Brought into the world on August 9, 1949, Khawaja Muhammad Asif is a Pakistani lawmaker who has been Pakistan’s guard server since April 2022. Since August 2018, he has been an individual from Pakistan’s Public Gathering. He recently served in Public Gatherings from 1993 to 1999, of course from 2002 to 2018 and up until the present. He was elected as the PML-N’s parliamentary leader in Pakistan’s National Assembly and took office in May 2019.
From August 2017 until April 2018, he filled in as the Abbasi government’s Priest of International concerns. From 2013 to 2017, he simultaneously stood firm on the footings of Priest of Protection and Clergyman of Water and Power in the Third Sharif service. When Asif was selected to serve in Pakistan’s Senate in 1991, during the first Sharif administration, he began his political career. He plays held various parts in the central government beginning around 1997. During the second Nawaz Sharif organization, from 1997 to 1999, he filled in as executive of the Pakistani Privatization Commission. In the Gillani service in 2008, he likewise filled in as the Pastor of Sports while holding the bureau obligations of the Priest of Oil and the Clergyman of Normal Assets.
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| Name | Khawaja Muhammad Asif |
| Father’s Name | Khawaja Muhammad Safdar |
| Born | 9 August 1949 (age 73)Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Spouse | Musarrat Asif Khawaja |
| Children | Atika Safdar Khawaja, Khawaja Muhammad Asad, Ameera Safdar Khawaja, Fatima Safdar Khawaja |
| Relations | Farooq Naek (cousin) |
| Alma mater | University of the Punjab |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Religion | Islam |
| Residence | Sialkot, Pakistan |
| Profession | Politician |
| Permanent Address | House No.118 Mehmood Ghaznavi Road Sialkot Cantt. |
| Local Address | F-301, Parliament Lodges, Islamabad |
| Contact Number | 051-9222221, 0300-8440640 |
| Province | Punjab |
| Constituency | NA-73(Sialkot-II) |
| Party | Pakistan Muslim League (N) |
| Oath Taking Date | 13-08-2018 |
Early life and Education:
Khawaja Muhammad Safdar gave birth to Khawaja Muhammad Asif on August 9, 1949, in Sialkot, Punjab. Cadet College Hasan Abdal was where he acquired his early education. Government College University in Lahore is where he received his bachelor’s degree, although University Law College in Lahore gave him an L.L.B. Asif, a banker by trade, spent several years living on the island of iqama in the United Arab Emirates before 1999. There, he worked for various banks. His honorary doctorate in international relations was conferred by the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations in 2007.
Family:
His father, politician Khwaja Muhammad Safdar, was an activist in Pakistan’s independence movement. Khawaja Muhammad Asif is married to Musarrat Asif. He has four children, three of whom are daughters. Along with Ameera Safdar, Atika, and Fatima, While Khwaja Muhammad Asad is his son, Khwaja is his daughter.
Career:
Khawaja Muhammad Asif started his political career in 1991 after moving back to Pakistan from the United Arab Emirates after the death of his father. He was chosen as the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) candidate in 1991 and served in the Senate of Pakistan for three years. In the general election of 1993, he was chosen to represent Constituency NA-110 (Sialkot) in the Pakistan National Assembly.
During the second Nawaz Sharif administration, he was named chairman of the Privatization Commission of Pakistan with the status of a minister after being re-elected to the National Assembly in the 1997 general election. His term ended with the overthrow of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the then-Chief of Army Staff, Pervez Musharraf, in a military uprising in 1999. Nawaz Sharif’s tenure as prime minister came to an end in 1999 when the then-chief of the army staff, Pervez Musharraf, led an armed uprising that ousted him and the country’s elected government. Following the military coup, Khawaja Muhammad Asif was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on suspicion of corruption; however, he was eventually freed due to a lack of supporting evidence. Due to Musharraf’s efforts to keep the PML-N alive, Khawaja Muhammad Asif grew closer to Nawaz Sharif.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif won re-election:
Khawaja Muhammad Asif won re-election to the National Assembly in the general election of 2002. He was temporarily appointed as the Gillani ministry’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources as well as the Minister of Sports before his party left the Pakistan Peoples Party-led coalition government after being re-elected to the National Assembly in the 2008 general election.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif has dual citizenship, hence he is ineligible to hold public office in Pakistan, according to the constitution, according to a petition that was accepted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s registrar in June 2012. Following that, the Supreme Court and the Federal Investigations Agency launched an inquiry into the allegations of Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s dual nationality. The charges brought against him were not upheld by the court. The petitioner who filed the charges against him retracted them and formally apologised, thus the court did not find him guilty of them.
Resigned As A Minister:
He resigned from his position as a minister in July 2017 when the federal cabinet was dissolved as a result of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation following the judgement in the Panama Papers case. Asif was included in Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s federal cabinet and given the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs for the first time after Abbasi was chosen as Pakistan’s next prime minister. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held the cabinet portfolio of foreign affairs prior to the PML-N taking office in May 2013, hence Pakistan did not have a Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Daily Times criticised Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s selection as being undiplomatic and controversial. The News, however, approved of his nomination. It was highlighted that Pakistan now has a good opportunity to successfully and productively present its viewpoint to the world community as a result of Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s selection as foreign minister. He received flak for having an employment visa from the UAE while serving as foreign minister. The Islamabad High Court declared him permanently ineligible to hold public office on April 26, 2018, due to his ownership of the UAE work permit. In response, Khawaja Muhammad Asif declared that “he will appeal the decision before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.” He was removed from his position as a member of the National Assembly later that day by the Pakistani Election Commission.
Re-elected to the National Assembly for the sixth time:
Khawaja Muhammad Asif was re-elected to the National Assembly for the sixth time in Pakistan’s general election of 2013. As part of Sharif’s third administration, he was appointed Minister of Water and Power in June 2013 and later granted the additional portfolio of Minister of Defense in November 2013. A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member contested Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s election, accusing him of using fictitious votes. The Supreme Court dismissed this petition on November 10, 2016. Khawaja Muhammad Asif was close to Nawaz Sharif and had considerable support among the Kashmiri community in his home seat of Sialkot.
The Supreme Court then heard Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s appeal of his disqualification. Khawaja Muhammad Asif was permitted to run for office in June 2018 when the Supreme Court lifted the lifelong ban on running for office and ruled that the Islamabad High Court’s ruling was invalid.
From Constituency NA-73 (Sialkot-II) in the 2018 Pakistani general election, he was re-elected to the National Assembly as a PML-N candidate. Usman Dar was defeated by him with 116,957 votes. He took the reins in May 2019 and was elected as the PMLN’s Parliamentary Leader in Pakistan’s National Assembly.
Controversy:
Khawaja Asif is a figure who frequently makes headlines, whether it be for his anti-military speech in Pakistan’s National Assembly or his vehement criticism of individuals from rival political parties. 2017 saw a lot of media attention focused on Khawaja Asif, mostly for two reasons. The first is when he disparaged Shireen Mazari, a political competitor. He branded Dr Shireen Mazari, the spokesperson for Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf, “Tractor Trolly” in a taped National Assembly session while he was speaking about Nawaz Sharif’s Panama Gate Scandal. Khawaja Asif was attacked by the general public despite his official apology to her.
His contentious scandal involving Kashmala Tariq is the second justification. Some of the nation’s leading journalists discussed his secret relationship on the news.
The second justification is his contentious scandal involving Kashmala Tariq. Some of the best journalists in the nation discussed his secret romance on the news. Hamid Mir, a renowned journalist, invited Khawaja Asif and Kashmala Tariq to appear on his prime-time program and raised this issue. Both claimed there was no such relationship and dismissed it as a lie generated by their political adversaries. Kashmala went further and said:
“Only those with dirty minds can discuss such things. Unkind people strive to spread unfavourable information about a lady and blame her character.
Khawaja Asif reiterates Pakistan’s desire to strengthen its partnership with Azerbaijan:
The strong desire of Pakistan to deepen its relationship with Azerbaijan in all areas, including defence cooperation, has been reaffirmed by Minister of Defense Khawaja Muhammad Asif. He was speaking with Colonel General Karim Valiyev, the first deputy defence minister and chief of the Azerbaijani general staff, who had visited him in Islamabad. The Minister stated that both nations have a common religion, culture, and history and that they will support one another in a variety of international fora. Azerbaijan values Pakistan highly due to its wealth of experience in a variety of disciplines, including defence, and the desire to collaborate closely with Pakistan, according to the visiting dignitary.
The institutional structure for high-level bilateral coordination will be substantially strengthened, both sides agreed, to promote regional and global prosperity.
Khawaja Asif Dual nationality case:
The Pakistani Supreme Court granted the registrar’s office’s plea on June 4, 2012. According to the appeal, Khawaja Muhammad Asif is ineligible to occupy public office in Pakistan because of his dual citizenship and Pakistan’s constitution. The petition also listed the names of 13 other current Pakistani National and Provincial Assembly members in addition to Khawaja Muhammad Asif. However, the court did not find him to be guilty in this regard, and the petitioner who brought the charges later expressed regret and dropped them.
Pakistan minister defends trial of Khan supporters in army courts:
Pakistan’s defence minister defended the government’s choice to prosecute civilians in military tribunals by referring to their purported attacks on military targets during recent protests as “acts of rebellion against the state.”
After protests this month were started by the incarceration of former prime minister Imran Khan, Khawaja M. Asif told Al Jazeera that the arrests of thousands of people were justifiable and that army installations had been deliberately attacked.
The military’s offices were attacked by these individuals. Their homes were attacked. In an interview, Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated that they assaulted their infrastructure, such as air bases. They had a plan. It did not occur on its own. You need to be aware of how serious the offence and the circumstances were.
Martyr’s real heroes of the country:
According to Minister of Defense Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the nation should honour the sacrifices made by the martyrs who gave their lives to defend the country they loved. He claimed that valiant forces are still engaged in the struggle against terrorism.
According to him, as a country, we are appreciative of our martyrs who gave their lives in defence of our beloved homeland Pakistan, as well as of their families.
Nations needed to be associated with history, he said, as those that forget their benefactors lose their reason for existing. He prayed that Almighty Allah would always make Pakistan joyful and wealthy.
Khawaja Asif visits Tehran and meets Iranian leadership:
On September 11, 2017, Iranian President Dr Hassan Rouhani received a call from Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif during his daylong visit to Tehran. According to a press release from today’s Embassy of Pakistan in Tehran, they discussed fostering the brotherly relationships that exist between the two nations and are based on their shared history, culture, and bonds between the peoples. They also reiterated their shared goal to advance bilateral cooperation. Foreign Minister and Dr Javad Zarif of Iran conducted in-depth discussions earlier, shortly after he arrived in Tehran, about bilateral relations and the circumstances in the region, especially efforts to bring about peace and stability in Afghanistan. According to Khawaja Asif, Pakistan is committed to fostering closer ties with Iran and working closely to advance world peace and security. Pakistan is pursuing a policy of a peaceful neighbourhood.
According to Khawaja Asif, Pakistan is dedicated to further enhancing its ties with Iran and cooperating closely to advance stability, security, and economic growth in the area. Pakistan is committed to implementing the policy of a peaceful neighbourhood. In this regard, he expressed his happiness over the growing interaction between Pakistan and Iran while highlighting the necessity of emphasizing fostering trade, economic cooperation, and connectivity.
