Firdous Ashiq Awan Explained

Term Start:2 November 2020
Term End:6 August 2021
1Blankname:Chief Minister
1Namedata:Usman Buzdar
Predecessor:Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan
(as Provincial Minister)
Office1:Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting
(Minister of State)
Primeminister1:Imran Khan
President1:Arif Alvi
Term Start1:18 April 2019
Term End1:27 April 2020
Predecessor1:Fawad Chaudhry
(as Federal Minister)
Successor1:Shibli Faraz
(as Federal Minister)
Asim Saleem Bajwa
(as Special Assistant)
Minister1:Imran Khan
Office2:Federal Minister for National Regulations and Services
President2:Asif Ali Zardari
Primeminister2:Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
Yusuf Raza Gillani
Term Start2:18 April 2012
Term End2:16 March 2013
Office3:Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting
Term Start3:9 February 2011
Term End3:18 April 2012
President3:Asif Ali Zardari
Primeminister3:Yusuf Raza Gilani
Successor3:Qamar Zaman Kaira in Ashraf ministry
Office4:Federal Minister for Population Welfare
President4:Asif Ali Zardari
Primeminister4:Yusuf Raza Gillani
Term Start4:2008
Term End4:2010
Office5:Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Term Start5:17 March 2008
Term End5:16 March 2013
Constituency5:NA-111 (Sialkot-II)
Term Start6:16 November 2002
Term End6:15 November 2007
Constituency6:Reserved seat for women
Birth Date:1970 1, df=yes
Birth Place:Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan
Party: IPP (2023-present)
Otherparty: PTI (2017–2023)
PPP (2008–2015)
PML-Q (2002-2008)
Residence:Lahore
Education:Fatima Jinnah Medical University

Firdous Ashiq Awan (Punjabi, Urdu: {{URDU|فردوس عاشق اعوان, born 11 January 1970)[1] is a Pakistani politician from Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party. She has served as Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting from 2019 to 2020, Federal Minister for National Regulations and Services from 2012 to 2013, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting from 2011 to 2012 and as Federal Minister for Population Welfare from 2008 to 2010.[2] She served as the Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Punjab on Information and Culture, in office from November 2020 to 6 August 2021.

Family life and education

Awan was born on 11 January 1970 in Sialkot, West Pakistan to an Awan family. She is married to businessman Malik Amjad Awan and is a mother of two children.[3]

Awan attended Fatima Jinnah Medical University for her medical degree, MBBS.[4] [5] She started her career from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Awan took interest in social works and started Society for Health And Development Exchange (SHADE) in the early 1990s for public welfare.[6]

Political career

Awan started her political career in 1990 when she founded the Society for Health and Development and Exchange and advocated for improving the healthcare system.[7] In 2002 she was elected to the National Assembly on a reserved seat on PML (Q) ticket.[8] [9]

In 2008, she was again elected to the National Assembly from NA-111-Sialkot-II, having joined the Pakistan People's Party.[10] She bagged 77,834 votes against her opponent Chaudhry Ameer Hussain from PML (Q), 45,704 votes.[11]

After being elected she was appointed as Minister for Population welfare in PPP's cabinet. Awan was later given the portfolio of Information ministry in PPP's regime. She presented her resignation to Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani on 25 December 2011, during the Special Federal Cabinet Meeting. It was later declined by the Prime Minister after holding a one-to-one meeting with Awan.[12] [13]

On 18 April 2012, Qamar Zaman Kaira was appointed as the new Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting, while former information minister Firdous Ashiq Awan was reassigned the Ministry of National Regulations and Services.[14]

She resigned from PPP's vice presidency in 2015,[15] On 30 May 2017, she joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Nathia Gali.[16]

In 2018 Pakistani general election she lost her seat on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's ticket in NA-72 (Sialkot-I) by obtaining 91,393 votes against Pakistan Muslim League (N)'s Armaghan Subhani who secured 129,041 votes.[17]

She was appointed as special assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan for Information and Broadcasting on 18 April 2019, after the cabinet reshuffle,[2] remaining in the office until 27 April 2020.[18]

On 2 November 2020 she was appointed as special assistant to Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar for Information.[19] She resigned from her post on 6 August 2021.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: If elections are held on time…. www.thenews.com.pk. 4 December 2017. 5 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171205143518/https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/404658. dead.
  2. Web site: PM Imran reshuffles cabinet less than one year into government. www.dawn.com. 18 April 2019.
  3. Web site: Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan. 11 January 2018. 23 April 2019. 26 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210526113409/https://pakistanistories.com/dr-firdous-ashiq-awan/. dead.
  4. Web site: PPP's Firdous Ashiq Awan joins PTI. Dawn. 25 December 2011.
  5. Web site: Firdous Ashiq Awan: professional doctor to seasoned parliamentarian . The Tribune. 1 June 2017.
  6. Web site: Cabinet reshuffle: Fresh faces in focus . The Tribune. 19 April 2019.
  7. Web site: PM Imran reshuffles cabinet less than one year into government. Amir. Wasim. Sanaullah. Khan. 2019. Dawn. 8 June 2019.
  8. Web site: PM Imran reshuffles cabinet less than one year into government. Amir. Wasim. Sanaullah. Khan. 2019. Dawn. 8 June 2019. In 2002, she was elected to NA-286 on a reserved seat for women..
  9. Web site: Firdous Ashiq Awan . 23 July 2018 . Dawn . 23 April 2019 .
  10. Web site: First time elected in 2002 . Pakistan Herald . 11 August 2011 . 7 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210307020531/http://www.pakistanherald.com/Profile/Dr-Firdous-Ashiq-Awan-462 . dead .
  11. Web site: NA-111-Sialkot-II results . Geo.TV . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924045035/http://www.geo.tv/election2008/result/na111.html . dead . 24 September 2015 . 23 April 2019 .
  12. News: Firdous throws in towel, takes it back, wipes tears. 25 December 2011. Hafeez Tunio. The Express Tribune. 24 April 2013.
  13. News: Firdous Ashiq Awan withdraws resignation. 25 December 2011. The Dawn. 23 April 2019.
  14. Web site: Kaira replaces Awan as Information Minister - Pakistan . 18 April 2012 . Dawn.Com . 16 May 2014.
  15. Web site: Firdous Ashiq Awan resigns as PPP Punjab vice president . thenews.com.pk . 3 July 2015.
  16. Web site: PPP's Firdous Ashiq Awan joins PTI . dunyanews.tv . 17 May 2017.
  17. Web site: Major setbacks in 2018 General Election . www.geo.tv . 26 July 2018.
  18. Web site: Former DG ISPR Asim Bajwa Appointed Special Assistant to PM, Firdous Ashiq Removed. 27 April 2020.
  19. Web site: Firdous Ashiq Awan stages a comeback, appointed Punjab CM's aide – SAMAA. 2 November 2020 .