ISLAMABAD, APR 13 /DNA/ – Professor Khurshid Ahmed, a prominent scholar, economist, politician, author, researcher, former senator, and founder of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), passed away a short while ago on April 13, 2025, in Leicester, UK, after a prolonged illness.
Professor Khurshid Ahmed was born on March 23, 1932, in Delhi. He was a distinguished thinker, politician, economist, author, and researcher with a long-standing association with Jamaat-e-Islami. He served as a member of the Senate from 1985 to 2012 for 22 years, except for a brief hiatus. He also held the position of Minister for Planning and Vice Chairman of the Planning Commission. In 1979, he established the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in Islamabad and served as its Chairman until 2021. He was a founding trustee of the International Islamic University; served as Chairman of the Mark Field Institute of Higher Education in Leicester, UK; was a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Management Sciences, Lahore; and served as the Chairman of the Islamic Foundation in the UK.
Professor Khurshid Ahmed authored and edited over 100 books in Urdu and English, which have been translated and published in various languages including Arabic, French, Turkish, Bengali, Japanese, German, Indonesian, Hindi, Chinese, Korean, Persian, and others.
Doctoral dissertations have been written on Professor Khurshid Ahmed at various esteemed universities in Malaysia, Turkey, and Germany. In recognition of his scholarly and research contributions, he was awarded a PhD in Islamic Economics by the University of Malaya, a PhD in Literature by Loughborough University, UK in 2004, and a PhD in Education by the International Islamic University of Malaysia.
Professor Khurshid Ahmed was honored with an award from the Islamic Development Bank in 1989 for his valuable contributions to Islamic Economics, while the Saudi government awarded him the King Faisal Award in 1990 for his services to Islam at the international level. Additionally, in 1990, the Government of Pakistan conferred upon him the highest civilian honor, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, in recognition of his services.
The passing of Professor Khurshid Ahmed is a great tragedy not only for Pakistan but for the entire Muslim Ummah. His contributions to Pakistan and Islam will always be remembered with the highest regard.
