Ishtiaq Ahmed (political scientist) explained

Ishtiaq Ahmed
Birth Name:	Ishtiaq Ahmed
Birth Date:	1947 2, df=y
Birth Place:	Lahore, Punjab, British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan)
Citizenship:	Swedish
Field:	Political Science
Work Institution:	Visiting Professor, Government College University Lahore, Pakistan
Alma Mater:	University of Stockholm University of the Punjab Forman Christian College St. Anthony's High School

Ishtiaq Ahmed (Punjabi, Urdu: {{Nastaliq|اشتیاق احمد; born 24 February 1947) is a Pakistani-Swedish political scientist and author.

He holds a PhD in Political Science from Stockholm University. He is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Stockholm University.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Ahmed’s work provides a comprehensive and critical examination of the political history of South Asia, particularly focusing on the partition of India and the role of key figures like Jinnah. His writings offer valuable insights into the complex dynamics of religion, language, and politics in the region.^{[4] [5]}

Early life

Ishtiaq Ahmed was born on 24 February, 1947 in Lahore, within the Punjab Province of British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan) into the Arain community of Punjabi Muslims.^{[6] [7]}

Fond of Hindi film music from the 1940s to the 1960s, during his college days he won several awards as a singer in youth festivals.^[8]

Career

Ahmed has rendered significant services in the field of political science. He gave lectures in various institutions including the University of Central Punjab (UCP), where he discussed politics, the Kashmir issue and the economy of Pakistan.^[9]

Dr. Ahmad has written in great detail on the partition of India and Jinnah's role in this historical event.^[10]

Views and opinions

State of Punjabi language in Pakistan

In his article Punjabis themselves are oppressing their own language about the persecution of Punjabi language in Pakistan, he argues that the Punjabi bureaucracy and politicians are responsible for oppressing the Punjabi language, and imposing Urdu as the national language.^[11]

Two Nation Theory

In the article Misreading the Two Nation Theory?, Dr. Ahmad critically examines the two-nation theory, arguing that it never says that Hindus and Muslims can never coexist. Instead, he states that the theory suggests that Hindus and Muslims are two nations that can coexist.^[12]

Military meddling in Pakistan's politics

Dr. Ahmed has also written about military spending in Pakistan. In his article Garrison state: Academic urges government to cut back on military spending, he urges the Pakistani government to reduce military spending.^[13]

Jinnah

In his article Many Promises of Jinnah, Dr. Ahmed discusses various promises and pledges of Jinnah. He criticizes Jinnah's tendency to focus on one speech, ignoring his consistent assertion from 1940 to 1947 that Hindus and Muslims could never be one nation.^[14]

Partition of Punjab

In his article Hindu, Sikh pressure led to the partition of Punjab, Dr. Ahmed argued that the pressure of Hindus and Sikhs led to the partition of Punjab. He states that Muslim League was not in favor of partition of Punjab or Bengal.^[15]

Books

His books include:

• People on the Move: Punjabi Colonial and Post-Colonial Migration (2004, chapter six, "Forced migration and ethnic cleansing in Lahore in 1947 : some first person accounts").^[16]
• The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia (2011, editor)^[17]
• The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed (2012)^{[18] [19]} It won a prize for best non-fiction book of 2012 and the Coca Cola Prize at the Karachi Literature Festival in 2013.^{[20] [21]}
• Jinnah: His Successes, Failures and Role in History (2020)^{[22] [23]}
• Pre-Partition Punjab’s Contribution to Indian Cinema (2023)^[24]

External links

• • Ahmed, Ishtiaq at Stockholm University
• Ishtiaq Ahmed, articles at The Friday Times

Notes and References

1. http://www.statsvet.su.se/hemsidor/ishtiaq_ahmed_right.htm Entry at University of Stockholm
2. Web site: Hasan . Shazia . Bengalis were in majority, but Bangla was not made national language: Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed . . 26 April 2023 . en . 11 March 2023.
3. News: Thapar . Karan . 'Hindu, Sikh pressure led to Punjab's partition' . 26 April 2023 . . 18 March 2016 . en.
4. Web site: 2023-05-28 . Quit India Movement a great blunder, says writer Ishtiaq Ahmed in Chandigarh . 2024-02-26 . Hindustan Times . en.
5. Web site: Hombal,DHNS . N. B. . 1965 war with India was Pakistan's biggest blunder, says Ishtiaq Ahmed . 2024-02-26 . Deccan Herald . en.
6. Web site: The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed . . en.
7. News: Ahmed . Ishtiaq . 18 April 2006 . There is many a slip betwixt cup and lip . Daily Times . Pakistan . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140715223745/http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/editorial/18-Apr-2006/comment-there-is-many-a-slip-betwixt-cup-and-lip-ishtiaq-ahmed . 15 July 2014 . Additionally, the Arain group, to which I belong [...].
8. Web site: Dutt . Nirupama . 4 June 2023 . Roundabout: The importance of being Ishtiaq Ahmed in Punjab here and there . Hindustan Times.
9. Web site: Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad delivers lecture in UCP . 26 January 2023 .
10. Web site: Jinnah: His Successes, Failures and Role in History – VI . 15 September 2021 .
11. Web site: Punjabis themselves are oppressing their language . 21 February 2023 .
12. Web site: Misreading the Two Nation Theory? . 30 March 2022 .
13. Web site: Garrison state: Academic urges government to cut back on military spending . 21 November 2013 .
14. Web site: Jinnah'a multifarious pledges . 22 December 2017 .
15. Web site: 'Hindu, Sikh pressure led to Punjab's partition' . 18 March 2016 .
16. Murphy . Anne . People on the Move: Punjabi Colonial, and Post-Colonial Migration. Edited by Ian Talbot and Shinder Thandi. Subcontinent Divided: New Beginning. Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2004. xx, 238 pp. Rs 350 (cloth). . The Journal of Asian Studies . February 2005 . 64 . 1 . 240–241 . 10.1017/S0021911805000628 . 162416728 . en . 0021-9118.
17. GHOSH . PARTHA S . Religion-Politics Interface . Economic and Political Weekly . 2012 . 47 . 2 . 34–36 . 23065604 . 0012-9976.
18. News: Ali . Mahir . Blood on the tracks of history . 26 April 2023 . . 18 April 2012 . en.
19. Book: White . Jenny . Turkey in Turmoil . 22 June 2020 . De Gruyter . 978-3-11-065450-9 . 306 . Turkey in the 1970s: The Cultural Logic of Factionalism. 10.1515/9783110654509-015 . 241571497 .
20. Web site: klf 2013 Karachi Literature Festival . . 26 April 2023.
21. News: Salman . Peerzada . 'Pakistan is open for business' . 26 April 2023 . . 18 February 2013 . en.
22. News: Thapar . Karan . Watch: 'Jinnah Did Not Just Want Partition, He Wanted to Dismember India' . 23 March 2022 . 26 April 2023 . The Wire (India).
23. News: Ahmed . Ishtiaq . How Jinnah Dismissed Congress's Minority Rights Proposals to Justify Two-Nation Theory . 26 April 2023 . . 15 September 2020.
24. Book: Ahmed, Ishtiaq . Pre-Partition Punjab’s Contribution to Indian Cinema . 2023-06-16 . Routledge . 978-1-003-40626-6 . London.