New Delhi, Dec 9 (IANS): The newly appointed chairman of Pakistan's National Rehmatunlil Alameen Authority, Ejaz Akram, holds controversial views about democracy and ethnic groups in Pakistan, it has emerged, Friday Times reported.
Social media is abuzz with posts about a speech that he delivered last year at the National Library in Islamabad, wherein he had termed ethnic rights groups like Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) 'foreign-funded', as well as an article in which he had criticised democracy, the report said.
Akram has in the past expressed his views on global politics and what Pakistan should do considering the changing dynamics of world affairs. While criticising democracy in an article, he wrote, "...But can we trust the judgment of people who are duped and brainwashed with lies from morning to evening? Do people even know? If they did, would they've voted the well-known looters, embezzlers, and murderers into office over and over again?".
Suggesting a new system of governance, he had said, "We must prop up an 'elite of the elite' that have an upright character and espouse a much deeper understanding of ideologies, religions, civilizations, and principles of statecraft". He added, "Belief in deep secularism, the idea of a republic, nationalism, capitalism, feminism, absolute freedom of speech, are all false consciousness that must be abandoned for things that work for us", the report said.
Activists reacted to the appointment on social media and wondered if he was selected to the post for his controversial views.
Nida Kirmani said in a tweet, "Disturbing (& terribly-written) article by Dr Ejaz Akram, the head of the Rahmatulil Alemeen Authority, claiming that the military has given too much power to civilians & advocating for rule of an 'elite of the elite', in other words, fascism".
"Your new Chairperson of the National Rehmatunlil Alameen Authority, ladies and gentleman - PTM, Siraiki movement and Jeay Sindh are funded by the enemies of Pakistan - The foremost enemy of the idea of Pakistan are the "forces of global Zionism", Fahad Desmukh tweeted.
"Ejaz Akram has been appointed by @ImranKhanPTI as the Chairperson of Rehmat-ul-alalimeen Authority. He says that PTM, Sariaki & Jaye Sindh movements are foreign funded. Listen to him and you will find that the choice of a dwarf named Imran Khan can be nothing but a dwarf," Jawad Khan Yusufzai said in a tweet.