Ishtiaq Ahmed (political scientist)

Ishtiaq Ahmed (Punjabi, ; 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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").
 * The Politics of Religion in South and Southeast Asia (2011, editor)
 * The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed (2012) It won a prize for best non-fiction book of 2012 and the Coca Cola Prize at the Karachi Literature Festival in 2013.
 * Jinnah: His Successes, Failures and Role in History (2020)
 * Pre-Partition Punjab’s Contribution to Indian Cinema (2023)