The Pakistan government asked renowned economist Atif Rehman Mian to step down on Friday from his position on the Economic Advisory Council (EAC), which had been announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan on September 1.
The decision came following a backlash by Islamist groups, led by the Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), which had generated an uproar against the economist’s Ahmadiyya identity.
Initially, the government had stood firm on its appointment, with Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary vowing that the government would not “bow down to extremists”, and maintaining that Pakistan “belonged to the minorities just as much as it belonged to the majority.”
However, with threats of a TLP mob looming over Mian’s appointment, having recently claimed victory over the cancellation of a contest to draw cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in the Netherlands, the government succumbed to the demands.
“The government wants to go forward in unison with religious scholars and social classes,” Fawad Chaudhary told Asia Times. “If [Atif Mian’s] appointment creates a different impression, it is inappropriate [to appointment him].”
Last year, the TLP staged a protest in Islamabad and called for violence against Ahmadis following amendments to the Election Reforms Bill, 2017 which omitted discriminatory clauses against the Ahmadiyya community from the election nomination papers.
The Ahmadiyya sect was excommunicated by the Pakistani constitution in 1974 over accusations of heresy, given the often misinterpreted theological position of the Ahmadi Muslims on Prophet Muhammed being the final prophet of Islam.
Ahmadis believe in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as an Islamic messiah, as predicted by Prophet Muhammad, a belief rejected by other sects and deemed blasphemous by orthodox Muslims, and giving birth to Islamist groups like Majlis-e-Khatm-e-Nabuwwat [Organisation of Finality of Prophethood] which perpetuates persecution of the community.
In addition to been declared non-Muslims by the Constitution, the Pakistan Penal Code also outlaws Ahmadis from “posing as Muslims”, with capital punishment for blasphemy constantly keeping the community under the threat of violence. Last month an Ahmadi mosque was set ablaze near Faisalabad.
Human rights activists have dubbed Atif Mian’s sacking an attack on religious minorities in Pakistan, but TLP leaders say such “simplistic narratives” are fallacious.
“Have you seen us protesting against Christians or Hindus? Rana Bhagwandas for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. This is not a question of minorities, but of Qadianis [derogatory term for Ahmadis] who are not just kafirs [non-believers] but also murtideen [apostates],” TLP spokesman Ijaz Ashrafi told Asia Times.
“The law prohibits them from using Islamic titles, while the community continues to profess Islam. How can someone who rejects the Constitution of Pakistan be given such a high profile role in the government?” Ashrafi asked, adding that the “punishment for apostates in Islam is death.”
Two others step down from EAC
Following Atif Mian’s removal, two other EAC members Dr Imran Rasul and Asim Ijaz Khwaja also stepped down from the council in protest against the sacking. Government sources reveal that Mian had been influential in both Rasul and Khwaja’s inclusion on the EAC.
Critics have condemned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s handling of the council, which has resulted in the government losing three top economists at a time when it faces a wide array of fiscal challenges. Observers say that the government knew full well a backlash that would ensue following Mian’s inclusion on the council and if it hadn’t been prepared for it, they shouldn’t have gone ahead and appointed him.
“I won’t complain about the government coming under pressure, but what I will complain about is that they had not even faced [real] pressure,” said activist and politician Jibran Nasir, who in his election campaign had resisted calls to declare Ahmadis infidels.
“Was the capital choked for 20 days? Were any of the PTI ministers shot at…? All of this happened [last year] to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz [government] before they signed the agreement,” he pointed out.
The PTI first faced a backlash over Atif Mian when Imran Khan announced in 2014 that he would appoint Mian as his finance minister, after the International Monetary Fund listed him among the world’s 25 brightest young economists. But Khan backtracked after being told about Mian’s religious beliefs, despite economic analysts saying that Mian, author of ‘House of Debt’, would have provided invaluable insights into Pakistan’s debt crisis.
Meanwhile, sources within the PTI confirm that the pressure to remove Mian’s name also came from within his party as well.
“There are sections within the party that had warned [Imran Khan] back in 2014 as well, but given now that he was aware of [Atif Mian’s] religious identity there was a backlash within the party as well,” a PTI leader told Asia Times. “So the decision [to remove Mian] was as much about maintaining external order as it was about addressing internal party rifts.”
Despite the episode, Mian maintains that he will “always be ready to serve” his country. “My prayers will always be with Pakistan and I will always be ready to help it in any way that is required,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, for the Ahmadis, this is the latest setback in a list of acts of persecution against the community. However, echoing Mian, leaders of the community say that they will continue to support Pakistan in every way possible.
“It’s up to the government to make use of any individual’s capabilities, [but] every Ahmadi considers loving their country a part of their faith and will always be at the forefront of working for the development of Pakistan,” Ahmadiyya spokesperson Saleem Uddin said.
“And whenever asked next, the nation would always find Ahmadis there to serve the country whenever called upon.”
Amazing, no wonder Pakistain is in such a mess.
Once again, the primitive Islamists, acting on voices inside their thick skulls, have shown they have the power to intimidate and scare a ruling government into abject submission in the face of threats of violence.
Pakistan truly is a BANANA republic and a JIHADI CESSPOOL of Islamist simians that will take the country to oblivion! ???? ???? ????
PTI made the right decision, but for the wrong reasons.
I could not care less about this individual’s religious beliefs or the lack of them. What bothered me is that this Western educated IMF-lover would have pushed on Pakistan the same defunct socio-economics that has led the Corporate Capitalist West to debt, depression, and despair.
In the last 40 years Reaganomics/Thatcherism has decimated West’s middle class, made its rich richer, and poor poorer. In contrast, in last 15 years China, eschewing the Western ways, has pulled 700 million out of poverty.
Pakistan needs to speed its detachment from the West and go for Mohammedan/Quranic Islam that is diametrically opposite of Corporate Capitalism. The profligate, wasteful, failing Corporate Capitalist West offers:
1. No responsibility or limited responsibility godless culture
2. Large Corporate controlled Enterprise
3. Knowledge as a Private good
4. Top-down polity
5. Law and Order Democracy and Lawyerism
6. Positive interest regime
7. Income/spending/import taxation
8. Control of movement in goods, money, and people
Every one of these is anti-progress, anti-production, only for private profit for the few. Taxing incomes, spending, imports is no good for consumers or small and medium business alike. Not taxing assets encourages accumulation and hoarding, ties up resources needlessly.
As Socrates 1000 years before him, Mohammed AS offered more efficient Quranic prescription:
1. Personally Responsible Individualist Moral God-fearing culture
2. Free Enterprise
3. Knowledge as a public good
4. Bottom Up Polity
5. Justice minded Republic
6. Zero interest regime
7. Asset taxation
8. Borderless world
Chinese model is much closer to the latter. Good riddance to this Economists, and those who support it. Thank you PTI.
So you lost your job during the 80’s ?
I think you have no knowledge about the knowledge he has. Have you read any of his works? I am million % shure you have not. I am not saying that he would have made Pakistan next Korea overnight but definitely his induction had been good for EAC. We like it or not the current economic system cannot be changed over night. There are lot of flaws in current system & he is well aware of that. Read his book House of Debt. He is sincere & genius. I know him. It is a great loss for Pakistan for a wrong reason. Religion plays too much part in every thing in Pakistan except morality. They Use ISLAM only for Hatred. Islam is love and peace.
Tragedy of Pakistan is that people are brain washed to such an extent that they act like Zombies at the hands of Maulvies. Pakistanis have to come out the spell of the Religious Right. I have seen even most educated Pakistanis start acting like Zombies when matter is related to religion. I have not yet seen true spirit of religion even in one Paki. If devil exists he must have been born in Pakistan. These Fools do not know what ISLAM is & act as the biggest champion of it.
Does that include Sad Abbas too ?
Oaay khalid kay ullay, this is not about religion. Sounds like you fell for the propaganda here. China decided on this issue. Mr Wang Yi is in Pakistan, you think he’s there for a jog in Ayubia?…….he doesn’t want any Western IMF/ WB chamcha questioning CPEC and advocating for an IMF bailout. Samajh aa rahee hae teray?
Khalid Ahmad
You assume too much.
Mian and Sufi waste their time studying something that does not typically happen in Muslim lands. They chose to put their talent and time at the service of Corporate Capitalism, to analyze a particular crisis when household debt was extended to those who did not qualify. Then they hypothetically suggest what should the US government have done to mitigate the disaster that happened.
There is no proof that their remedy would have worked. Economics is not a science.
The 2 discuss crisis of Capitalism that is of no value whatsoever to Pakistan and Muslims in particular, or Sinic Asia in general. By their work they unwittingly give credence to the charge laid against Ahmadis that the sect is a creation of Western imperialism. Why on earth would any Muslim waste his time studying a system that is anti-Quranic, anti-Mohammedan?
For us believers their findings are nothing new. 1,400 years ago my great great grandfather, Ali bin Hussain, had penned this prayer.
"Oh Allah, save me from the sleeplessness of debt".
Too bad Mian and Sufi "discovered" it in 2014 full 14 centuries too late. They took no lesson from Iqbal who had noted.
Kheera na kar saka mujhe jalwa-e-danish-e-farang
Surma hey meri aankh ka khak-e-Madina o Najaf.
Western conspiracy aside, I am intrigued by a counter question. Is there something in Ahmadi tenet that propels them to ways of the West and serve its interests?
In any case, their faith aside, such people may be of some value to the West; but they can create only harm to Muslims and their socio-economics.
Ahson Aftab
LOL. This may be above the head of our friends who are dazzled by the passing glory of the West.
Oh bhai sonny azhak…..thanks for your opinion, but this is none of your business. You are Indian, remember? You now go back to stocking shelves. Hopefully Barnes and Noble can keep people like you employed since China has pulled a coup on US job in the last few decades. The security/ longevity of blue collar jobs should be your mantra….. Not worrying about Pakistan.
Abbas sahb ASA……..have a look……..anything to do with pak…….these Indians are on it long before us……lol. The obsession is quite telling. We wonder why? We are not interested in their politics, but they are all about ours….lol…..how bizarre!
Flora de la Sinensis don’t entertain him…..he’s just an Indian troll.
‘China decided on this issue’. So bow to your new colonal masters.
Yashad Rizvi half wit anglo indian, Pak will do what’s right for it. If it irks you, then so be it……lol……As we say in Pak……aap lund pe charrhain!
Ahson Aftab Sahib, AOA
LOL. ROFL.
No, No, No, No … Never make such an offer to our Indian friends. They may eagerly jump on it. That is why their Supreme Court just legalized this filthy practice.
From my youth in Lahore I remember an equally saucy but safer ditty. "Saday L tay thand ey", meaning we could not care less. To them their ways, to us ours.
Syed Fazal Abbas Pakistain has the highest number of searches for ‘weird sex’, and that doesn’t even include Mo’ and the 9yogirl.
Ahson Aftab First the Arabs, then the Brits, then the US, and now the Chinese.
You dolove being ruled by outsiders, don’t you.
Ahson Aftab:
Learn to debate in a decent way. I do not use Bazari Language & do not like Bazari language & Bazari People. I still defent Atif Mian. You & Mr Abbas assume that he was coming for IMF Agenda. Which is 100000% wrong.
Pakistan’s problem is lopsided development & balance of payment. Yes Pakistan has to ween itself off Western dependency but that should not mean Sino dependency. CPEC is good for Pakistan, if it does not result in the colonization or enslavement of Pakistan by Chinese. You need good Economic Advisors to understand & counter the negative sides of CPEC. Mian was a perfect choice for that.
Pakistani Society is not ready for development. Because hatred & divisions are polarizing this country. Which is a negative thing and negativity cannot give birth to positivity.
Plus remember it is West which brought China out of poverty not China by her own efforts.
West moved their manufacturing to China in search of cheaper labor. If today West stop doing that China will go back to poverty. Chinese love to copy Western ways of life. They are not Chinese any more. Thay are just flat nosed clones of West.
Chinese society is not at par with Western Countries. In Western countries they have mature Justice System. In China & Pakistan Justice is only for the rich.
Remember, West is not 100% perfect. Mian in his book “House of Debt” describes how corporate greed led to the economic crises. In the book he suggest ways to counter that greed. It is a book worth reading.
Mr Mian is a vey devot Muslim & fully understand the bad Aspects of Current economic system. He also fully believes that World has to follow the economic system proposed by Quran not by uneducated Mullah or China lovers.
Khalid Ahmad sahb…..lol…..west say paisay aanay bund….ab China say paisay aatay hain. Samajh aarahee hae aap ko? What part of this is difficult to grasp? It is obvious the guy was a CPEC critic. He was shown the door. And like I said, any others who oppose CPEC will also be shown the door. And eventually, all the pendu in our system who ape the west, will also be shown the door. Aap ko ye naheen pasand…..lol……what can we say? There’s been a change of guard in Pakistan, in case you haven’t noticed.
Fazal Sahib you are. Pakistan has no value for these experts. We are better off
Zakat from rich Muslim countries (as there is no Islamic country) and carry on with our daily business. After all we have God on our side.who else we need.
By the way Saudis invited him to Mecca to use his expertise in 2016. Chill it and get real before we become part of sad history
land of the pure my swaty ass acack..these animals will eat their young.
Ahson Aftab the madrassah muzzie is barking again..go bay at the moon in the lifeless deserts of the sahara wher u came from allahfugger.
Khalid Ahmad news flash..islam dosent mean peace..it means Submission..get it?..THATS ITS DEFINITION…submit or else..well fug all yah muzzies..theres a LOTTA people who wont submit..bring it on.
Syed Fazal Abbas U THE MONKEYS WHO HAD YOUR NOSE UP THE YAKNKEES ASS FOR TWENTY YEARS..SNIFFED AND LOVED IT.
Aditya Shetty
LOL. Ok, now we have vacated the place for you. You enjoy it for the next 50 years. Hey, what are neighbours for?
For my China lover Friends:
https://amp.businessinsider.com/why-muslim-countries-arent-criticizing-china-uighur-repression-2018-8?utm_source=quora&utm_medium=referral
https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/looming-economic-crisis-renowned-economist-atif-mian-offers-three-point-agenda-to-new-govt.571904/
Muhammad Fayyaz
Hey Paki Muslim Jihadist, coked out on a dose of CAMEL PISS and SHIT (as prescribed in your prehistoric religion) is trying to lecture me about the article. What chutzpah!
Ignoramus idiot, your Paki Jihadi chimpanzees forced Imran "dimwit" Khan to backtrack on his appointment ‘cos the said monkeys deemed the economist as an Ahmadi, one of the proscribed peoples of PORKISTAN!
Can you not understand simple English, O madrassah-educated numbskull???
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dawn.com/news/amp/1433054