Ayaz Sadiq Explained

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq
Office:17th and 22nd Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Term Start:1 March 2024
Deputy:Ghulam Mustafa Shah
Predecessor:Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
Term Start1:9 November 2015
Term End1:15 August 2018
Deputy1:Murtaza Javed Abbasi
Predecessor1:Murtaza Javed Abbasi (acting)
Successor1:Asad Qaiser
Term Start2:3 June 2013
Term End2:22 August 2015
Predecessor2:Fahmida Mirza
Deputy2:Murtaza Javed Abbasi
Successor2:Murtaza Javed Abbasi (Acting)
Office3:Federal Minister For Economic Affairs
Term Start3:19 April 2022
Term End3:10 July 2023
President3:Arif Alvi
Primeminister3:Shehbaz Sharif
Predecessor3:Omar Ayub Khan
Office4:Federal Minister for Political Affairs
Term Start4:19 April 2022
Term End4:10 July 2023
President4:Arif Alvi
Primeminister4:Shehbaz Sharif
Predecessor4:Position Created
Office5:Federal Minister For Law and Justice
Term Start5:31 October 2022
Term End5:31 November 2022
President5:Arif Alvi
Primeminister5:Shehbaz Sharif
Predecessor5:Azam Nazeer Tarar
Successor5:Azam Nazeer Tarar
Office6:Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Term Start6:29 February 2024
Constituency6:NA-120 (Lahore-IV)
Term Start7:13 August 2018
Term End7:10 August 2023
Constituency7:NA-129 (Lahore-VII)
Term Start8:18 November 2002
Term End8:31 May 2018
Birth Date:17 October 1954[1] [2]
Birth Place:Lahore, West Punjab, Dominion of Pakistan
Party:PMLN (2001–present)
Otherparty:PTI (1996-1998)
Nationality:Pakistani
Alma Mater:Aitchison College
Spouse:[3]
Children:3
Native Name Lang:ur

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq (Punjabi, Urdu: {{Nastaliq|سردار اياز صادق; born 17 October 1954) is a Pakistani politician who is currently serving as the 22nd Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, having taken oath on 1 March 2024.

Sadiq previously served as the 17th Speaker of the National Assembly from 2013 to 2018. Sadiq is also notable for overseeing voting on the motion of no-confidence against Imran Khan in April 2022; the next day, he oversaw voting for the election of the subsequent Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif. He is currently a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from NA-120 (Lahore-IV), having been elected to the Assembly in every election since 2002.[4]

Early life and education

Sadiq was born on 17 October 1954[5] [6] in Lahore into a Punjabi Arain family to Sheikh Muhammad Sadiq and Attiya Sadiq. His father and his grandfather Sheikh Sardar Muhammad have both been influential local figures.[7]

He completed his education at Aitchison College, Lahore. Imran Khan, Nisar Ali Khan, Pervaiz Khattak, Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Zulfiqar Ali Magsi were among his class fellows at Aitchison College.[8] Sadiq received a degree in commerce from Hailey College of Punjab University in 1975.

Political career

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

Sadiq began his political career as a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the late 1990s when he was a close friend of PTI chairman Imran Khan. Sadiq ran for the seat of Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of PTI in 1997 Pakistani general election from Constituency PP-121 Lahore but was unsuccessful. He received 4,541 votes and lost the seat to Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N).[9]

Pakistan Muslim League (N)

Sadiq left PTI in 1998 owing to differences with Imran Khan and joined PML (N) in 2001.

Sadiq was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency NA-122 (Lahore-V) on 2002 general election,[10] by defeating Imran Khan. Sadiq claimed "it was a big victory as his leader Nawaz Sharif in exile and Pervez Musharraf, a close aide of Imran Khan at that time, in power". During his tenure as the member of the National Assembly, he remained a member of the National Assembly's Standing Committees on Railways, Finance and Defence Production.

Sadiq was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency NA-122 (Lahore-V) in 2008 general election.[11] [12] During his tenure as the member of the National Assembly, he became the chairman of the National Assembly's Standing Committees on Railways.

Sadiq was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency NA-122 (Lahore-V) in the 2013 Pakistani general election, by defeating Imran Khan.[13] In June 2013, Sadiq was elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan.[14] [15] [16]

In 2015, Imran Khan alleged rigging in the constituency of Sadiq from where Sadiq won in 2013 election.[17] Following which the Election Commission of Pakistan de-seated Sadiq and ordered re-polling in the constituency.[18] In October 2015, Sadiq retained his National Assembly seat by defeating a PTI candidate in by-election and was re-elected to the National Assembly for the fourth time.[19] [20] In November 2015, Sadiq retained its position as the speaker of the National Assembly by getting re-elected for the second time[21] and become the first person to have been elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly for the second time during the same government's tenure in Pakistan.

He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency NA-129 (Lahore-VII) in 2018 Pakistani general election.[22] On 15 August 2018, he was replaced by Asad Qaiser as speaker of the National Assembly.

He is generally considered a soft-spoken[23] and cool-headed politician in Pakistan.

In 2020, he made claims relating to the 2019 India–Pakistan border skirmishes, in particular that foreign minister Qureshi was "trembling with fear" and insisted on releasing a pilot captured during the conflict, to avert an Indian invasion. This issue initiated a row, drawing sharp criticism from ISPR and the Pakistani government, terming his statements as "irresponsible" and demanding an apology. He addressed the controversy and added that his statement was misrepresented. Sadiq added that "Abhinandan had not come to Pakistan to distribute sweets; he had attacked Pakistan and it was a victory for Pakistan when his plane was shot down".[24]

Amid the April 2022 political crisis in Pakistan, when the speaker and the deputy speaker resigned, he was asked to hold voting on a no-confidence motion against the prime minister of Pakistan.[25]

Personal life

Family

Sadiq married to Reema Ayaz in 1977, and has a daughter and two sons.

Sadiq is a son-in-law of former Chief Justice of Lahore High Court and the First Ombudsman of Pakistan Sardar Muhammad Iqbal.

Business and philanthropy

Sadiq is a businessman by profession. He along with members of his family runs a non-profit hospital Sardar Trust Eye Hospital in Lahore, the family having also founded the Sheikh Sardar Muhammad Girls High School in Lahore after partition encouraging women education; the school was later nationalised. It was the first Muslim Girls School established in the locality.

Notes and References

  1. News: Ayaz Sadiq – a profile. 11 January 2017. Dawn. Pakistan. 4 June 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170729100131/https://www.dawn.com/news/1015955. 29 July 2017.
  2. Web site: Profile of Speaker. National Assembly of Pakistan. 11 January 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170111103038/http://www.na.gov.pk/en/content.php?id=134. 11 January 2017.
  3. News: Aleem Khan and Ayaz Sadiq are married to daughters of ex-LHC judges . 3 August 2018 . The News International. en.
  4. Web site: 2024-02-28 . PML-N nominates Ayaz Sadiq for NA speaker’s slot . 2024-02-28 . ARY News . en-US.
  5. News: If elections are held on time…. 4 December 2017. The News International. en.
  6. Web site: Detail Information. 10 July 2017. 19 April 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140419130432/http://www.pildat.org/mna/rsDetail.asp?detid=122. 19 April 2014.
  7. Web site: Malik . Farid . 16 September 2015 . Match with Ayaz Sadiq . The Nation.
  8. News: I hit Imran with a hockey stick, says NA Speaker. 11 January 2017. Dawn. Pakistan. 30 April 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170819234614/https://www.dawn.com/news/1025864/i-hit-imran-with-a-hockey-stick-claims-rival-candidate. 19 August 2017.
  9. Web site: Election Result. Election Commission of Pakistan. 30 August 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170830191836/https://ecp.gov.pk/Documents/Results%201988%20-%201997/Punjab.pdf. 30 August 2017.
  10. News: As Pakistan goes to polls: Take a peek at some major NA constituencies. 6 April 2017. Dawn. Pakistan. 10 May 2013. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170305114952/https://www.dawn.com/news/813877. 5 March 2017.
  11. Web site: NA-122-Lahore-V election results. Geo News. 11 January 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080328065918/http://www.geo.tv/election2008/result/na122.html. 28 March 2008.
  12. News: Imran Khan loses Lahore seat to PML-N – The Express Tribune. 11 January 2017. The Express Tribune. 12 May 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170822181916/https://tribune.com.pk/story/547979/imran-khan-loses-lahore-seat-to-pml-n/. 22 August 2017.
  13. News: PML-N's Ayaz Sadiq submits nomination papers for speaker NA. 11 January 2017. Dawn. Pakistan. 2 June 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113121805/http://www.dawn.com/news/1015592/pml-ns-ayaz-sadiq-submits-nomination-papers-for-speaker-na. 13 January 2017.
  14. News: Coveted posts: New speaker, his deputy in saddle – The Express Tribune. 11 January 2017. The Express Tribune. 4 June 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170823132506/https://tribune.com.pk/story/558581/coveted-posts-new-speaker-his-deputy-in-saddle/. 23 August 2017.
  15. News: PML-N's Ayaz Sadiq elected speaker of the National Assembly – The Express Tribune. 11 January 2017. The Express Tribune. 3 June 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170822220856/https://tribune.com.pk/story/558186/pml-ns-ayaz-sadiq-elected-speaker-of-the-national-assembly/. 22 August 2017.
  16. News: PML-Ns Sardar Ayaz elected NA speaker, Murtaza Javed deputy. 11 January 2017. Geo News. 7 June 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130607161135/http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=103637. 7 June 2013.
  17. News: NA-122 rigging allegations: Tribunal terms Ayaz Sadiq's election null and void – The Express Tribune. 11 January 2017. The Express Tribune. 22 August 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160622143853/http://tribune.com.pk/story/942719/na-122-verdict-in-rigging-case-to-be-announced-today/. 22 June 2016.
  18. News: NA-122 election tribunal deseats Ayaz Sadiq, orders re-polling. 11 January 2017. Dawn. Pakistan. 22 August 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113125053/http://www.dawn.com/news/1202134. 13 January 2017.
  19. News: Ayaz Sadiq takes oath as MNA. 11 January 2017. Dawn. Pakistan. 6 November 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113125940/http://www.dawn.com/news/1217867. 13 January 2017.
  20. News: Ayaz Sadiq retakes NA-122, but PML-N loses provincial assembly seat to PTI. 11 January 2017. Dawn. Pakistan. 12 October 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113112823/http://www.dawn.com/news/1212484. 13 January 2017.
  21. News: Ayaz Sadiq elected NA Speaker again. 11 January 2017. Dawn. Pakistan. 9 November 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170113123441/http://www.dawn.com/news/1218504. 13 January 2017.
  22. News: PML (N) Sardar Ayaz Sadiq wins NA-129 election . 3 August 2018 . Associated Press of Pakistan . 27 July 2018.
  23. News: Wasim . Amir . PTI finally takes up reins of National Assembly . 17 August 2018 . Dawn. Pakistan . 17 August 2018.
  24. News: Hussian. Javed. 2020-10-29. 'Misleading' to link Abhinandan's release with anything other than Pakistan's mature response: DG ISPR. The Dawn. 2020-10-30.
  25. News: 2022-04-10. Pakistan political crisis latest updates: Khan removed as PM. Al Jazeera. 2022-04-11.