Mirza Muzaffar Ahmad

Ahmad

Pakistani Passes Away

Mirza Muzaffar Ahmad, often known as "MM Ahmad", a distinguished Pakistani Public Servant and a resident of Potomac, Maryland since 1972 passed away on July 22, 2002. He is survived by his wife Mrs. Amtul Qayyum, son Zahir Ahmad, his daughter-in-law Tazeen Ahmad and two grandchildren, Muhammad and Marium.

Born in Qadian, India, on February 28, 1913. Mr. Ahmad was the grandson of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community - a peaceful movement spreading Islam in over 160 countries.

After completing high school in Qadian, India, Mr. Ahmad studied at the Government College Lahore and subsequently at London University and Oxford. He joined the Indian Civil Service in 1939, under the British Empire, and worked in senior positions until the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

Mr. Ahmad made enormous contributions to the civil service in Pakistan. He rose steadily through the ranks holding such senior appointments as Secretary Commerce, Secretary Finance, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and Economic and Financial Advisor to Presidents Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Z.A. Bhutto of Pakistan. Under Mr. Ahmad's Stewardship, Pakistan enjoyed a sustained record economic growth and proserity.

Mr. Ahmad represented Pakistan at several key events. He led a delegation to China in 1967 and to various international lending institutions. Mr. Ahmad had been a member of Pakistani delegations at key events including the Commonwealth Prime Ministers conferences and other summit conferences. He was a negotiator with the World Bank for the massive Indus Basin irrigation project for Pakistan. Mr. Ahmad played a key role along with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in arranging President Nixon's trip to China. In recognition of his extensive

service, Mr. Ahmad received distinguished awards from the Pakistani Government.

Mr. Ahmad was appointed as an Executive Director of the World Bank for Pakistan and Middle East. He also served as the Deputy Executive Secretary for the Joint Ministerial Committee of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Mr. Ahmad commanded the respect and trust of Mr. McNamara and other world leaders. He retired from the World Bank in 1984.

A moment of silence was observed in memory of Mr. Ahmad by the speakers, scholars and the attendees at a conference "Taking Pakistan into the 21st Century", organized by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on July 24, 2002 in Washington.

Belonging to the Ahmadiyya Community, a Muslim minority group in Pakistan, Mr. Ahmad was subject to the wrath of extremists. In 1971, while in a government office elevator, Mr. Ahmad was stabbed by a religious extremist. Despite being seriously injured, he was able to subdue his assailant. His ability to withstand a brutal attack was due to his great physical condition - because of avid interest in sports such as tennis and hunting. The attempt on his life did not embitter his outlook, as he remained active and involved in human service and community affairs. He was a great scholar and kept his passion for reading until his last days.

Mr. Ahmad became the Ameer (National President) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA in 1989. He brought about fiscal and organizational discipline to the Community and raised its finances by more than 8 times. He was admired and loved by the members of his community for which he worked until his demise. He had great passion for the poor and disadvantaged and helped scores of poor students, some of whom are currently serving their country or international community in responsible positions. He also took care of a number of orphans and widows in Pakistan as well as in USA.

Mr. Ahmad will be remembered for his devotion to his faith and for the lesson he taught in asking the members of his Community to ask themselves: "What have I done for my faith today?"

And to underscore his commitment, even on his death bed, Mr. Ahmad asked his assistant Dr. Zaheer Bajwa: "Did you bring my mail today?"

Funeral prayers for Mr. Ahmad was held at Bait-Ur-Rehman Mosque, Silver Spring, MD on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 8:30 p.m., attended by more than 2,000 people coming from all parts of the United States and Canada. His body has been flown to Rabwah, Pakistan, where it will be laid to rest on Tuesday.