Dear Dr. Shamshad Akhtar,
I am writing this open letter to call on you to resign from the post of minister of finance and publicly acknowledge the oppressive and illegitimate character of the present Government of Pakistan.
The actions of the police in Islamabad, terrorizing peaceful protestors asking for accountability and justice for the abduction and murder of Pakistani citizens hailing from Balochistan, are reprehensible and worthy of condemnation and active opposition. This interim government has intentionally failed to conduct elections in a timely fashion and continues to oppress its own citizens, whether it is through social media crackdowns and censorship, or through the abduction of people raising a voice for themselves, or inflicting violence on those advocating for the release of the abducted. This government has also acted in a shameful fashion towards the Afghan who sought refuge in Pakistan and whose children are Pakistani by birth.
The economics profession in Pakistan should be clear in its opposition to this predatory state and to the entirely inappropriate and brazen seizure of power at the federal level by an ineffective military which is not only unable to guarantee the safety of the citizens of Pakistan, but instead simply does not wish to do so. It is my view that the association of a learned economist such as yourself, who has served the public through the governorship of a public institution like the State Bank of Pakistan, helps legitimize this interim government and lends an aura of credibility to an otherwise completely untrustworthy regime which has no democratic basis or credentials. No Pakistani economist should help legitimize this government through their own association with it. The economics profession in Pakistan is at risk of becoming an instrument of authoritarianism and should be guarded from this embarrassing and dangerous possibility.
Far more importantly, the Pakistani public continues to suffer real bodily harm and psychological trauma at the hands of a military-led regime. This situation is unacceptable and untenable.
Once again, I call on you to resign from cabinet and distance yourself from an oppressive regime completely lacking in legitimacy.
Sincerely,
Daniyal Khan
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Lahore University of Management Sciences
Daniyal Khan 