Riaz Hussain Pirzada (Urdu: ریاض حسین پیرزادہ; born 1 August 1948) is a Pakistani politician who currently holds the position of Federal Minister for Housing and Works. He has been serving as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since 29 February 2024. He has held previous terms in the National Assembly from August 2018 to August 2023 and from 1993 to May 2018. Additionally, he was a member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab from 1985 to 1988.

Quick Facts Federal Minister of Housing and Works, President ...
Riaz Hussain Pirzada
ریاض حسین پیرزادہ
Federal Minister of Housing and Works
Assumed office
11 March 2024
PresidentAsif Ali Zardari
Prime MinisterShehbaz Sharif
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
29 February 2024  11 October 2024
ConstituencyNA-164 Bahawalpur-I
In office
1 June 2013  31 May 2018
ConstituencyNA-186 (Bahawalpur-IV)
In office
2008–2013
ConstituencyNA-186 (Bahawalpur-IV)
In office
2002–2008
ConstituencyNA-186 (Bahawalpur-IV)
In office
1993–1997
ConstituencyNA-143 (Bahawalpur)
Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination
In office
4 August 2017  31 May 2018
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterShahid Khaqan Abbasi
Succeeded byMuhammad Azam Khan
In office
28 June 2013  28 April 2017
Minister of Federal Education and Professional Training
In office
30 July 2011  June 2012
Prime MinisterYousaf Raza Gillani
Federal Minister Without Portfolio
In office
1 July 2011  29 July 2011
Prime MinisterYousaf Raza Gillani
Federal Minister for Health
In office
May 2011  June 2011
Prime MinisterYousaf Raza Gillani
Federal Minister of Minorities
In office
May 2011  May 2011
Prime MinisterYousaf Raza Gillani
Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab
In office
1985–1988
Minister of Human Rights
In office
19 April 2022  10 August 2023
PresidentArif Alvi
Prime MinisterShehbaz Sharif
Personal details
Born (1948-08-01) 1 August 1948 (age 76)
Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur State, Pakistan
Political party PMLN (2013-present)
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Pirzada's political career includes roles in various ministerial positions. He served as the Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination in the Shahid Khaqan Abbasi cabinet from August 2017 to May 2018. Affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), he previously held the position of Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination from 2013 to 2017. He also served as the Federal Minister for Minorities and Minister for Health in 2011, as well as the Minister for Professional and Technical Training from 2011 to 2012. Furthermore, he held the portfolio of Minister of Human Rights from 19 April 2022 to 9 August 2023 in the PDM government led by Shehbaz Sharif.

As of 11 March 2024, Riaz Pirzada is a Federal Minister of Housing and works in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.[1]

Early life and education

Pirzada was born on 1 August 1948 in Sheikh Wahan, Bahawalpur.[2][3] He received his LL.B Degree from University Law College, Lahore in 1969.[4][3]

Political career

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Perspective

Pirzada was elected to the Provincial Assembly of Punjab in the 1985 Pakistani general election where he served until 1988. During his tenure as a member of the Punjab Assembly, he served as the Provincial Minister of Punjab.[4]

He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) from Constituency NA-143 (Bahawalpur) in the 1993 Pakistani general election[5] where he served until 1997.[6]

He was elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of the National Alliance from Constituency NA-186 (Bahawalpur-IV) in the 2002 Pakistani general election. He received 60,456 votes and defeated Syed Tasneem Nawaz Gardezi, a candidate of PML-Q.[7]

He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PML-Q from Constituency NA-186 (Bahawalpur-IV) in the 2008 Pakistani general election. He received 66,757 votes and defeated an independent candidate, Syed Tasneem Nawaz Gardezi.[8] In May 2011, he was inducted into the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and was made Federal Minister of Minorities[9] where he served in May 2011. In May 2011, he was made Federal Minister for Health where he served until June 2011. From 1 July to 29 July 2011, he remained in the federal cabinet without any ministerial portfolio. On 30 July 2011, he was made Minister of Federal Education and Professional Training where he served until June 2012.[10]

He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) from Constituency NA-186 (Bahawalpur-IV) in the 2013 Pakistani general election. He received 74,491 votes and defeated Tariq Bashir Cheema.[11]

In June 2013, he was inducted into the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and was made Federal Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination.[12][4] In 2017, he resigned from his post of Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination[13] in protest[14] alleging that there was interference in his ministry by the principal secretary of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.[15]

He ceased to hold ministerial office in July 2017 when the federal cabinet was disbanded following the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after the Panama Papers case decision.[16] Following the election of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as Prime Minister of Pakistan in August 2017, he was inducted into the federal cabinet of Abbasi.[17][18] He was appointed as federal minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination.[19][20] Upon the dissolution of the National Assembly on the expiration of its term on 31 May 2018, Pirzada ceased to hold office as Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination.[21]

He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency NA-171 (Bahawalpur-II) in the 2018 Pakistani general election.[22] He defeated Naeem Ud Din Waraich of PTI.

In the 2024 Pakistan General Elections, Pirzada ran as a candidate representing the PMLN in the NA-164 Bahawalpur 1 constituency, securing victory with 123,360 votes.[23]

References

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