Ijaz-ul-Haq

Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq (Urdu: محمد اعجاز الحق; born 20 February 1952) is a Pakistani politician who is the president of the Pakistan Muslim League (Z). A son of military dictator Gen Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, he served as Minister for Religious Affairs and Minorities in the government of General Pervez Musharraf from 2004 to 2007, after having served as Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis in the government of Nawaz Sharif from 1990 to 1993.

Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq
محمد اعجاز الحق
President of Pakistan Muslim League (Z)
Incumbent
Assumed office February 2010
Preceded by	Position Established
Minister for Religious Affairs
In office 11 January 2004 – 26 November 2007
President	Pervez Musharraf
Prime Minister	Shaukat Aziz
Succeeded by	Hamid Saeed Kazmi
Minister for Minorities
In office 11 January 2004 – 26 November 2007
President	Pervez Musharraf
Prime Minister	Shaukat Aziz
Succeeded by	Shahbaz Bhatti
Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis
In office 1 November 1990 – 18 July 1993
President	Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Prime Minister	Nawaz Sharif
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 February 2024
Constituency	NA-163 Bahawalnagar-IV
In office 1 June 2013 – 31 May 2018
Constituency	NA-191 (Bahawalnagar-IV)
In office 18 November 2002 – 18 November 2007
Constituency	NA-191 (Bahawalnagar-IV)
In office 3 November 1990 – 12 October 1999
Constituency	NA-39 Rawalpindi-IV
Personal details
Born	(1952-02-20) 20 February 1952 (age 72) Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan
Political party	Pakistan Muslim League (Z) (2002–present)
Other political affiliations	Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (2002–2008) Pakistan Muslim League (N) (1993–2002) Islamic Democratic Alliance (1988–1993)
Parent(s)	Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq Begum Shafiq Zia
Alma mater	Southern Illinois University

A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Ijaz worked as a banker prior to entering in politics in 1988, following the death of his father and military ruler president Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. He has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since February 2024 and previously served in this position from November 1990 to October 1993, from November 2002 to November 2007, and from June 2013 to May 2018. He is mostly active during dictatorial regimes in Pakistan.

Early life and education

Ijaz was born on 20 February 1952 in Peshawar to General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who was born in Jalandhar, and Shafiq Jahan, who was born in Uganda.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

He received his master's degree in business administration from Southern Illinois University, United States.^[6] He worked as a banker, with Bank of America in Bahrain, for around a decade prior to entering politics in 1990.

Political career

Upon the death of his father in a plane crash in 1988, Haq returned to Pakistan and entered politics.^[6]

Ijaz was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan for the first time in the 1990 Pakistani general election from NA-39 Rawalpindi-IV and NA-72 Toba Tek Singh-II as a candidate of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI), defeating the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDA) candidates.^[7] The elections were declared manipulated and rigged by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2012.^[8]

Ijaz was re-elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan for the second time in the 1993 Pakistani general election from NA-54 Rawalpindi-IV as a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML(N)), defeating the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) candidate.^[9]

In 1994, he was imprisoned with other PML(N) leaders in Adiala Jail.^[10]

Ijaz was re-elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan for the third time in the 1997 Pakistani general election from NA-54 Rawalpindi-IV as a candidate of the PML(N), defeating the PPP candidate.^[9] Following the election, he was appointed as the Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis where he served from 1997 to 1999 during Nawaz Sharif's second ministry until the Sharif government was overthrown soon afterward in the 1999 Pakistani coup d'état by General Pervez Musharraf.^[2]

Following differences with Nawaz Sharif, Ijaz created his own party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Z) (PML(Z)) in 2002.^[2]

He was re-elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan for the fourth time in the 2002 Pakistani general election from NA-191 Bahawalnagar-IV as a candidate of the PML(Z), defeating the PPP candidate.^[2]

He allied with the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML(Q)) and was appointed as the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Federal Minister for Minorities.^[11][12][2]

He ran in the 2008 Pakistani general election from NA-191 Bahawalnagar-IV as a candidate of the PML(Q) but lost the seat to a PPP candidate.^[2] Following the defeat in the elections, he resigned from the PML(Q) in 2008.^[2][13][9]

In 2012, it was reported that he may join the PML(N)^[12] and get their ticket to run in the upcoming general elections from NA-191 Bahawalnagar-IV.^[11] In 2013, he allied with, but didn’t join, the PML(N).^[2]

Ijaz ran for two seats in the National Assembly as a candidate of PML(Z) in the 2013 Pakistani general election. He lost from NA-190 Bahawalnagar-III, losing to a PML(N) candidate, and won NA-191 Bahahwalnagar-IV, defeating a PML(N) candidate.^[14][15][16]

He ran from NA-169 Bahawalnagar-IV as a candidate of PML(Z) in the 2018 Pakistani general election, but lost to Noorul Hassan Tanvir, a PML(N) candidate. Ijaz received 72,461 votes.^[17]

On 19 March 2023, Ijaz merged the PML(Z) into the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after a meeting with Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister, and the chairman of the PTI. He further said that he would contest the next general elections on a PTI ticket.^[18][19] On 29 May 2023, he later denied the rumours of PML-Z getting merged into PTI.^[20][21]

He was re-elected to the National Assembly from NA-163 Bahawalnagar-IV as a candidate of PML(Z) in the 2024 Pakistani general election. He received 84,343 votes and defeated Shaukat Basra, an independent candidate supported by PTI.^[22]

Writings

He has written columns for different Urdu publications, including Daily Jang^[23] and Dunya News.^[24]

Further reading

• Sarfraz, Mehmal (23 February 2020). "Ijaz-ul-Haq's 'explosive' allegations". The Hindu.

References

1. "Detail Information". 26 April 2014. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
2. "Zia's son Ijaz-ul-Haq decides to join hands with Nawaz". DAWN.COM. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
3. "Gen Beg responsible for Bahawalpur crash: Ijaz - Pakistan | Dunya News". dunyanews.tv. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
4. "If elections are held on time…". thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
5. Parveen Shaukat Ali (1997). Politics of conviction: the life and times of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. The London Centre for Pakistan Studies. ISBN 978-1-901899-03-0. Zia-ul-Haq became engaged to his cousin (the daughter of his mother's sister), who was eight years younger than he was. Begum Shafiq Zia-ul-Haq was born in 1932 in Uganda, where her father lived. According to the traditional religious custom, it was an arranged marriage and was solemnized on 10 August 1950, in Model Town, Lahore. Shafiq's father had been staying there on a leave of absence from his job in Uganda, so that he could marry his two daughters in his own country.
6. Times, Barbara Crossette, Special to the New York (9 August 1990). "Son of Former Military Ruler Goes into Politics in Pakistan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
7. "Analysis: Soldier of misfortune by Khaled Ahmed". thefridaytimes.com. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
8. "Six Pakistani PMs, two presidents won the rigged 1990 polls". thenews.com.pk. 9 November 2012. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
9. "Battle for NA-54 seat sharpens". DAWN.COM. 26 December 2007. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
10. "Decades of famous faces at Adiala". The Nation. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
11. "Ijaz may get PML-N ticket for NA-191". DAWN.COM. 30 September 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
12. "Pre-election politicking: Ijazul Haq to join PML-N - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
13. "Is the pot calling the kettle black?". thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
14. "Musharraf will leave country soon: Ijaz". DAWN.COM. 16 May 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
15. "Musharraf to leave country, says Ijazul Haq". thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
16. "Ejaz wins NA-191". DAWN.COM. 13 May 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
17. "NA 169 Bahawalnagar 4". www.geo.tv. 22 May 2013.
18. "Ziaul Haq's son Ijazul Haq joins PTI". Dunya News. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
19. Dawn.com (19 March 2023). "PML-Z's Ijazul Haq joins PTI after party merger". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
20. "Ijazul Haq denies PML-Z merger with PTI". The Nation. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
21. "Rumours of PML-Z's merger with PTI baseless: Ijaz-ul-Haq". 28 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
22. "Election Commission of Pakistan". ecp.gov.pk. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
23. "Profile". Daily Jang.
24. "Profile". Dunya News.