Daily Times

Through an official memo last year, the prime minister advised various departments of the government that in formal correspondence he should be addressed as Imran Khan and not identified by his full name, Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi.

Ask for a reason and the explanation provided would be his preference for simplicity, familiarity, practicality or brevity.

But, will most people buy such an explanation? I don’t think so.

Names matter a lot. From gender, ethnicity, religion and sect, to social status, educational background, caste, and even the era in which they might have originated, names bring up certain facts about ourselves that we sometimes want overlooked or ignored.

Almost no one nowadays names their sons Ghulam Ahmed/Rasool, or their daughters Parveen. Not too long ago, these names were frequent and popular. Many middle-aged men and women around us hold these names today.

If one delves deeper into the process of selecting a name, it provides a glimpse into the political and religious predilection of a community. If they feel threatened by the majority, some of the minority community citizens would take to hiding their faith by using neutral names. Imagine, somebody having Qadiyani at the end of his name. How long do you think they would survive? Any frustrated, immature and misguided soul seeking a place in paradise would claim it by shedding the blood of the person with the unfortunate name.

The construction of a name is important as well. You can introduce yourself as Imran Mirza and be ignored. But to be called Mirza Bashir or Mirza Tahir can invite trouble. That is why, except for close family members living abroad in high security, no one can use Mirza as a part of their first name. As the state supported the surge in the Sunni religious sentiments under the martial law of Gen Ziaul Haq, there was a noticeable re-emergence of names like Sufyan and Muawia.

If they feel threatened by the majority, some of the minority community citizens would take to hiding their faith by using neutral names

Many people name their children after a rising national leader. We saw a resurgence of the first name Zulfiqar after Pakistan Peoples Party won its first election. In the US, after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005, names starting with the letter K became more prominent. That probably had to do something with the representative bias more than anything else.

Out of Gujar Khan, Prof Ahmed Rafique Akhtar, a self-proclaimed sufi, contends that he understands the hidden meaning of Huruf e Muqattat: letters in Holy Quran that adorn the beginning of several chapters and are known to carry esoteric meanings.

I believe the professor’s declaration is unverifiable. It cannot be taken seriously on academic grounds; however, there may be something in it for those looking for Islamic Cabalism.

In an article written on the subject a few months ago, the author took the position that the surname Khan did not stand for any particular ethnicity, the reason why Imran Khan might have chosen to promote it. Meanwhile, Niazi stands for a local Punjabi background that the prime minister wanted to avoid. He also suggested that Niazi reminds people of the 1971 war, which lead to the partition of Pakistan and a humiliating surrender. At that time the army in East Pakistan was led by Lt Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi. Ever since, the name has been the target of much ridicule and condemnation. I agree.

If you look at the statements made by some opposition leaders, it seems that they understand the nuance, which explains why when they have to pass an irksome remark or poke a joke, they call the prime minister Imran Niazi. For instance, “I have a heartfelt sympathy for the workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. They were cheated in the name of Naya Pakistan. Imran Niazi has shown his version of Naya Pakistan by awarding tickets to turncoats,” said Shahbaz Sharif one day after presiding over the parliamentary board meeting with Nawaz Sharif.

A statement by Senator Aajiz Dhamra of Pakistan Peoples Party went, “Imran Niazi embezzled the donations meant for hospital and lives a lavish life with that money. How can a person without any known sources of income build the Bani Gala Palace on 400 acres of land?”

I believe, had this letter not originated, we would not have been discussing this topic today since Imran Khan to the rest of the world would never be known as Imran Ahmed or Imran Niazi. He would have continued to be remembered by his preferred last name

Also, I also think the idea of covering one’s family name is not limited to the current prime minister. Many politicians from Punjab do not add Gujjar or Araein as part of their last name to the point that it seems they want to hide it. Even the family of former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif does not add Butt as part of their identity. Is there a reason for them to conceal or reveal their names too? Probably there is.

And yet, hiding our names would not hide our personality or our ideology. Then why should we? Instead, we should own our pedigree not in spite of its ignominy but because of it. It shows the strength of character, which may help us erase any stigmas associated with the title.

The writer is a freelancer