Afaq has wide experience in the areas of International Trade and Development Policy. He has conducted and supervised a number of studies for government bodies and various institutions including The World Bank, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), Dun & Bradstreet amongst others.
He has conducted extensive research on aspects of regional integration particularly trade and cooperation in South Asia. Some of the recent work has been on trade, non-tariff barriers, trade facilitation reforms and informal trade in South Asia with a special focus on India-Pakistan.

He has been actively working on projects aimed at improving India’s trading environment focusing on improving efficiency at sea ports. Apart from trade and trade facilitation, he has been leading BRIEF’s engagements in Jammu and Kashmir involving research and engagements on Cross LoC trade, confidence building measures, engagement with youth in Jammu and Kashmir, etc. Some of his publications include Trading confidence: a compelling case for Cross LoC Trade, Bridging infrastructural deficit at select trade ports in India, Direct port delivery at Indian ports, etc.

Some of his key assignments include:

• Cross-LoC Trade through Jammu and Kashmir: Enhancing Opportunities and Expanding Constituencies- Conciliation Resources, 2017
• Pursuing Reforms at Indian Ports to Improve the Trading Environment for International Business- Foreign and Commonwealth Office, The British High Commission, 2016
• Cross LoC Trade through Jammu & Kashmir: Creating positive constituencies – Conciliation Resources, 2015
• Bridging infrastructural deficits at select trade ports in India- Foreign and Commonwealth Office, The British High Commission, 2015
• MSME Report – 2014, SIDBI, 2014
• Monetizing Gold – A Study in India, FICCI, 2014
• Regional Cooperation in South Asia – Multi-Stakeholder Perception Study, The World Bank, 2013
• Non-Tariff Barrier Study on India Pakistan Trade; ICRIER, 2013
• Trade Perception Study for India Pakistan Trade; ICRIER, 2013
• Study on Informal trade between India and Pakistan; ICRIER, 2013
• Study of India’s Investment Environment, major FDI inflows, and Suggestion for Taiwan’s businessmen” : Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) & ICRIER
• Preparation of database on Non-Tariff Measures in India; The World Bank. 2012
• Need Assessment of Indian MSME clusters, GIZ-SIDBI, 2012
• Business perception study on Indian Industry, FICCI, 2012
• Study on Non-Tariff Barriers and Technical Barriers to Trade for India with Pakistan, ICRIER, 2007
• Study on Non-Tariff Barriers and Technical Barriers to Trade for India with ASEAN countries and Sri Lanka, ICRIER, 2006