By Amaar Ahmad:

Pakistan’s descent into crises is perhaps because capable and honest citizens are denied the right to contribute towards the country – even when the country desperately needs them. Many a patriotic Pakistanis have been banished and their role in the country’s progress ignored simply due to their religious affiliations. While this wrong has been done to many Hindu, Christian, Parsi and Shia-Muslim Pakistanis as well, but the suppression of the Ahmadi contribution to Pakistan is of incomparably monumental proportions. It is time to put the record straight. If we want to climb out of the present morass, we need to start respecting the people who have given to this country their best even in the face of discrimination. Following is a list of a few of the many sons of the soil – all of whom happen to be Ahmadis – whose contribution to Pakistan is second to none.

1. Dr. Muhammad Abdus Salam: A Physicist of world acclaim who won the Nobel Prize in 1979 and was also the founder of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Italy. He also initiated the country’s civilian nuclear and space programs.

2. Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan:The author of the memorandum of the famous Lahore Resolution of 1940 which ultimately formed the basis for the creation of Pakistan. He was a close lieutenant of Quaid-e-Azam and diplomat and jurist of the highest order. He was handpicked by Jinnah himself to serve as the first Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Later on, Sir Zafrullah Khan served as Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.N., as President General Assembly U.N. and as President International Court of Justice. He has the rarest privilege of having held the highest international diplomatic and judicial positions in the world. Read more