Asad Umar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Asad Umar
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اسدعمر
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| Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives | |
| In office 19 November 2019 – 10 April 2022 |
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| President | Arif Alvi |
| Prime Minister | Imran Khan |
| Preceded by | Khusro Bakhtiar |
| Succeeded by | Ahsan Iqbal |
| Chairman Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs | |
| In office 8 May 2019 – 30 November 2019 |
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| President | Arif Alvi |
| Prime Minister | Imran Khan |
| Succeeded by | Faiz Ullah Kamoka |
| Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs | |
| In office 20 August 2018 – 18 April 2019 |
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| President | Arif Alvi |
| Prime Minister | Imran Khan |
| Deputy | Hammad Azhar (Minister of State for Revenue) |
| Preceded by | Shamshad Akhtar (caretaker) |
| Succeeded by | Abdul Hafeez Shaikh (Finance and Revenue Advisor), Hammad Azhar (Economic Affairs Minister) |
| Chairman Standing Committee on Industries and Production | |
| In office 2013–2018 |
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| President | Mamnoon Hussain |
| Prime Minister | Nawaz Sharif |
| Succeeded by | Sajid Hussain Turi |
| Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan | |
| In office 13 August 2018 – 17 January 2023 |
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| Constituency | NA-54 (Islamabad-III) |
| In office 16 September 2013 – 31 May 2018 |
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| Constituency | NA-48 (Islamabad-I) |
| Secretary General of the PTI | |
| In office 25 December 2021 – 24 May 2023 |
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| Chairman | Imran Khan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 September 1961 Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Other political affiliations |
PTI (2012-2023) |
| Relatives | Muhammad Zubair Umar (brother) |
| Alma mater | Institute of Business Administration, Karachi |
| Awards | Sitara-i-Imtiaz |
Asad Umar (Urdu: اسد عمر; born on September 8, 1961) is a Pakistani former business leader and politician. He served as the Finance Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to April 2019. Later, he was the Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives from November 2019 to April 2022.
Before becoming a politician, Asad Umar was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Engro. He led the company from 2004 to 2012. He joined politics in 2012. From December 2021 to May 2023, he was the Secretary-General of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party.
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Early Life and Education
Asad Umar was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, in 1961. His father, Ghulam Umar, was a high-ranking military officer. He was also the first National Security Advisor for Pakistan. Asad Umar is the youngest of six brothers and one sister. His brother, Mohammad Zubair, is also a well-known politician. After his father retired, Asad's family moved to Karachi.
Asad Umar studied commerce at the Government College of Commerce & Economics. In 1984, he earned his MBA degree from IBA Karachi.
Professional Career
After finishing his studies, Asad Umar worked at HSBC Pakistan for seven months. In 1985, he joined Exxon Chemical Pakistan as a business analyst. He was based in Canada for some time.
In 1997, Asad Umar became the first CEO of Engro Polymer & Chemicals. This company was part of the Engro group and focused on chemicals.
Leading Engro Corporation
In 2004, Asad Umar became the President and CEO of Engro Corporation. He helped the company think bigger and look for opportunities around the world. Engro hired a US consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, to help plan its future.
Under his leadership, Engro changed its business structure. It also started expanding globally. For example, Engro bought a food company in the US. It also began expanding its fertilizer business in North Africa. This expansion aimed to supply the European market.
In 2009, Asad Umar received the Sitara-i-Imtiaz award. This award recognized his public service. He retired early from Engro in April 2012 when he was 50 years old. Many people thought he would enter politics, which he did. He was known for transforming Engro into a large and successful company.
Political Career
Asad Umar joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in 2012. He quickly became a Senior Vice President in the party.
Member of the National Assembly (2013–2018)
In August 2013, Asad Umar was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan. This happened during a special election for Constituency NA-48 (Islamabad-I). He won with 48,073 votes. He defeated a candidate from the Pakistan Muslim League (N) party.
Re-election and Ministerial Roles (2018–2023)
Asad Umar was re-elected to the National Assembly in the 2018 Pakistani general election. He represented Constituency NA-54 (Islamabad-III). He received 56,945 votes.
After the 2018 elections, Asad Umar served on several important committees in the National Assembly:
- Special Committee on Agricultural Products.
- Non-Ministerial Standing Committee on Business Advisory.
- Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs. He was the Chairman of this committee from May 2019 to November 2019.
On August 20, 2018, he became the Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Minister of Pakistan. He was part of Prime Minister Imran Khan's government. In September 2018, he presented the government's financial plan for the year.
In October 2018, Asad Umar met with Christine Lagarde from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He formally asked for financial help for Pakistan. On April 18, 2019, he stepped down from the Finance Ministry.
From May 2019 to November 2019, Asad Umar led the Standing Committee for Finance, Revenue, and Economic Affairs. This role allowed him to advise the finance minister on policies. In July 2019, he also joined the Economic Advisory Council (Pakistan).
Since November 2019, he has been helping to oversee major projects in Karachi. These projects are funded by the Federal government of Pakistan.
On November 19, 2019, Asad Umar rejoined the government. He was appointed as the Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms, and Special Initiatives. He also chaired the cabinet committee on the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.
In March 2020, he became the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Energy. He also led the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC). This center managed Pakistan's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan.
Party Positions
On December 25, 2021, PTI Chairman Imran Khan appointed Asad Umar as the party's Secretary-General. On May 25, 2023, Asad Umar resigned from this party position. He spoke out against some violent events that happened on May 9.
Retirement from Politics
After the arrest of Imran Khan in May 2023, there were protests across Pakistan. The government took action against many PTI members.
On May 24, 2023, Asad Umar held a press conference. He condemned the violence and announced he was leaving his party roles. Later, in November 2023, he officially announced that he was leaving politics completely. He stated that he disagreed with the party's approach towards state institutions.
