Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq
Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq (Urdu: محمد اعجاز الحق) (born 1953) is a prominent Pakistani politician. Originally a Bahrain-based banker, Ijaz entered national politics following the assassination of his father, military president Zia-ul-Haq, in 1988. He rose to prominence in the Pakistan Muslim League as a right-wing opponent of the succeeding Benazir Bhutto government. He was appointed federal minister for labour within the cabinet of Zia's civilian successor Nawaz Sharif as well as the senior president of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) during its second tenure in the 1990s. He stepped down from the post following differences with Sharif, who was overthrown shortly afterwards by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999.
Forming his own PML splinter faction, Zia-ul-Haq Shaheed, Ijaz was elected to the Pakistan National Assembly for a record fourth time in the 2002 general election. Initially allying himself with Musharraf's PML-Q party, he was appointed federal minister for religious affairs. However, he gradually fell out with the government, and regularly sparked controversy. His support for nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan and his criticism of the Bush administration all deviated from the government line. However, his remarks concerning the knighthood of Salman Rushdie received international condemnation. He lost for the first time in the 2008 general election, and resigned from the PML-Q in February 2010. His revived PML-Zia upset the Pakistan Peoples Party in Bahawalnagar for Member of the Provincial Assembly in March 2010.[1]
Early lifeBorn in Nowshera, North-West Frontier Province, Ijaz received his master's degree in business administration from the University of Punjab. He completed his degree in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, in Carbondale, Illinois. Thereafter he enjoyed a successful career as a Bahrain-based banker from 1978 until 1988. He entered Pakistani politics after the death of his father, the President of Pakistan, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, in a plane crash in August 17, 1988. He allied himself with his late father's endorsed political party, Pakistan Muslim League in 1989 to form the conservative opposition to the country's succeeding ruler, Benazir Bhutto, who was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan shortly after General Zia's death. Initially considered to be spearheading the Benazir-opposed right-wing, Ijaz would ally himself with the more politically experienced Nawaz Sharif, who had served as Chief Minister in the cabinet of General Zia.
1990s political career
An opposition member throughout Benazir's rule, Ijaz was elected to the National Assembly in 1990 and due to his popularity and influence amongst the pro-Zia voting bloc became the Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis, following the dismissal of Benazir's government by then-President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and ally Nawaz Sharif's being elected Prime Minister. He held both posts till 1993, when Nawaz Sharif's government was also dismissed by Ghulam Ishaq. Nevertheless, Ijaz was again elected to the National Assembly in the subsequent federal elections held in 1993, in which Benazir was once again elected Prime Minister.
Ijaz returned to power in February 1997, following Benazir's government being dismissed yet again on corruption charges. Nawaz Sharif again succeeded her as Prime Minister. Ijaz-ul-Haq gradually fell out with Nawaz Sharif, however, during Sharif's second tenure. With rumours of the differences between the two men rife, Ijaz stepped down as Senior President of the ruling party. Shortly thereafter, Nawaz Sharif's government was overthrown in a military coup led by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999.
Musharraf held federal elections in 2002, and Ijaz was elected to the National Assembly, through his newly formed political party Pakistan Muslim League (Z), the fourth consecutive time, with a record number of votes. His party became part of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) in 2003. In 2004, he was made Federal Minister for Religious Affairs of Pakistan with the additional charge of Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Tenure as Religious Affairs Minister
Ijaz was elected to the National Assembly through his newly formed political party Pakistan Muslim League (Z) the fourth consecutive time in 2002, to a record number of votes. His party merged with Pakistan Muslim League (Q) in 2003. In 2004, he was made Federal Minister for Religious Affairs of Pakistan with the additional charge of Ministry of Minority Affairs. Ijaz's relationship with Musharraf's central government immediately became strained, when he denounced the Blair administration's flawed allegations of Pakistani involvement in the 7/7 London bombings.
Support for A.Q. Khan
Among the more controversial ministers in recent memory, Ijaz repeatedly deviated from the government line. His regarding Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the credited to be founder of Pakistan's nuclear program, as a national hero, following the Musharraf government's placing Khan under house arrest on allegations of abetting nuclear proliferation, was met with widespread acclaim despite being against government propagation. At a recent press conference in May 2007, Ijaz stated that Dr. Qadeer had rendered services without parallel concerning Pakistan's nuclear program[2].
| In office January 11, 2004 – November 26, 2007 | |
| Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis | |
| In office November 1, 1990 – July 18, 1993 | |
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| Born | 1953 Nowshera, Pakistan |
| Political party | Pakistan Muslim League (Zia-ul-Haq Shaheed) |
| Alma mater | Southern Illinois University Carbondale |
| Profession | Banker |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
