Curriculum Vitae (Annexure B)

Syed Muhammad Ali Date of Birth: 8 th November, 1974 Nationality: Pakistani

Residential Address: House No 9, Lane 6, Sector D, Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase 2, Islamabad. Contact (Phone): 0301-5555754 e-mail: [email protected]

Career goal : To be a leading, credible and respected international Security Analyst specializing in contemporary strategic and security issues of national, regional and international significance.

Experience ( TV, radio and web): (2006-08) Based at Washington DC at the Headquarters of the Voice of America (VoA), I conducted over 150 exclusive interviews, written, produced and directed backgrounders, investigative and analytical reports and features and also hosted both ‘Live’ and recorded Talk shows for the VOA TV, Radio and web, in both English and languages. Many of my backgrounders, features and interviews have been translated by over 40 different language services of Voice of America TV, Radio and web services, and broadcast around the world and have also been widely quoted by the leading news agencies including AP, Xinhua, PTI and APP. On numerous occasions, I have also been invited by many leading international channels and news networks such as Al- Jazeera English, Star News, Geo News, Aaj, PTV News etc., during their ‘Live’ shows and news broadcasts, as an expert on international security issues particularly those affecting the Muslim world, Middle east, South and West Asian regions.

I have covered the US State department, US Congress (both Houses) sessions, hearings, testimonies and briefings of US Congressmen, senior US government officials, Pentagon, US Central Command (CENTCOM), US Air Force (USAF), NASA and The World Bank Headquarters. I have also covered major events and deliberations affecting the world peace and security, at most of the world’s biggest and leading US Think tanks/policy research institutes, on significant international political, diplomatic, security and defence issues and developments.

I have exclusively interviewed a number of US Congressmen, senior US officials, including US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates; Under-Secretary Nicholas Burns, Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher; US generals, admirals and other senior staff officers of US Central Command, based at CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida; Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman, US Joint Chiefs of Staff; Rear Admiral Michael A. LeFever, Director military plans and policy division of US Navy, Pentagon; Commander of Langley Airbase, Virginia, which is one of the most vital US Air force airbases on the east coast; Commander of the 1 st US airforce fighter wing, the oldest flying air unit in the US Air Force history, which was also the very first in the world to receive F-22 Raptor, the most advanced and expensive fighter in service in the world today. I have also done a number of exclusive interviews with the US Assistant Secretary for Drug enforcement and the Assistant Secretary of US Treasury on counter-terrorist operations, nuclear, biological and chemical weapon proliferation, international money laundering chain and financial aspects of the international drugs trade. I have also produced a number of special reports on the treatment of muslim immigrants and visitors by the US authorities. Other senior officials interviewed exclusively include, the Vice President of the world’s largest defence manufacturer, Lockheed Martin Corporation, regarding its F-16C/D Block 50/52 fighter and P- 3C Orion programmes for air force and Pakistan naval aviation and Dr.Shanta Devarajan, Chief Economist of the World Bank for South Asia region.

I have also interviewed ambassadors of different countries, government advisors and leading political experts, including some of the legendary figures such as Nobel Laureate and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger; former US National Security Advisor to the US President Zbigniew Brzezinski; former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO General Wesley Clark; President of Brookings Institution Strobe Talbott; EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, former US Secretary of State Medeleine Albright, on wide-ranging political and security issues.

I have regularly hosted the flagship ‘Live’ programme of Voice of America Urdu service, ‘Roundtable ‘. This is a daily 60 minute long primetime radio talk show, in which political leaders, security experts, newsmakers and analysts from different parts of the world participate and discuss the most significant political developments and events, affecting South Asia and the world. ‘ Live’ phone call from listeners in Pakistan are also included in this show, which is also considered to be the most important Voice of America broadcast for South Asian audience.

Experience (TV, Radio and web) continued: (2005-06) Reporter/Producer, News and Current Affairs at PTV World (presently called PTV News), Pakistan's oldest news and current affairs channel and covered political, security and diplomatic issues. Personally edited and translated numerous national addresses by President Musharraf; did 'Live' reporting during major national and international events and crises, such as all the Local government election results from the Chief Election Commission office in Islamabad in 2005; October 2005 earthquake which killed over 73,000 people, international summit meetings and conferences such as the International Donors’ Conference held in Islamabad after the deadly earthquake, Pak-India talks over the Kashmir dispute, Nuclear CBMs between Pakistan and India, Ghauri, Shaheen I, Shaheen II ballistic and Babar cruise missile tests, JF-17 Thunder fighter, Al-Khalid Main Battle Tank, Agosta 90-B and various other Naval shipbuilding programmes and numerous other issues related to South Asia strategic stability and security.

I also exclusively interviewed a large number of federal ministers and senior military officials including the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Ehsan-ul-Haq ; Vice Chief of Army Staff General Ahsan Saleem Hayat , Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mehmood Ahmed and Chief of the Naval Staff of Pakistan Navy Admiral Afzal Muhammad Tahir , and a large number of other senior Pakistani, US and British military officers and foreign ambassadors. I also covered various live firing exercises, fire-power demonstrations and missile tests of and for PTV.

Independently conceived, wrote the script, directed and produced a number of documentaries and programmes on political, diplomatic and security issues for PTV World. Independently produced programmes include the ’Live’ flagship programmes such as ‘Newsnight’ and ‘News Morning’ . I also recorded, produced, directed, wrote the script and edited two composite report-based magazine shows, ‘Reporters’ Diary’ and ‘Kashmir Magazine’ . One of the documentaries on “The future of water security of Pakistan’ , which was conceived, written, shot and produced by me, was nominated by PTV in the international film festival of United Nations in 2005 and won appreciation there.

(2000-02) Controller at Cross Media Ltd, a Japanese Media Company based in the West End of London, UK where I planned and co-ordinated media strategy, helped diversify operations and also negotiated its financial and management re-structuring for operations in Europe and USA. I also helped organize a major international trade fair at Hyde Park, London in summer 2001.

Literary Experience: (1993-2005) I have written News stories not only for VOA South Asia division but also its Central News Department, which is used by over 40 different language services of Voice of America worldwide operations broadcasting around the world, on major security issues and matters related to South Asia. I have written over 30 research articles, Op-ed and analytical pieces in leading english dailies and journals of Pakistan such as daily ’The Dawn’ , daily ‘The News’ , ‘Daily Times’ , daily ‘The Muslim’ , daily ‘The Pakistan Times’ , The Defence Journal, The Strategic Studies Journal on security, defence and diplomatic issues, particularly those related to South Asia such as the strategic stability and arms race in the sub-continent, nuclear weapons programmes of Pakistan and India, the Kashmir dispute, weapon acquisitions, development programmes and major arms deals by Pakistan and India.

Education: (2009-11) M.Sc Strategic and Nuclear Studies at the National Defence University, Islamabad, topping in each of the 22 courses undertaken during the 2-year M.Sc programme at the SNS Department. (1996-2000) Auditor with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the world’s largest financial services organization and provided consultancy, advisory, audit, due-diligence and accounting services to over 40 leading blue chip corporate clients particularly the biggest oil and gas, telecom companies and financial services organizations operating in Pakistan such as Shell, OMV, British Gas, Premier Oil, OGDC, PTCL, Ericsson Telecom, The World Bank, The Bank of America, Citibank, Citicorp Investment Bank etc.

(1995) Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) from the University of Cambridge.U.K. (1994) First Certificate in English (FCE) from the University of Cambridge. U.K. (1996) B.A. from the University of Punjab, in English, Economics and Statistics

Distinctions and achievements: Topped in the CPE batch of the University of Cambridge U.K . and won special appreciation and 1 st prize from Sir James Paice, British Secretary of Education . During college education, I have been a debater of national standing in both english and Urdu languages and won numerous inter-university and inter-college debate contests throughout the country including the most prestigious national bi-lingual declamation contest, ‘The Prime Minister Shield’ , organized annually by HEC in which students from 100 universities of Pakistan participate. Elected CR in each of the 4 semesters during M.Sc Programme at NDU and hosted, organized and co-ordinated numerous international seminars, guest lectures, workshops and study tours on national and international security issues and also represented NDU in various national and international fora with distinction. Selected and served as the Editor of College Magazine for two terms in a row at graduate level. Represented college cricket and hiking teams in various contests. Selected in the National talent pool established by the ministry of education, Islamabad during high school education.

Interests and hobbies: Reading, writing and travelling.