Khan Poverty Alleviation Program (BKPAP), which was funded by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Programme for Economic Advancement and Community Empowerment (PEACE), which was funded by the European Union. And represents one of the largest grants given by the EU to a NGO.[16]

Masood has lectured at various forums including, Lahore University of Management Sciences, the Civil Services Academy of Pakistan (Lahore) as well as several universities across Canada. He has also delivered lectures at the University of Cambridge and the The Pakistan Society in London.[17][18]

Masood has served on the boards of various organisations including:

Publications

References