Ahsan Iqbal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ahsan Iqbal
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| احسن اقبال | |
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| Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms | |
| Assumed office 11 March 2024 |
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| President | Asif Ali Zardari |
| Prime Minister | Shehbaz Sharif |
| Preceded by | Sami Saeed (caretaker) |
| 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 Khaqan 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) |
| 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 (Urdu: احسن اقبال چوہدری; born 28 March 1959) is a Pakistani politician. He is currently the Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives. He also helps coordinate efforts between different provinces.
He is a key leader in the Pakistan Muslim League (N) party, serving as its Secretary General. He has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, which is like the country's main parliament, since February 2024.
Before his current role, Ahsan Iqbal was a member of the National Assembly many times. He served from 2018 to 2023, from 2008 to 2018, and from 1993 to 1999. He has held important jobs in the government as a minister. These roles included Minister for Planning and Development, Minister for Interior (in charge of internal security), and Minister for Education. He also worked as the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan.
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Ahsan Iqbal's Early Life and Education
Ahsan Iqbal was born on 28 March 1959. He comes from a Punjabi Rajput family. His maternal grandfather, Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Khan, was a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly before Pakistan became independent. His family moved from Jalandhar, which is 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 for women in the 1985 elections.
Ahsan Iqbal went to PAF College Sargodha for his early schooling. He later studied mechanical engineering at the University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1981. In 1984, he went to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. He completed his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree there 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 a student leader. He was the president of the student union at the University of Engineering and Technology. During his student days, he was part of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, which is a student group linked to the Jamaat-e-Islami political party.
Joining Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Ahsan Iqbal first became a member of the National Assembly in the 1993 Pakistani general election. He won from the Narowal area. In 1993, he worked as an assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, focusing on policy and public affairs.
He was elected to the National Assembly again in the 1997 Pakistani general election. His party, PML-N, won a clear majority. During this time, Ahsan Iqbal held several important government positions. He became the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan. He also led committees on Information Technology and Quality Management. He continued in these roles until 1999.
In the 2002 Pakistani general election, he did not win his National Assembly seat. During this period, from 2000 to 2007, he taught management at the Mohammad Ali Jinnah University in Islamabad. He is known for being very loyal to Nawaz Sharif, the leader of PML-N.
In the 2008 Pakistani general election, Ahsan Iqbal was elected to the National Assembly for the third time. He briefly served as the Minister for Education and Minister for Minorities' Affairs. However, his party decided to join the opposition due to disagreements with the ruling party. So, he resigned from his ministerial roles after about six weeks.
In 2011, he was chosen as the Deputy Secretary General of the PML-N party.
In the 2013 Pakistani general election, Ahsan Iqbal played a key role in choosing candidates for his party. He was elected to the National Assembly for the fourth time. After the election, he was appointed as the Minister of Planning and Development. He also became the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan.
In 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 changed 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 responsibility of the Ministry of Planning and Development. His term as a federal minister ended on 31 May 2018, when the National Assembly's term finished.
He was re-elected to the National Assembly in the 2018 Pakistani general election from his home area, Constituency NA-78 (Narowal-II). He won with a large number of votes.
He was re-elected to the National Assembly again in the 2024 Pakistani general election from NA-76 Narowal-II. He won with 137,042 votes.
Injury at a Rally
In May 2018, Ahsan Iqbal was injured at a political rally in his home area of Narowal. He was taken to Lahore for medical care and was in stable condition. The person responsible was arrested at the scene.
Writings
Ahsan Iqbal has written opinion pieces for The News International, an English newspaper.
Images for kids
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Ahsan Iqbal in 2014
