Khawaja Asif facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Khawaja Asif
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خواجہ آصف
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Asif in 2017
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| Defence Minister of Pakistan | |
| Assumed office 19 April 2022 |
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| President | |
| Prime Minister | Shehbaz Sharif |
| Preceded by | Pervez Khattak |
| Succeeded by | Anwar Ali Hyder (caretaker) |
| In office 27 November 2013 – 28 July 2017 |
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| President | Mamnoon Hussain |
| Prime Minister | Nawaz Sharif |
| Preceded by | Naveed Qamar |
| Succeeded by | Khurram Dastgir Khan |
| 33rd Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 4 August 2017 – 26 April 2018 |
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| President | Mamnoon Hussain |
| Prime Minister | Shahid Khaqan Abbasi |
| Preceded by | Sartaj Aziz (as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs) |
| Succeeded by | Khurram Dastgir Khan |
| Minister for Water and Power | |
| In office 7 June 2013 – 28 July 2017 |
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| President | Mamnoon Hussain |
| Prime Minister | Nawaz Sharif |
| Deputy | Abid Sher Ali |
| Preceded by | Ahmad Mukhtar |
| Succeeded by | Syed Javed Ali Shah (as minister for Water Resources) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (as minister for Energy) |
| Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources | |
| In office 31 March 2008 – 13 May 2008 |
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| President | Pervez Musharraf |
| Prime Minister | Yusuf Raza Gillani |
| Succeeded by | Asim Hussain |
| Minister for Sports | |
| In office 31 March 2008 – 13 May 2008 |
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| President | Pervez Musharraf |
| Prime Minister | Yusuf Raza Gillani |
| Senior Vice-President of PML-N | |
| In office 18 February 2008 – 5 May 2019 |
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| Patron-In-Cheif | Abid Sher Ali |
| Member of National Assembly of Pakistan | |
| Assumed office 19 October 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Mian Muhammad Shadi |
| Constituency | NA-71 Sialkot-II |
| Majority | 23,222 (22.%78) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 August 1949 Sialkot, West Punjab, Pakistan |
| Political party | PMLN (1993–present) |
| Spouse | Musarrat Asif Khawaja |
| Relations | Farooq Naek (cousin) |
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| Alma mater | University of the Punjab |
Khawaja Muhammad Asif (born 9 August 1949) is a well-known Pakistani politician. He has been the Defence Minister of Pakistan since 2022. Before this, he also served as Defence Minister from 2013 to 2017. He has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from Sialkot since 1993, having been elected seven times.
Khawaja Asif was born in Sialkot on August 9, 1949. His father was Khawaja Safdar, an important politician. Khawaja Asif studied at Cadet College Hasan Abdal and then at Government College University Lahore. He earned a law degree from University Law College, Lahore, in 1970. Later, he received a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics in 1975.
He also holds the role of Minister of Aviation since March 2024. He was the Minister for Foreign Affairs from August 2017 to April 2018. At the same time, he was the Minister for Defence and Minister for Water and Power under Nawaz Sharif's government from 2013 to 2017. Asif started his political journey in 1991 when he was elected to the Senate of Pakistan. Since 1997, he has held various positions in the federal cabinet. From 1997 to 1999, he was the chairman of the Privatization Commission of Pakistan. In 2008, he briefly served as the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources and also as Minister for Sports.
Early Life and Education
Khawaja Asif was born on August 9, 1949, in Sialkot, Punjab. His father, Khawaja Muhammad Safdar, was a very influential politician. His family has Kashmiri roots, with ancestors settling in Punjab many generations ago.
He attended Cadet College Hasan Abdal for his early schooling. He then went to Government College University in Lahore for his bachelor's degree. In 1970, he earned his law degree (L.L.B.) from the University Law College, Lahore. He continued his studies and received a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics in 1975.
Khawaja Asif worked as a banker in the United Arab Emirates for several years. After his father passed away in 1991, he returned to Pakistan to continue his family's involvement in politics. He has one son and three daughters. In 2017, he received an honorary doctorate degree in international relations from the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations.
Political Journey
Starting in Politics
Khawaja Asif began his political career in 1991 after returning to Pakistan. He had lived in the United Arab Emirates for many years. In 1991, he was elected to the Senate of Pakistan for three years as a candidate for the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) party.
Serving in the National Assembly
He was first elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan from the Sialkot area (Constituency NA-110) in the 1993 general election. He was re-elected to the National Assembly in the 1997 general election. Khawaja Asif won his seat again in the 2002 general election from NA 110.
He was re-elected in the 2008 general election from NA 110. In the 2013 Pakistani general election, Khawaja Asif was again elected to the National Assembly from NA 110. He won against his opponent, Usman Dar.
He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a PML-N candidate from NA-73 (Sialkot-II) in the 2018 Pakistani general election. He won against Usman Dar again. He believes in Pakistan being financially strong and independent. In May 2019, he became the leader of the PML-N in the National Assembly.
Most recently, he was re-elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a PML-N candidate from NA-71 Sialkot-II in the 2024 Pakistani general election. He won against Rehana Imtiaz Dar, who is the mother of his former election rival, Usman Dar.
Ministerial Roles
During Nawaz Sharif's Second Government (1997)
In 1997, during Nawaz Sharif's second term as Prime Minister, Khawaja Asif was made the chairman of the Privatization Commission of Pakistan. This role had the same status as a minister. His time in this role ended in 1999 after a change in government.
In the Coalition Government (2008)
In 2008, he briefly served as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources. He also held the role of Minister of Sports in the Gillani ministry. This was before his party decided to leave the government that was led by the Pakistan Peoples Party.
During Nawaz Sharif's Third Government (2013)
In June 2013, he was appointed as the Minister of Water and Power. Later, in November 2013, he was also given the important role of Minister of Defence under Nawaz Sharif's government.
In the Abbasi Government (2017)
In July 2017, he stopped being a minister when the government cabinet changed after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigned following a court decision. After Shahid Khaqan Abbasi became the new Prime Minister, Khawaja Asif was appointed as the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the first time. Before this, Pakistan had not had a dedicated Foreign Minister since 2013.
In Shehbaz Sharif's Governments (2022 and 2024)
Khawaja Asif was appointed as the country's Defence Minister during Shehbaz Sharif's first term as Prime Minister in 2022. He continued to hold this important position in the Second Shehbaz government that was formed in 2024.
