Anwar ul-Haq Ahady
Anwar ul-Haq Ahady | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 12, 1951 Sarobi district, Kabul province, Afghanistan |
| Occupation(s) | Statesman, scholar, author |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Known for | Former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Finance Minister of Afghanistan, Governor of Da Afghanistan Bank |
Anwar ul-Haq Ahady (born August 12, 1951) is an Afghan statesman and former Minister of Commerce and Industry. Between December 2004 and February 2009, he held the position of Afghanistan's Finance Minister. Prior to that, from 2002 to 2004, he was the governor of Da Afghanistan Bank, the nation's central banking institution. Ahady is also recognized as a scholar and author.
Early years
Born in Sarobi district within Kabul province, Afghanistan, Ahady is the son of Abdul Haqhas, a Pashtun originating from Sarobi. He obtained both an MBA and a doctorate in political science from Northwestern University in Illinois. Additionally, he completed undergraduate and graduate studies in economics and political science at the American University of Beirut.
Career
Between 1985 and 1987, Ahady served as an assistant professor of political science at Carleton College and simultaneously held the role of banking director at Continental Elona in Chicago. From 1987 until 2002, he was a political science instructor at Providence College, a Catholic institution located in Rhode Island.
Following the collapse of the Taliban government and the formation of the Karzai administration in 2001, Ahady was appointed as head of Da Afghanistan Bank. His scholarly contributions include numerous articles in academic journals, books, and American newspapers.
Ahady’s ministerial roles include Finance Minister (2004–2009), Minister of Commerce (2010–2013), and Minister of Agriculture (2020–August 2021).
After the Fall of Kabul (2021), he left Afghanistan for abroad. Currently, he is a board member of the Fund for the Afghan People, a Swiss-based nonprofit organization responsible for managing Da Afghanistan Bank’s frozen assets following the Taliban’s return to power.
Political affiliation
Ahady was the leader of the Afghan Millat Party until his dismissal in 2016.
Works
- "The Decline of the Pashtuns in Afghanistan", Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady, Asian Survey, Vol. 35, No. 7 (Jul. 1995), pp. 621–634.