Ishtiaq Ahmed (political scientist)

For other people named Ishtiaq Ahmad, see Ishtiaq Ahmad (disambiguation).

Ishtiaq Ahmed
Ishtiaq Ahmed
Born
Ishtiaq Ahmed

(1947-02-24) 24 February 1947
Lahore, Punjab, British India
(now in Punjab, Pakistan)
CitizenshipSwedish
Alma materStockholm University
University of the Punjab
Forman Christian College
St. Anthony's High School
Scientific career
FieldsPolitical science
InstitutionsVisiting Professor, Government College University Lahore, Pakistan

Ishtiaq Ahmed (Punjabi, Urdu: ا ش ت یاق احمد; born 24 February 1947) is a Pakistani-Swedish political scientist, academic, and author. He is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Stockholm University, Sweden. Ahmed is known for his research on the political history of South Asia, particularly the partition of India in 1947. His scholarly work examines the ideological foundations and consequences of the partition, with a focus on the role of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Two-Nation Theory.[1][2]

Ahmed’s research integrates themes of religion, ethnicity, language, and identity in South Asian politics. His academic contributions include books such as The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed, which received the Best Non-Fiction Book Award at both the Karachi and Lahore Literature Festivals in 2013, and Jinnah: His Successes, Failures and Role in History.[3][4]

In addition to his academic publications, Ahmed has been a visiting professor at institutions including the National University of Singapore, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), and Government College University Lahore. His views on nationalism, religious politics, and the garrison state model of Pakistan have been featured in South Asian newspapers and journals.

Early life and education

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 Punjabis.[5][6] He grew up in the Mozang area of Lahore; his father Mian Ghulam Muhammad Ghazi represented Forman Christian College in hockey and kabaddi and finished second in the one-mile race at the annual Punjab University sports competition held on 18–19 November 1932.[7] Ahmed also studied at the Forman Christian College, where from 1964 to 1968 he received an honorable mention each year and in 1968 he was awarded the Mehta Chunni Lal Gold Medal for securing the highest marks in English and History at the same institution.[8] He later earned a PhD in Political Science from Stockholm University in 1986.[9]

In his early life he was close to socialist ideologies, including Marxism and Maoism, having been a co-founder of the National Students Federation (NSF).[10]

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.[11] His father introduced him to music when he asked him to recit a na'at (poetry in the praise of prophet Mohammed) from Mohammed Rafi.[10]

Academic career

His first posting as a teacher was in Gordon College, Rawalpindi.[10] He taught at Stockholm University from 1987 to 2007, after which he served as Senior Research Fellow and Visiting Research Professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, from 2007 to 2010. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Stockholm University and Honorary Senior Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. He has published extensively on Pakistani and South Asian politics, with research interests including political Islam, ethnicity and nationalism, human and minority rights, and Partition studies.[12] Ahmed has also given lectures in various institutions including the University of Central Punjab (UCP), where he discussed politics, the Kashmir issue and the economy of Pakistan.[13]

Views and opinions

State of Punjabi language in Pakistan

Irfan Aslam in his article Punjabis themselves are oppressing their own language, about the persecution of Punjabi language in Pakistan, argues that Ishtiaq Ahmed asserts that the Punjabi bureaucracy and politicians are responsible for oppressing the Punjabi language, and imposing Urdu as the national language.[1]

Two Nation Theory

Ishtiaq Ahmed has provided a critique of the Two-Nation Theory by quoting Mohammad Ali Jinnah to the effect that the founder of Pakistan consistently argued that Hindus and Muslims could not live in peace together in one state and therefore India must be partitioned to create Pakistan.[14]

Quoting from March 22, 1940 onwards Jinnah’s speeches, statements and messages Ishtiaq Ahmed demonstrates that Jinnah’s two – nation theory was deployed by him to argue that Hindus and Muslims can never constitute a cohesive and coherent nation. Rather, both were the antithesis of one another. Upon such a basis, he took an uncompromising stand on the absolute imperative of partitioning India to create Pakistan, and rejected out of hand that he was using the demand for Pakistan as a bargaining chip to achieve a power-sharing deal with the Indian National Congress.[15]

Military meddling in Pakistan's politics

Ahmed has 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.[16]

Jinnah

In his article "Many Promises of Jinnah", Ahmed discusses various promises and pledges of Jinnah. He criticises 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.[17]

Partition of Punjab

Ahmed has conducted research on the partition of Punjab in 1947, examining the events and consequences surrounding the division of the region. In his book The Punjab: Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed, he presents an account of the communal violence, migrations, and political decisions that shaped the partition of Punjab. He explores how the division of Punjab led to significant human displacement and loss of life, and analyses the political and social factors that contributed to the escalation of violence.[18]

Ahmed argues that violence in Punjab was not inevitable and highlights the role of various political actors in the unfolding events. His work has been cited in discussions of the partition's legacy and its long-term impact on South Asian history.[19]

Books

Year Title Role Publisher Notes
1987 The Concept of an Islamic State: An Analysis of the Ideological Controversy in Pakistan Author New York: St. Martin's Press Based on his 1986 PhD thesis.
1996 State, Nation, and Ethnicity in Contemporary South Asia Pinter (London & New York) Study of ethnicity, nationalism, and state formation in South Asia.
2005 The Politics of Group Rights: The State and Multiculturalism Editor University Press of America Edited academic volume on minority rights and multiculturalism.
2011 The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia Routledge Edited volume on religion and politics in South and Southeast Asia.[20]
2012 The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed: Unravelling the 1947 Tragedy through Secret British Reports and First-Person Accounts Author Oxford University Press Archival study of Partition-era violence in Punjab.[21]
2013 Pakistan – The Garrison State: Origins, Evolution, Consequences, 1947–2011 Analysis of Pakistan’s civil–military relations.
2020 Jinnah: His Successes, Failures and Role in History Penguin Random House India (Viking) Political biography and reassessment of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.[22][23]
2023 Pre-Partition Punjab’s Contribution to Indian Cinema Study of ethnic Punjabis' contributions to Hindi cinema.
2024 Reflections of a Concerned Global Citizen Fiction House Collection of political and ethical reflections.

Honours and awards

  • 1964–1968 – Honorable mention each year at Forman Christian College, Lahore.[8]
  • 1968 – Mehta Chunni Lal Gold Medal for highest marks in English and History at Forman Christian College, Lahore.[24]
  • 2013 – The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed awarded the Best Non-Fiction Book Award at the Karachi Literature Festival, Pakistan.[25][26]
  • 2013 – The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed awarded the Best Non-Fiction Book Award at the Lahore Literature Festival, Pakistan.[27]

References

  1. ^ "The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed". Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  2. ^ Ahmed, Ishtiaq (18 April 2006). "There is many a slip betwixt cup and lip". Daily Times. Pakistan. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Additionally, the Arain group, to which I belong [...]
  3. ^ Dutt, Nirupama (4 June 2023). "Roundabout: The importance of being Ishtiaq Ahmed in Punjab here and there". Hindustan Times.
  4. ^ "Jinnah: His Successes, Failures and Role in History – VI". 15 September 2021.
  5. ^ "The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed". Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  6. ^ Ahmed, Ishtiaq (18 April 2006). "There is many a slip betwixt cup and lip". Daily Times. Pakistan. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Additionally, the Arain group, to which I belong [...]
  7. ^ Ahmed, Ishtiaq (2006). "The Lahore Effect". India-Seminar. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025.
  8. ^ a b FORMUN. "A NOTABLE ALUMNI: Dr ISHTIAQ AHMED". FORMUN Society. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  9. ^ Ahmed, Ishtiaq (5 June 2013). "CHANGE OF DATE: Pakistan – The Garrison State, Origins, Evolution, Consequences (1947–2011)". Institute for Security and Development Policy. ISDP. Archived from the original on 30 December 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Sadhu, Naeem (30 July 2018). "The salt of the earth". Dawn. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  11. ^ Dutt, Nirupama (4 June 2023). "Roundabout: The importance of being Ishtiaq Ahmed in Punjab here and there". Hindustan Times. In his college days, he was an award-winning singer at youth festivals (...)
  12. ^ Ahmed, Ishtiaq (5 June 2013). "CHANGE OF DATE: Pakistan – The Garrison State, Origins, Evolution, Consequences (1947–2011)". Institute for Security and Development Policy. ISDP. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  13. ^ "Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad delivers lecture in UCP". 26 January 2023.
  14. ^ Ayoob, Mohammed (30 March 2022). "Misreading the Two Nation Theory?". The Hindu.
  15. ^ Zafar, Dr. Hasan (16 July 2021). "Jinnah: Successes, Failures and Role in History". The Friday Times. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  16. ^ "Garrison state: Academic urges government to cut back on military spending". 21 November 2013.
  17. ^ "Jinnah'a multifarious pledges". 22 December 2017.
  18. ^ Mahir Ali, "Blood on the Tracks of History", Dawn, 12 April 2012. https://www.dawn.com/news/711379/blood-on-the-tracks-of-history
  19. ^ Vishav Bharti, "Jinnah most responsible for partition, says Pak-Swede academic", The Tribune, 28 May 2023. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/jinnah-most-responsible-for-partition-says-pak-swede-academic-511883
  20. ^ GHOSH, PARTHA S (2012). "Religion-Politics Interface". Economic and Political Weekly. 47 (2): 34–36. ISSN 0012-9976. JSTOR 23065604.
  21. ^ Ali, Mahir (18 April 2012). "Blood on the tracks of history". Dawn. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  22. ^ Thapar, Karan (23 March 2022). "Watch: 'Jinnah Did Not Just Want Partition, He Wanted to Dismember India'". The Wire (India). Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  23. ^ Ahmed, Ishtiaq (15 September 2020). "How Jinnah Dismissed Congress's Minority Rights Proposals to Justify Two-Nation Theory". The Wire (India). Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  24. ^ FORMUN. "A NOTABLE ALUMNI: Dr ISHTIAQ AHMED". FORMUN Society. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  25. ^ "klf 2013 | Karachi Literature Festival". Karachi Literature Festival. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  26. ^ Salman, Peerzada (18 February 2013). "'Pakistan is open for business'". Dawn. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  27. ^ "Lecture: Understanding the Partition of Punjab in the Context of the Partition of India and Bengal by Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed | Centre for India and South Asia Research". cisar.iar.ubc.ca. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
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