DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Dr. Ali Akbar has successfully defended his doctoral thesis, shedding light on one of Pakistan’s most contested development questions; how the mega projects alter the lives and livelihoods of displaced communities.
Akbar’s research, titled “Impacts of Mega Projects on Socio-economic Status of Displaced Persons: A Case Study of Diamer Bhasha Dam in Pakistan. His thesis defense was examined by a distinguished panel comprising Prof. Dr. Siow Heng Loke (Chair), Associate Prof. Dr. Baharu Kemat (Internal Examiner), Prof. Dr. A.H. Roslan from University Utara Malaysia (External Examiner), and his supervisor, Prof. Dato Dr. Sayed Mushtaq Hussain (silent observer).
The committee lauds Dr. Akbar’s extensive fieldwork in the Chilas region, where the multi-billion-dollar Bhasha Dam has forced the displacement of over 35,000 people and submerged nearly 40 villages.
His work combined quantitative data with qualitative consultations, producing a rare evidence-based account of how development megaprojects intersect with displacement, poverty, and identity.
