Academic:
Mr. Zafar completed his early education from Aitchison College Lahore;received his BA in Economics from Government College Lahore and his MBA from Quaid-e Azam University, Islamabad. He also holds a M.Sc in Development Economics from the London School of Economics and a MPP from the USA.

He is a Brittania-Chevenning Scholar and a Hubert Humphrey Fellow.

He has also attended a large number of short trainings, certifications and diplomas from Harvard University (KSG), UCLA, Chicago University, Duke University, UNC, Reading University, Tokyo and Hiroshima Universities, World Bank Institute etc. He has also worked as a research associate at the Brooking Institute, Washington DC.

Professional:
Mr. Zafar qualified the central civil services examination and was placed in the fast-track district management group. He has 19 years of experience working in the government and donor assisted sectors.

He has held numerous field assignments as assistant and deputy commissioner.A few of Mr. Zafar's previous assignments include administrator/mayor of Rawalpindi and Chief Economist to the Govt. of NWFP. He is currently serving as the Secretary Planning and Development, incharge of economic uplift of the federally administered tribal areas of Pakistan.

He is interested in development and preservation of environment and ecology. Evidence of this interest is Mr. Zafar's role in the initiation of the Solid Waste Management Program (SWEEP) in Rawalpindi and his preparation of the master plan for the disposal of toxic effluents of the tannery industry.

He is the author of numerous policy documents pertaining to public finance, economic and social development etc