Burki was born in Pakistan and immigrated to Canada in 2003. Before entering politics, he owned a driving school and worked as a teacher.[2]
Burki first entered politics in the 2020 Saskatchewan provincial election, where he was the candidate of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) in the riding of Regina Coronation Park. He received 44.12% of the vote, placing second behind incumbent Mark Docherty. When Docherty resigned from the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan on February 10, 2023, Burki was the NDP candidate in the ensuing by-election, held on August 10, 2023. This time he was elected, receiving 56.65% of the vote and defeating Saskatchewan Party candidate Riaz Ahmad.[3] The two would rematch in the 2024 Saskatchewan provincial election, where Burki was subsequently re-elected.
As of June 22, 2024, he serves as the Official Opposition critic for Immigration. In this role, he has spoken out about racism faced by healthcare workers and criticized the decision of the provincial government to suspend an immigration program designed to attract skilled workers to Saskatchewan.[4][5][6]
