Over the course of his stay in Afghanistan, Zakhilwal has been part of the 2002 and 2003 loya jirgas.
He served as an author of Afghanistan's First National Human Development Report, which was released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in February 2007 and won the UN special award for best analysis in June 2007.

He also worked as an Afghan counterpart to the North-South Institute-led "What Kind of Peace is Possible?"
research project, examining the role of community led development in sustainable peace building, as well as working on a strategy for Counter-Narcotics Alternative Livelihood in Afghanistan.
He has done consulting work for the World Bank, UNDP, CIDA and other organizations.

Zakhilwal served as the President of the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA), a member of the Supreme Council of Da Afghanistan Bank, Acting Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, and the Chief Advisor to the Minister of Rural Development of Afghanistan.
He became the Chief Economic Advisor to President Hamid Karzai in July 2008, and in March 2009 he was chosen as the new Minister of Finance.

In 2010, Zakhilwal was implicated in one of the transactions associated with the Kabul Bank scandal.
 Following an investigation by the Afghan Threat Finance Cell, he admitted receiving $200,000 in cash from Kabul Bank officials who wanted to contribute to the re-election campaign of Hamid Karzai.
 Despite being the Minister of Finance, Zakhilwal admitted that he kept no record of the transaction and simply handed over the cash to the campaign headquarters.
Over the course of his stay in Afghanistan, Zakhilwal has been part of the 2002 and 2003 loya jirgas. He served as an author of Afghanistan's First National Human Development Report, which was released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in February 2007 and won the UN special award for best analysis in June 2007.
He also worked as an Afghan counterpart to the North-South Institute-led "What Kind of Peace is Possible?" research project, examining the role of community led development in sustainable peace building, as well as working on a strategy for Counter-Narcotics Alternative Livelihood in Afghanistan. He has done consulting work for the World Bank, UNDP, CIDA and other organizations.
Zakhilwal served as the President of the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA), a member of the Supreme Council of Da Afghanistan Bank, Acting Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, and the Chief Advisor to the Minister of Rural Development of Afghanistan. He became the Chief Economic Advisor to President Hamid Karzai in July 2008, and in March 2009 he was chosen as the new Minister of Finance.
In 2010, Zakhilwal was implicated in one of the transactions associated with the Kabul Bank scandal.  Following an investigation by the Afghan Threat Finance Cell, he admitted receiving $200,000 in cash from Kabul Bank officials who wanted to contribute to the re-election campaign of Hamid Karzai.  Despite being the Minister of Finance, Zakhilwal admitted that he kept no record of the transaction and simply handed over the cash to the campaign headquarters.
Omar Zakhilwal