Ahsan Iqbal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ahsan Iqbal
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| احسن اقبال | |
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| Ministry of Planning Development & Special Initiatives | |
| Assumed office 11 March 2024 |
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| President | Asif Ali Zardari |
| Prime Minister | Shehbaz Sharif |
| Preceded by | Sami Saeed |
| In office 19 April 2022 – 10 August 2023 |
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| President | Arif Alvi |
| Prime Minister | Shehbaz Sharif |
| Preceded by | Asad Umar |
| Succeeded by | Sami Saeed (caretaker) |
| In office 16 September 2017 – 31 May 2018 |
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| President | Mamnoon Hussain |
| Prime Minister | Shahid Khaqab Abbasi |
| Preceded by | Himself |
| Succeeded by | Shamshad Akhtar |
| In office 7 June 2013 – 28 July 2017 |
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| President | Mamnoon Hussain |
| Prime Minister | Nawaz Sharif |
| Preceded by | Naveed Qamar |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan | |
| In office 8 June 2013 – 28 July 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque |
| Succeeded by | Sartaj Aziz |
| Minister for Education | |
| In office 31 March 2008 – 13 May 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Javed Ashraf Qazi |
| Minister for Minorities | |
| In office 31 March 2008 – 13 May 2008 |
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| Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan | |
| In office 13 August 1998 – 12 October 1999 |
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| Preceded by | Hafeez Pasha |
| Succeeded by | Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry |
| 35th Minister for Interior | |
| In office 4 August 2017 – 31 May 2018 |
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| President | Mamnoon Hussain |
| Prime Minister | Shahid Khaqan Abbasi |
| Preceded by | Nisar Ali Khan |
| Succeeded by | Muhammad Azam Khan (caretaker) |
| Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan | |
| Assumed office 29 February 2024 |
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| In office 2008–2023 |
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| In office 1993–1999 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 March 1959 Narowal District, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Political party | PMLN (1993-present) |
| Relatives | Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Khan (maternal grandfather) Nisar Fatima (mother) Ahmad Iqbal Chaudhary (son) |
| Alma mater | University of Engineering and Technology Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania |
Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary (born 28 March 1959) is a Pakistani politician. He is currently the Federal Minister of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives. He also helps coordinate things between different provinces. He is the Secretary General of the PMLN political party. He has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since February 29, 2024.
Before his current role, Mr. Iqbal served as a member of the National Assembly several times. He was also a minister in different governments. For example, he was the Federal Minister for Planning and Development from April 2022 to August 2023. He also served as the Minister for Interior and Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms from 2017 to May 2018.
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About Ahsan Iqbal's Life
His Family and Education
Ahsan Iqbal was born on March 28, 1959. He comes from a Punjabi Rajput family. His maternal grandfather, Chaudhry Abdul Rahman Khan, was a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly when Pakistan was part of British India. His family moved from Jalandhar (now in India) during the 1947 partition.
His mother, Nisar Fatima, was also a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. She held a special seat reserved for women in the 1985 elections. His brother, Mustafa Kamal, was the chairman of the Parks and Horticulture Authority.
Mr. Iqbal went to PAF College Sargodha for his early schooling. He then studied mechanical engineering at the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore and earned his degree in 1981. Later, in 1984, he went to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and completed his MBA in 1986. He also attended Government College Lahore, Georgetown University, and Harvard University.
Ahsan Iqbal's Political Journey
Starting in Student Politics
Ahsan Iqbal began his political journey as the president of the student union at the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. At that time, he was part of Islami Jamiat Tulaba, which is the student group of the Jamaat-e-Islami political party.
Joining Pakistan Muslim League (N)
In the 1993 elections, Ahsan Iqbal became a member of the National Assembly for the first time. He won the election from his home area of Narowal. In 1993, he also worked as an assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, helping with policy and public affairs.
He was elected to the National Assembly again in the 1997 elections. His party, PML-N, won a clear majority. During this time, Mr. Iqbal held several important government jobs. He became the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan. He also led the Pakistan Engineering Council and committees for Information Technology and Quality Management. He continued in these roles until October 1999, when General Pervez Musharraf took over the government. Mr. Iqbal helped create Pakistan's first national IT policy.
In the 2002 elections, he did not win his National Assembly seat. During General Musharraf's rule, from 2000 to 2007, Mr. Iqbal taught management at Mohammad Ali Jinnah University in Islamabad. He is known for staying loyal to Nawaz Sharif and helping keep the PML-N party active during that time.
Key Roles and Achievements
Ahsan Iqbal was elected to the National Assembly for the third time in the 2008 elections. For a short period, he served as the Minister for Education and also as the Minister for Minorities' Affairs. However, his party, PML-N, decided to join the opposition because they disagreed with another party about bringing back judges who had been removed from their jobs. So, he resigned after about six weeks.
In 2011, he was chosen as the Deputy Secretary General of PML-N. In the 2013 elections, he was part of the PML-N board that chose candidates for the elections. He was elected to the National Assembly for the fourth time. He was then appointed as the Minister of Planning and Development and also the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan.
In February 2016, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) named him a 'champion minister' for the Asia Pacific region. This was to recognize his efforts in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals, which are goals for a better and more sustainable future for everyone.
In July 2017, the government cabinet, including Mr. Iqbal, was dissolved after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigned. When Shahid Khaqan Abbasi became the new Prime Minister, Ahsan Iqbal was appointed as the Minister for Interior. Later, in September 2017, he was also given the additional role of Minister for Planning and Development. He continued in these roles until May 31, 2018, when the National Assembly's term ended.
He was re-elected to the National Assembly in the 2018 elections from his area, NA-78 (Narowal-II). He won with 159,651 votes. He was re-elected again in the 2024 elections from NA-76 Narowal-II, receiving 137,042 votes.
Assassination Attempt
In May 2018, Ahsan Iqbal was shot and injured at a political gathering in his home area of Narowal. This was an attempt to harm him. He was taken to Lahore for surgery and was in stable condition. The person who shot him was arrested right away.
Writings
Ahsan Iqbal has written articles for The News International, an English newspaper.
