Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad Explained

Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed Aqeel Khan
Office:38th Minister of Interior
President:Arif Alvi
Primeminister:Imran Khan
Term Start:11 December 2020
Term End:10 April 2022
Predecessor:Ijaz Shah
Successor:Rana Sanaullah Khan
Term Start1:18 August 2018
Term End1:11 December 2020
President1:Mamnoon Hussain
Arif Alvi
Primeminister1:Imran Khan
Predecessor1:Roshan Khursheed Bharucha (caretaker)
Successor1:Azam Khan Swati
Term Start2:18 August 2018
Term End2:11 December 2020
Office3:Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting
Term Start3:2 September 2004
Term End3:25 April 2006
President3:Pervez Musharraf
Primeminister3:Shaukat Aziz
Successor3:Muhammad Ali Durrani[1]
Term Start4:30 June 2004
Term End4:25 August 2004
President4:Pervez Musharraf
Primeminister4:Shujat Hussain
Term Start5:21 November 2002
Term End5:26 June 2004
President5:Pervez Musharraf
Primeminister5:Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali
Office6:Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower
Term Start6:11 July 1997
Term End6:12 October 1999
Primeminister6:Nawaz Sharif
President6:Farooq Leghari
Wasim Sajjad
Muhammad Rafiq Tarar
Office7:Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis
Term Start7:11 July 1997
Term End7:12 October 1999
Primeminister7:Nawaz Sharif
President7:Farooq Leghari
Wasim Sajjad
Muhammad Rafiq Tarar
Office8:Federal Minister for Youth Affairs
Term Start8:11 July 1997
Term End8:6 August 1998
Primeminister8:Nawaz Sharif
President8:Farooq Leghari
Wasim Sajjad
Muhammad Rafiq Tarar
Office9:Federal Minister for Tourism
Term Start9:11 July 1997
Term End9:6 August 1998
Primeminister9:Nawaz Sharif
President9:Farooq Leghari
Wasim Sajjad
Muhammad Rafiq Tarar
Office10:President Awami Muslim League
Term Start10:June 2008
Office11:Federal Minister for Culture
Term Start11:11 July 1997
Term End11:6 August 1998
Primeminister11:Nawaz Sharif
President11:Farooq Leghari
Wasim Sajjad
Muhammad Rafiq Tarar
Term Start12:10 September 1991
Term End12:18 July 1993
Primeminister12:Nawaz Sharif
President12:Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Office13:Federal Minister for Industries
Term Start13:10 September 1991
Term End13:18 July 1993
Primeminister13:Nawaz Sharif
President13:Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Office14:Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Term Start14:13 August 2018
Term End14:17 January 2023
Constituency14:NA-62 (Rawalpindi-VI)
Term Start15:1 June 2013
Term End15:31 May 2018
Constituency15:NA-55 (Rawalpindi-VI)
Term Start16:16 November 2002
Term End16:15 November 2007
Constituency16:NA-55 (Rawalpindi-VI)
Birth Place:Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
Relatives:Sheikh Rashid Shafique (nephew)[2]
Nationality:Pakistani
Alma Mater:Government Gordon College
University of Punjab
Office1:Minister of Railways
Termend2:15 November 2007
Termstart2:25 April 2006
President2:Pervez Musharraf
Primeminister2:Shaukat Aziz
Successor2:Ghulam Ahmed Bilour
Predecessor2:Saleemur Rahman Akhoond
Birth Date:6 November 1950
Profession:Politician
Constituency17:NA-38 Rawalpindi-III
Term Start17:21 March 1985
Term End17:12 October 1999

Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad (Urdu: {{Nastaliq| شیخ رشید احمد; born 6 November 1950) is a Pakistani politician who served as the 38th Interior Minister of Pakistan in Imran Khan government from 2020 to 2022. He is the founder and leader of Awami Muslim League, and also maintains close relations with the political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Early life and education

Ahmad was born on November 6, 1950, into a Kashmiri family[3] in Babra Bazaar in Rawalpindi, Punjab.[4] [5] [6]

He received his early education from Polytechnic College and graduated from Government Gordon College. Ahmad was a leader of the student union at Gordon College.[7] He completed his Bachelor of Laws at the University of Punjab in 1973. He later earned his Master's in political science from the same university in 1982.[8]

Political career

Ahmad began his political career during his student years and was actively involved against the military regime of Ayub Khan.

He was elected to the National Assembly eight times. In the 1985 Pakistani general election, which was held on non-party basis, he was elected as a member of the National Assembly for the first time from Rawalpindi. Rasheed was re-elected to the National Assembly for the second time in the 1988 Pakistani general election, this time campaigning on the Islamic Democratic Alliance ticket. In 1990, he campaigned again on the IDA ticket and was re-elected a third time to the National Assembly, later becoming the Minister of Sports. Under his tenure, Pakistan won the Cricket World Cup in 1992 under the captaincy of Imran Khan. In the 1993 election, he was re-elected, this time on the Pakistan Muslim League (N) ticket. Rasheed was re-elected in 1997, and in 2002 the PML-N refused to allot a ticket to him. He decided to run as an independent,[9] and secured a sixth re-election.

Later, Rasheed joined PML-Q,[10] [11] and because he was a close friend of then-president Pervez Musharraf, he was appointed as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting in the Zafarullah Khan Jamali cabinet in November 2002.[12] As minister for information, Ahmed, on public places, had assumed the role of the spokesman of Musharraf[13] and an advocate of the government of Jamali.[14]

In May 2006, he was made Federal Minister for Railways.[15] [16] In the 2008 Pakistani general election, Ahmad ran for the seat of National Assembly on a Pakistan Muslim League-Q ticket, losing the election for the first time[17] from both the Rawalpindi constituencies he contested, NA-55 and NA-56, to PML-N.[18] He won the election from NA-56 for multiple times.[19] There were rumours that Ahmad had fled to Spain following the defeat.[20] However, these allegations were later found to be false. In an interview, Ahmad said his defeat in the election was due to a raid on Lal Masjid and that "he had promised to quit politics after the 2008 elections but his defeat had changed his mind."

He later left PML-Q where he was a senior vice-president and created his own political party Awami Muslim League (AML) and appointed himself as president of the party.[21]

In February 2010, when Ahmad was in the run for the National Assembly seat during a by-election in NA-55, Rawalpindi, he lost the election to Malik Shakeel Awan by an enormous margin. Ahmad earlier supported Musharraf's military operation against the militants in Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the Siege of Lal Masjid[22] and has been on the hit list of militants. He was left devastated by this embarrassing loss and was spotted smoking his cigar alone at times.[23]

In the 2013 Pakistani general election, Ahmad made an electoral alliance with Imran Khan to support each other in their respective constituencies in the election.[24] It was reported that Ahmad has requested for a merger between his party and Imran Khan's PTI,[25] however, the PTI decided not to go for an alliance with any political party.[26] He was re-elected as a member of the National Assembly for the seventh time from Rawalpindi.[27] In public circles, he is known for making witty remarks and political predictions. He is also known for switching political allegiances from one party to another. In July 2017, he was chosen by the PTI as a candidate for the post of prime minister, following the resignation of outgoing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after the Panama Papers case decision.[28] He secured 33 votes in the 342-seat parliament and was unsuccessful.[29] He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of AML from NA-62 (Rawalpindi-VI) constituency in the 2018 Pakistani general election.[30]

On 18 August 2018, Imran Khan formally announced his federal cabinet structure, and Ahmad was named as Minister for Railways.[31] On 20 August 2018, he was sworn in as Federal Minister for Railways in the cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan.[32] In 2019, as the railway minister, Rasheed severed rail transport links between India and Pakistan due to the revocation of special status for Kashmir.[33]

In December 2020, in a cabinet reshuffle, he was given the portfolio of the minister for the interior.[34]

On 10 April 2022, Ahmad was removed from his ministry after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted after losing a no-confidence vote.

Controversies

In 2004, during his tenure as Minister for Information, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad was replaced with Shaukat Aziz as minister-in-waiting who would receive then visiting Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji after the Indian foreign ministry's objection to the nomination of Ahmad as the minister-in-waiting.[35]

In 2005, India Today reported that Yasin Malik claimed that Ahmad had run a jihadi camp at Fateh Jung in Punjab, where around 3,500 jihadis were trained. Ahmad denied running such a camp.[36] Later it was reported that Yasin Malik retracted his statements and denied he had ever said that Ahmad had run such a camp.[37] [38]

In 2005, during Ahmad's tenure as Minister for Information, he applied for a permit to travel to Srinagar, in his personal capacity to visit the graves of his grandparents and meet his relatives in Jammu & Kashmir.[39] However India denied Ahmed's request to travel to Srinagar.

In 2012, Ahmad was detained at Houston airport over suspected links with Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, an alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He was released after five hours of questioning after official protest by the Pakistani Ambassador to the United States.[40] [41]

In 2014, Ahmad was off-loaded from a Toronto-bound PIA flight due to non-issuance of clearance by the Canadian authorities.[42]

In 2018, Ahmad was accused by Malik Shakeel Awan of concealing and failing to mention in his electoral papers possession of 100 kanal (12.5 acres) of land. Ahmad won the legal case regarding the allegation, and later confessed that he had forgotten to mention the land in his electoral papers. The decision was considered extremely biased in favour Ahmad and had remained disputed.[43]

Books

Notes and References

  1. News: Key portfolios changed in shake-up: Durrani replaces Rashid as information minister. 26 April 2006. 9 February 2022. Dawn (newspaper).
  2. Web site: Sheikh Rasheed 's nephew gets PTI ticket to contest NA-60 by-election. 28 August 2018. arynews.tv. 20 July 2023.
  3. Book: Viswam, Deepa . Role of Media in Kashmir Crisis . Kalpaz Publications . 2010 . 153.
  4. Web site: Detail Information. 9 July 2017. 11 October 2007. bot: unknown. https://web.archive.org/web/20071011141843/http://pildat.org/MNA/rsDetail.asp?detid=55. 11 October 2007.
  5. Web site: Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed profile. https://web.archive.org/web/20160310170622/http://www.brecorder.com/Elections2013/candidate/403-sheikh-rasheed-ahmed.html. dead. 10 March 2016. Business Recorder. 2 March 2017. 10 March 2016.
  6. News: Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad - Profile - DAWN.COM. 2 March 2017. Dawn. 14 August 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303122756/https://www.dawn.com/news/1025642/sheikh-rasheed-ahmad. 3 March 2017.
  7. News: 8 February 2015 . Educational institutions no longer centre of cultural activities . en . DAWN.COM . live . 2 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170302194102/https://www.dawn.com/news/1162265 . 2 March 2017.
  8. Web site: Tariq . Aamir . 13 February 2023 . Profile: Sheikh Rashid Ahmed . . He later got his master’s degree in political science in 1982 from the Punjab University..
  9. News: 10 May 2013 . As Pakistan goes to polls: Take a peek at some major NA constituencies . en . DAWN.COM . live . 6 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170305114952/https://www.dawn.com/news/813877 . 5 March 2017.
  10. News: 9 February 2010 . Sheikh Rashid survives gun attack, three others killed . Dawn . live . 2 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100328005051/http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/07-sheikh-rasheed-injured-two-killed-in-gun-attack-ha-01 . 28 March 2010.
  11. News: 23 November 2002 . Jamali discusses cabinet with Musharraf: Some ministers may be retained . en . DAWN.COM . live . 2 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170303051250/https://www.dawn.com/news/68140 . 3 March 2017.
  12. News: Jamali, cabinet take oath: PPP, PML-N abstain from ceremony. 2 March 2017. DAWN.COM. 24 November 2002. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303045733/https://www.dawn.com/news/68304/jamali-cabinet-take-oath-ppp-pml-n-abstain-from-ceremony. 3 March 2017.
  13. News: Heavyweights knocked out. 2 March 2017. DAWN.COM. 19 February 2008. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303051253/https://www.dawn.com/news/290066. 3 March 2017.
  14. News: Rashid asked to defend military govt policies. 2 March 2017. DAWN.COM. 25 November 2002. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303051256/https://www.dawn.com/news/68448/rashid-asked-to-defend-military-govt-policies. 3 March 2017.
  15. News: Rashid accorded 'clean' welcome. 2 March 2017. DAWN.COM. 1 May 2006. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303044401/https://www.dawn.com/news/190212/rashid-accorded. 3 March 2017.
  16. News: Masood. Salman. Maneuvering Before Vote in Pakistan. 2 March 2017. The New York Times. 2 October 2007. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170215072639/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/world/asia/03pakistan.html. 15 February 2017.
  17. News: Defeat due to raid on Lal Masjid: Rashid. https://web.archive.org/web/20080229174252/http://nation.com.pk/daily/feb-2008/21/index12.php. dead. 29 February 2008. 2 March 2017. The Nation. 29 February 2008.
  18. News: PML-N's win in Pindi surprises PPPP and PML-Q. https://web.archive.org/web/20110606161340/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C02%5C20%5Cstory_20-2-2008_pg7_30. dead. 6 June 2011. 2 March 2017. Daily Times. 20 February 2008.
  19. Web site: SHABBIR . SAIMA . 7 February 2024 . Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed . 2024-04-09 . Arab News PK . en.
  20. News: The End of Musharraf?. 2 March 2017. Newsweek. 18 February 2008. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160315033022/http://www.newsweek.com/end-musharraf-93467. 15 March 2016.
  21. News: Sheikh Rashid quits PML-Q, forms Awami Muslim League: Withdrawal from election race. 2 March 2017. DAWN.COM. 2 June 2008. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303044612/https://www.dawn.com/news/305605/sheikh-rashid-quits-pml-q-forms-awami-muslim-league-withdrawal-from-election-race. 3 March 2017.
  22. News: Masood. Salman. Former Pakistani Official Attacked in Rawalpindi. 2 March 2017. The New York Times. 8 February 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303044933/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/world/asia/09rawalpindi.html?_r=0. 3 March 2017.
  23. News: PUNJAB: The sheikh's domain. 2 March 2017. DAWN.COM. 11 May 2013. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303045002/https://www.dawn.com/news/1010774. 3 March 2017.
  24. News: Imran, Sheikh Rashid reaffirm seat adjustment in Rawalpindi - DAWN.COM. https://web.archive.org/web/20140104124259/http://www.dawn.com/news/800251/imran-sheikh-rashid-agree-on-seat-adjustment-in-rawalpindi. dead. 4 January 2014. 2 March 2017. Dawn. 4 January 2014.
  25. News: PTI head-hunting spree continues – The Express Tribune. 2 March 2017. The Express Tribune. 2 December 2011. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303050609/https://tribune.com.pk/story/300986/pti-head-hunting-spree-continues/. 3 March 2017.
  26. News: PTI agrees to electoral alliance with AML – The Express Tribune. 2 March 2017. The Express Tribune. 8 August 2012. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303052231/https://tribune.com.pk/story/419209/pti-agrees-to-electoral-alliance-with-aml-report/. 3 March 2017.
  27. News: A FEW WORDS : Sheikh Rashid, TV talk shows and the PTI – Dr Qaisar Rashid. https://web.archive.org/web/20130614004159/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013%5C05%5C22%5Cstory_22-5-2013_pg3_3. dead. 14 June 2013. 2 March 2017. Daily Times. 22 May 2013.
  28. News: PTI names Sheikh Rashid for coveted slot – The Express Tribune. 31 July 2017. The Express Tribune. 29 July 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170731123647/https://tribune.com.pk/story/1469541/pti-discusses-strategy-deal-pml-n-post-pm-resignation-scenario/. 31 July 2017.
  29. News: Pakistan elects Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as interim prime minister. 1 August 2017. Daily Pakistan Global. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170801161403/https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/pakistan-elects-shahid-khaqan-abbasi-as-interim-prime-minister/. 1 August 2017.
  30. News: Sheikh Rashid winning in NA-62 . 2 August 2018 . en.
  31. News: PM Imran Khan finalises names of 21-member cabinet . 18 August 2018 . DAWN.COM . 18 August 2018.
  32. News: 16 ministers from PM Imran Khan's cabinet sworn in . 20 August 2018 . DAWN.COM . 20 August 2018.
  33. News: Pakistan suspends final rail link to India over Kashmir dispute. 9 August 2019. Reuters. 20 January 2020. en.
  34. Web site: Raza. Syed Irfan. 12 December 2020. Rashid gets interior ministry in surprise reshuffle. 21 December 2020. DAWN.COM. en.
  35. News: Shaukat to play host to Vajpayee. 2 March 2017. DAWN.COM. 2 January 2004. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303050735/https://www.dawn.com/news/346679. 3 March 2017.
  36. News: Pak minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed suspected behind jehadi camp, peace process in jeopardy. 2 March 2017. India Today. 27 June 2005. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303045535/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pak-minister-sheikh-rashid-ahmed-suspected-behind-jehadi-camp-in-fateh-jung/1/193386.html. 3 March 2017.
  37. News: India rejects Rashid's travel application. 2 March 2017. DAWN.COM. 25 June 2005. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303045139/https://www.dawn.com/news/145094/newspaper/column. 3 March 2017.
  38. News: Did He Help Train 3,500 Militants?. 2 March 2017. Outook India. 27 June 2005. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170112184247/http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/did-he-help-train-3500-militants/227765. 12 January 2017.
  39. News: Rashid seeks permit for private Srinagar visit. 2 March 2017. DAWN.COM. 9 June 2005. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303050553/https://www.dawn.com/news/142708. 3 March 2017.
  40. News: Pak ex-minister detained in US trained Kashmir jihadis. 2 March 2017. Rediff. 29 June 2012. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303045802/http://www.rediff.com/news/special/pakistans-ex-minister-detained-in-us-airport-used-to-train-jk-jihadis-special/20120629.htm. 3 March 2017.
  41. News: Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed briefly detained at Houston airport – The Express Tribune. 2 March 2017. The Express Tribune. 28 June 2012. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170303050447/https://tribune.com.pk/story/400449/sheikh-rasheed-ahmed-detained-at-houston-airport/. 3 March 2017.
  42. http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2014/03/21/city/sheikh-rasheed-offloaded-from-pia-flight/ Sheikh Rasheed offloaded
  43. Web site: Bhatti . Haseeb . 2018-06-13 . Supreme Court rules in Sheikh Rashid's favour in misdeclaration of assets case . 2023-03-12 . DAWN.COM . en.
  44. Web site: Tariq . Aamir . 13 February 2023 . Profile: Sheikh Rashid Ahmed . . His first book, Farzand-e-Pakistan (Son of Pakistan), was an instant hit and 13 editions of this book have been sold so far..
  45. Web site: 6 September 2020 . Sh Rashid launches book 'From Lal Haveli to the United Nations' in Lahore . Dunya News.