Imran Khan Led Pakistan Government Gives In To Pressure, Removes Economist For Being An Ahmadi

Dr Atif Mian, a renowned economist who is a graduate of Princeton University has been asked to step down from the Prime Minister led Economic Advisory Council (EAC), Dawn reported earlier today.

PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf) Senator Faisal Javed Khan announced the details today (7 September) via a tweet.

Minister of Information Fawad Chaudhary confirmed the news, justifying the move stating that it was aimed at ‘avoiding division’.

Mian was one among the 18 member EAC body who has been opposed by several individuals and groups, including TLP (Tahreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan), just because Dr Mian belongs to the Ahmadi faith.

This may come as a shock to many since the PTI government announced just three days ago that they will not bow down to extremists, no matter what.

At the press conference in Islamabad, Minister Chaudhary said, “Pakistan belongs as much to minorities as it does to the majority.” After the appointment of Dr Mian to the economic advisory body, there has been a vicious trolling and online smear campaign against him by those groups which do not adhere the Ahmadi faith to Islam.

Interestingly, Jinnah had appointed Sir Zafar Ullah, an Ahmadi as the foreign minister of Pakistan. The PPP (People’s Party of Pakistan) however did not abide by the vicious campaign and said that they do not support the witch-hunt.

Dr Mian is the only Pakistani economist to be included among the IMF’s (International Monetary Fund) ‘top 25 brightest young economists.’

As detailed here, on 7 September 1974, Zulifkar Ali Bhutto’s government brought in the second amendment which classified Ahmadis as non-Muslims, resulting in the ostracisation of the community.

The persecution of the Ahmadi community has also seen it bearing the brunt of heinous crimes like murder and custodial deaths. They have also served as a political fodder and have been sentenced to death for blasphemy.

The main grudge against the Ahmadis is that they consider their sect’s founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a “subordinate prophet”. This angers the predominantly Sunni population of Pakistan, who say that it violates an Islamic tenet which called Prophet Muhammad as god’s last direct messenger.