ISLAMABAD: A day after government withdrew nomination of Atif Mian as member of the newly-constituted Economic Advisory Council (EAC), another member of the body, Imran Rasul, has resigned from his position, saying he took the decision ‘with a heavy heart’.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on last Saturday (Sep 1) had constituted an 18-member Economic Advisory Council to ensure the availability of best possible professional advice to the government on economic issues.
Imran Rasul posted a series of tweets announcing and explaining the reasons of his resignation.
In his resignation, Mr. Rasul said: “With a heavy heart, I have resigned from the EAC this morning. The circumstances in which Atif was asked to step down are ones I profoundly disagree with. Basing decisions on religious affiliation goes against my principles, or the values I am trying to teach my children.”
He further said the “establishment of the EAC and its members offered a great opportunity for better economic policy. Events these past 10 days have shown the best and worst of Pakistani politics at the moment.”
In another tweet he stated: Truth be told, if there was one academic on the EAC that Pakistan needs, it was @AtifRMian. Resolving the macro and fiscal mess the country is in will lay the bedrock for social protection, poverty alleviation policies and other economic reforms the country also needs.”
He also appreciative of immense talent in Pakistan. In his words: “Pakistan is full of talent: I have seen this in the students/academics/orgs/NGOs/civil servants I have been lucky to work with. It needs leaders willing to draw on all this talent, and that are willing to appeal to our better sides, for the common good and not sow division.”
He concluded it by saying: “I wish the government and EAC luck in their future work, and remain willing to offer non-partisan, evidence based advice that can help improve economic policy making in the country.”
The decision to withdraw the nomination of Atif R Mian of Princeton University (Department of Member Economics) as member of the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) comes in the backdrop of protest by some sections of society as well as parliamentarians who objected to his inclusion in the council for being a member of the Ahmadiyya community.
In a tweet, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain had said “the government wants to take along religious scholars and all segments of the society, and it would be wrong if a different perception develops through a nomination.”
حکومت نے فیصلہ کیا ہے کہ عاطف میاں کی اقتصادی مشاورتی کمیٹی سے نامزدگی واپس لے لی جائے،حکومت علماء اور تمام معاشرتی طبقات کو ساتھ لے کر ہی آگے بڑھنا چاہتی ہے اور اگر ایک نامزدگی سے مختلف تاثر پیدا ہوتا ہے تو یہ مناسب نہیں۔
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) September 7, 2018
He said the state of Madina is the ideal of Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding that the premier and his cabinet members love their Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).
Mr Mian’s removal as member of the EAC is in sharp contrast to the government’s earlier stance as the information minister had earlier defended his nomination, saying Pakistan belongs to minority communities just as much it did to the larger majority.
He had asked if the minorities should be forced out of the country.
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