Babar Awan
Encyclopedia
Zaheer-ud-din Babar Awan (born 27 January 1958) is the former Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs of Pakistan
. He is also a senator
in Pakistan's upper House of the Parliament, and a practicing lawyer and member of the Pakistan Peoples Party
Central Executive Committee. Awan won the Senate election in 2006 unopposed.
. In 1996, he joined the Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP). In 1997, Awan contested for the General Elections from Murree
from the PPP, and remained unsuccessful. He ran again in the 2002 elections
, this time from Islamabad
, but was defeated again. In 2004, Benazir Bhutto
appointed Awan as the finance secretary of the Pakistan People's Party. In 2006, Awan contested for the Senate election and was elected unopposed. Awan was present during the 19 October attack
on Benazir Bhutto in Karachi, and then when Benazir Bhutto was killed in Rawalpindi
.
Awan was appointed the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs in November 2008. He was elevated as the Federal Law Minister in December 2009. He resigned along with the rest of the federal cabinet in early 2011, but was brought back less than 48 hours later. He was also given the Ministry of Information Technology. In 2011, he resigned as minister to plead in the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto murder case.
Government. Many of the PPP leaders used Babar Awan as their legal advocate. He is a criminal lawyer but he also deals with politically-inspired corruption, corporate and financial cases. Awan did nearly 10 cases of Asif Ali Zardari
, and Benazir Bhutto, along with Aitzaz Ahsan
and Farooq H. Naek. He was arrested by the Nawaz Sharif government and was pressurized to leave the cases, when he did not bow to authority, his food was poisoned which luckily could not go down awan's throat. Awan's cousin was killed during a PPP political rally. Thus Awan became more involved politically in the Pakistan Peoples Party. Benazir Bhutto was impressed by Awan after seeing him in court making his arguments, and offered him to run in the 1997 elections. Awan was a friend of Bhutto's brother, Murtaza Bhutto
. Since 1998, Awan's political career has had a meteoric rise. In 2007, he was present when Benazir Bhutto's return was announced in a press conference. He was the lawyer of Makhdoom Ameen Faheem
in the 2007 Presidential Elections. He is highly praised by most impartial political and social figures due to his impressive skills as an orater.
tribe. His political base lies in his hometown. Awan's elder brother was also a worker of the Pakistan People's Party. His another brother is a worker of Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Punjab.
investigation report into the murder of Benazir Bhutto, but his name was dropped due to lack of evidence. This was surprising for Awan and other PPP members who had reportedly heard Benazir say that Awan was her "brother".
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...
. He is also a senator
Senate of Pakistan
The Senate of Pakistan is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan. Elections are held every three years for one half of the senate and each senator has a term of six years...
in Pakistan's upper House of the Parliament, and a practicing lawyer and member of 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...
Central Executive Committee. Awan won the Senate election in 2006 unopposed.
Political career
Awan was a student leader in his student life. He first joined the PML-Junejo of former Prime Minister Muhammad Khan JunejoMuhammad Khan Junejo
Muhammad Khan Junejo was the tenth Prime Minister of Pakistan.-Early life:He was born at Sindhri in Tharparkar of Sindh. He belongs to Sindhi Muslim Rajput family of Junejo clan. Junejo started his political career at the age of twenty one...
. In 1996, he 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). In 1997, Awan contested for the General Elections from Murree
Murree
Murree city is a popular hill station and a summer resort, especially for the residents of Rawalpindi/Islamabad, and for the cities of the province of Punjab, Pakistan...
from the PPP, and remained unsuccessful. He ran again in the 2002 elections
Pakistani general election, 2002
General elections were held in Pakistan on 10 October 2002 during the military regime of Pervez Musharraf.-Parties and candidates:More than 70 parties, contested the election, the main parties were the Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Group, Muttahida Quami Movement ,...
, this time from Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
, but was defeated again. In 2004, 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....
appointed Awan as the finance secretary of the Pakistan People's Party. In 2006, Awan contested for the Senate election and was elected unopposed. Awan was present during the 19 October attack
2007 Karachi bombing
The 2007 Karachi bombing of October 18, 2007 in Karachi, Pakistan, was an attack on a motorcade carrying former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The bombing occurred two months before she was assassinated...
on Benazir Bhutto in Karachi, and then when Benazir Bhutto was killed in Rawalpindi
Assassination of Benazir Bhutto
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto occurred on 27 December 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Bhutto, twice Prime Minister of Pakistan and then-leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, had been campaigning ahead of elections due in January 2008...
.
Awan was appointed the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs in November 2008. He was elevated as the Federal Law Minister in December 2009. He resigned along with the rest of the federal cabinet in early 2011, but was brought back less than 48 hours later. He was also given the Ministry of Information Technology. In 2011, he resigned as minister to plead in the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto murder case.
Popularity
Awan first came to limelight in 1990s when soon after the second Benazir government was ousted, several leading Pakistan Peoples Party figures were implicated in corruption cases by their then rivals 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. Many of the PPP leaders used Babar Awan as their legal advocate. He is a criminal lawyer but he also deals with politically-inspired corruption, corporate and financial cases. Awan did nearly 10 cases of Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
, and Benazir Bhutto, along with Aitzaz Ahsan
Aitzaz Ahsan
Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan is a Pakistani lawmaker, barrister, and politician from Pakistan's People's Party who served as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.-Early life and education:...
and Farooq H. Naek. He was arrested by the Nawaz Sharif government and was pressurized to leave the cases, when he did not bow to authority, his food was poisoned which luckily could not go down awan's throat. Awan's cousin was killed during a PPP political rally. Thus Awan became more involved politically in the Pakistan Peoples Party. Benazir Bhutto was impressed by Awan after seeing him in court making his arguments, and offered him to run in the 1997 elections. Awan was a friend of Bhutto's brother, Murtaza Bhutto
Murtaza Bhutto
Dr. Mir Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto was a Pakistani politician and the Member of the Parliament of Pakistan, representing Pakistan People's Party from the Larkana constituency...
. Since 1998, Awan's political career has had a meteoric rise. In 2007, he was present when Benazir Bhutto's return was announced in a press conference. He was the lawyer of Makhdoom Ameen Faheem
Makhdoom Ameen Faheem
Makhdoom Muhammad Ameen Faheem is a senior member of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, where he serves as the senior vice chairman, and its head in the parliament. He also holds the cabinet portfolio of Senior Federal Minister for Commerce...
in the 2007 Presidential Elections. He is highly praised by most impartial political and social figures due to his impressive skills as an orater.
Links with other political parties
The PPP has used Awan for dialogue with other political parties. Awan is highly supported in his AwanAwan (Pakistan)
Awan , is a South Asian Zamindar tribe, putatively of Arab origin, living predominantly in northern, central, and western parts of Punjab, Pakistan...
tribe. His political base lies in his hometown. Awan's elder brother was also a worker of the Pakistan People's Party. His another brother is a worker of Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement generally known as MQM, is a liberal-secular political party of Pakistan. It is generally known as a party which holds immense mobilizing potential in province of Sindh...
Punjab.
Haris Steel case
In November 2009, National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan summoned Awan after he was accused for getting bribes from the owners of the Haris Steel Mill in order to get a favorable verdict from the court. Awan was reported to have said that he had taken professional fee only and objectors were welcome to pursue any complaint in any professional body. In 2011, Sheikh Afzal, the owner of Haris Steel Mill, stated that he has been pressurized by the Punjab Government to issue a statement against Awan.Fake degree accusation
In November 2008, Awan was accused of holding a degree that was awarded by an institution that was shut down. The university, Monticello University of Hawaii, was shut down in 1997. It had reportedly fooled thousands of students to take money. Awan insisted that he had attained his degree in 2000, and had no idea at the time that the institution was a diploma mill.Benazir Bhutto murder case
His name was highlighted in April 2010 after a United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
investigation report into the murder of Benazir Bhutto, but his name was dropped due to lack of evidence. This was surprising for Awan and other PPP members who had reportedly heard Benazir say that Awan was her "brother".