The Global Social Network
Pakistani-American Princeton economist Atif Mian was named to Pakistan Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council and then promptly let go because of his Ahmadi faith. Two other economists Harvard's Professor Asim Khwaja and University College London's Imran Rasool have since quit the council in protest over Atif's removal.
Princeton Economics Prof Atif Mian |
Is Atif Mian's removal a victory of bigotry over meritocracy promised by Imran Khan? Was it a mistake to name him and even bigger mistake to remove him? Did the PTI government underestimate strong reactions to the appointment and subsequent back-tracking? Was PTI caught off-guard by tweets such as "liberal" PPP leader Shehla Raza's tweet attacking Imran Khan for picking "the great grandson of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani" as top economic advisor?
Would PTI's refusal to remove Atif Mian lead to derailment of the entire PTI's anti-corruption and reform agenda? Should Imran Khan be applauded or criticized for taking such political risks? Does Imran Khan realize that he lacks sufficient political capital for such risks? What message does it send about the limits of Imran Khan's capacity to bring about change in Pakistani society?
PPP Leader Shehla Raza's Tweet Attacking Imran Khan for picking "great grandson of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani" |
What can political leaders do to lead the people to greater tolerance of differences and acceptance of diversity in Pakistan? What must educators, mass media and civil society do to move Pakistan toward Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah's vision of an inclusive and tolerant Pakistan?
Azad Labon Kay Sath host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with Sabahat Ashraf and Riaz Haq
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Gita Gopinath and #India’s Brain Drain. High-profile #IMF chief economist and other western-trained #Indian economists no longer appear welcome in Narendra #Modi’s government. https://www.wsj.com/articles/gita-gopinath-and-indias-brain-drain-1...
Harvard professor Gita Gopinath’s appointment as chief economist of the International Monetary Fund raises a question about her native India: Is IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde more likely than Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hire someone with Ms. Gopinath’s stellar academic credentials?
In the past two years, three high-profile Western-trained economists have exited important policy-making positions in India to return to academia in the U.S. A rising drumbeat of nativist sentiment, increased political interference...
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss promoting “a durable peace between Israel and Iran,” the State Department said in a statement, according to Reuters. Both leaders "agreed to continue working together to strengthen Pakistan-US relations, particularly to increase trade", said a statement released by the Pakistan government.…
ContinuePosted by Riaz Haq on June 27, 2025 at 8:30pm — 4 Comments
Pakistan imported an estimated 1.25 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of lithium-ion battery packs in 2024 and another 400 megawatt-hours (MWh) in the first two months of 2025, according to a research report by the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The report projects these imports to reach 8.75 gigawatt-hours (GWh) by 2030. Using …
ContinuePosted by Riaz Haq on June 14, 2025 at 10:30am — 3 Comments
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