Asif Ahmad Ali
Encyclopedia
Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali is a Pakistan
i politician from an influential landowning family. He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan
from Kasur
in 1994 and has remained active in political and campaigning theatres. In 2004, he formally joined the Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP).
He opposed Pervez Musharraf
's firing of Pakistan's judiciary. He served as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan
in the National Government led by the PPP from 1993 to 1996.
LOW CASTE family of the Punjab, whose role in politics in this region precedes the British rule in India
. The family has a reputation of repelling authority and was instrumental in fighting against the Sikh
s and later the British. His uncle Sardar Muhammad Hussain remained a member of parliament pre- and post-partition and pioneered the advent of Pakistan Muslim League
in Central Punjab. His father Sardar Ahmad Ali, who also remained member of parliament throughout his career, and Sardar Muhammad Hussain led regional movements against the Unionist Party
, which was patronised by the British. The first mammoth public rally for and on behalf of the Muslim League under, Muhammad Ali Jinnah
, was held near his ancestral village, Ganja Kalan, at Kasur
, Punjab. As a result of the partition, the family lost vast tracts of agricultural land near the Satluj River, Kasur
. As he belongs to the Arain
tribe, his ancestry goes back to a prominent family of the famous Arab tribe Banu Tamim
. The family is considered as the chief family of the influential Arain
clan. His family is related to the Mian family of Burj Jeway Khan
(near Okara
) and the Daula family of Dipalpur
.
, Lahore
(1959–62), and a B.A (Hons.) degree St. John's College, Oxford (1963–1966). Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali is a senior member of Pakistan Peoples Party
. He was the foreign minister of Pakistan in the cabinet of Benazir Bhutto
during her second tenure as Prime Minister
.
government, but resigned from the cabinet after developing differences with the Prime Minister. His resignation along with those of other members of parliament eventually led to overthrow of the first Nawaz Sharif government. While serving as the Economic Affairs Minister, Sardar Aseff led numerous delegations of Pakistani civil society members and organizations to Russia and cultivated valuable business and diplomatic relationship with various disintegrated states of the former Soviet Union
. He was awarded an honorary citizenship of Kazakhstan
and Kyrgyzstan
.
In 2003, he held a painting exhibition at Lahore, where he displayed some of his hand-drawn sketches and paintings, which was attended by then-Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali
.
In the recently held general elections, he was returned to the National Assembly, the fifth time after defeating his archrival, the outgoing foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri
.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i politician from an influential landowning family. He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan
National Assembly of Pakistan
The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameral Majlis-e-Shura, which also compromises the President of Pakistan and Senate . The National Assembly and the Senate both convene at Parliament House in Islamabad...
from Kasur
Kasur
Kasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...
in 1994 and has remained active in political and campaigning theatres. In 2004, he formally joined the Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
(PPP).
He opposed Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
's firing of Pakistan's judiciary. He served as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan
Foreign Minister of Pakistan
The Foreign Minister of Pakistan heads the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The current Foreign Minister is Hina Rabbani Khar who took office as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on 11 February 2011, and as full Minister of Foreign Affairs on 20 July, 2011...
in the National Government led by the PPP from 1993 to 1996.
Family background and ethnicity
He hails from a principal ArainArain
The Arain , are a Muslim agricultural caste settled mainly in the Punjab, with significant numbers also in Sindh. They are chiefly associated with farming, traditionally being landlords or zamindars.- Origin :...
LOW CASTE family of the Punjab, whose role in politics in this region precedes the British rule in India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. The family has a reputation of repelling authority and was instrumental in fighting against the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s and later the British. His uncle Sardar Muhammad Hussain remained a member of parliament pre- and post-partition and pioneered the advent of Pakistan Muslim League
Pakistan Muslim League
The Pakistan Muslim League was founded in 1962, as a successor to the previously disbanded Muslim League in Pakistan. Unlike the original PML which ended in 1958 when General Ayub Khan banned all political parties, each subsequent Muslim League was in some way propped by the military dictators of...
in Central Punjab. His father Sardar Ahmad Ali, who also remained member of parliament throughout his career, and Sardar Muhammad Hussain led regional movements against the Unionist Party
Unionist Muslim League
The Unionist Muslim League, also known simply as the Unionist Party was a political party based in the province of Punjab during the period of British rule in India. The Unionist Party mainly represented the interests of the landed gentry and landlords of Punjab, which included Muslims, Hindus and...
, which was patronised by the British. The first mammoth public rally for and on behalf of the Muslim League under, Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
, was held near his ancestral village, Ganja Kalan, at Kasur
Kasur
Kasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...
, Punjab. As a result of the partition, the family lost vast tracts of agricultural land near the Satluj River, Kasur
Kasur
Kasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...
. As he belongs to the Arain
Arain
The Arain , are a Muslim agricultural caste settled mainly in the Punjab, with significant numbers also in Sindh. They are chiefly associated with farming, traditionally being landlords or zamindars.- Origin :...
tribe, his ancestry goes back to a prominent family of the famous Arab tribe Banu Tamim
Banu Tamim
Banī Tamīm Tamim is one of the largest of all Arab tribes. Their history goes back to pre-Islamic times....
. The family is considered as the chief family of the influential Arain
Arain
The Arain , are a Muslim agricultural caste settled mainly in the Punjab, with significant numbers also in Sindh. They are chiefly associated with farming, traditionally being landlords or zamindars.- Origin :...
clan. His family is related to the Mian family of Burj Jeway Khan
Burj Jeway Khan
Burj Jeway Khan or Burj Jiwe Khan is a town and union council of Okara District in the Punjab province of Pakistan....
(near Okara
Okara, Pakistan
Okara is the capital city of Okara District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The name Okara is derived from Okaan, a name of a tree, the city is located south-west to the city of Lahore and is famous for its agriculture-based economy and cotton mills...
) and the Daula family of Dipalpur
Dipalpur
Dipalpur is a town in Okara District of the Punjab and headquarters of Depalpur Tehsil, assumed to be largest tehsil of Pakistan. It is situated 25 kilometres from the district capital Okara on a bank of the Beas River in Bari Doab...
.
Education and politics
He earned a B.A. (Hons.) degree at Government College UniversityGovernment College University
Government College University, Lahore is a co-educational public university located on The Mall in Lahore, Pakistan...
, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
(1959–62), and a B.A (Hons.) degree St. John's College, Oxford (1963–1966). Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali is a senior member of Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
. He was the foreign minister of Pakistan in the cabinet of Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
during her second tenure as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
.
Minister of Economic Affairs
Sardar Aseff also served as the Minister for Economic Affairs during the 1991-1993 Nawaz SharifNawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
government, but resigned from the cabinet after developing differences with the Prime Minister. His resignation along with those of other members of parliament eventually led to overthrow of the first Nawaz Sharif government. While serving as the Economic Affairs Minister, Sardar Aseff led numerous delegations of Pakistani civil society members and organizations to Russia and cultivated valuable business and diplomatic relationship with various disintegrated states of the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He was awarded an honorary citizenship of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
and Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
.
Foreign Minister of Pakistan
As Foreign Minister of Pakistan, he was unanimously elected chairman of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.In 2003, he held a painting exhibition at Lahore, where he displayed some of his hand-drawn sketches and paintings, which was attended by then-Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali
Zafarullah Khan Jamali
Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali was the 13th Prime Minister of Pakistan and former Chairman of the Pakistan Hockey Federation.-Early life:Born in Baluchistan, Jamali was the second Baluch Prime Minister of Pakistan...
.
In the recently held general elections, he was returned to the National Assembly, the fifth time after defeating his archrival, the outgoing foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri
Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri
Mian Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri is a Pakistani politician and diplomat. He was the Foreign Minister of Pakistan from 2002 to 2007.- Family background :Khurshid M. Kasuri belongs to one of the old political families of Pakistan...
.