Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri
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Kasuri in 2003
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| 25th Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 23 November 2002 – 15 November 2007 |
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| President | Pervez Musharraf |
| Prime Minister | Shaukat Aziz |
| Deputy | Khusro Bakhtiar |
| Preceded by | Abdul Sattar |
| Succeeded by | Inam-ul-Haq |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mian Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri
18 June 1941 Lahore, Punjab, British India (Now In Pakistan) |
| Nationality | Indian (1941-1947), Pakistani -1947 Present |
| Political party | Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf |
| Other political affiliations |
Pakistan Muslim League Q |
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Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri (born 18 June 1941) is a Pakistani politician and writer. He served as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan from 2002 to 2007. This means he was in charge of Pakistan's relationships with other countries.
He is also a senior advisor for political and international matters. He is part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Kasuri wrote a book called 'Neither a Hawk Nor a Dove'.
Kasuri was born in Lahore, Punjab. He studied law at Cambridge in England. He also learned French in Nice, France.
He started his political journey with the Tehreek-e-Istaqlal party. This party was a main opposition group at the time. He became its Secretary-General. He also led another opposition group called the Pakistan Democratic Alliance in 1993.
Kasuri was sent to prison several times for opposing the governments of Bhutto and General Zia ul Haq. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1997 and 2002. He strongly disagreed with a law change called the 15th Amendment. He believed it went against the vision of Pakistan's founder, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri comes from an Arain family. He finished high school in Karachi. Later, he went to Punjab University. In 1961, he earned a degree with honors in international relations. He had a very good academic record.
Political Career and Activism
Kasuri has been involved in politics for many years. He has worked to promote democracy in Pakistan.
Early Political Steps
In 1981, Kasuri joined the Independence Movement. He quickly became its Secretary-General. He was arrested many times for fighting for democracy. This was during the time when General Zia-ul-Haq was in power.
Political parties formed the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD). Their goal was to hold elections and bring back basic rights. Kasuri was arrested often for being part of this movement.
In 1983, he left Pakistan because of the government's actions. He returned in 1988 after Zia-ul-Haq's death. He then rejoined the foreign service.
Joining the National Assembly
Kasuri first ran for the National Assembly in 1993. He won a seat from Kasur. He won again in the 1997 elections. He became the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Information and Media. He was also a senior member of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations.
After a military takeover in 1999, Kasuri left his party. He joined a different group of the Pakistan Muslim League. He won another election in 2002.
Kasuri was known for speaking his mind. He openly criticized government decisions. In 1997, he spoke against changes to the Constitution. He worked hard to stop a bill that he felt would harm Pakistan's democratic system. He even threatened to resign from his party.
Role as Foreign Minister
Leading Pakistan's Diplomacy
On 23 November 2004, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri was chosen as Pakistan's Foreign Minister. This decision was supported by all political parties. He took office and stated that his main goal was to improve relations with India.
He worked to make Pakistan's foreign policy more balanced. He said, "We want to improve relations with India and wish peace and prosperity for the people of India." During his time as Foreign Minister, he focused on peaceful relations with other countries.
International Engagements
In 1996, Kasuri led a Pakistani delegation to China. They met with top Chinese leaders. He also attended international conferences in Seoul and Cairo in 1997.
In 1998, he supported Pakistan's atomic tests. He was appointed as a special envoy to explain Pakistan's reasons to other countries. He visited many nations, including Russia, the United States, and China. His goal was to gain support for Pakistan's nuclear program.
Later Political Life
In the 2008 elections, Kasuri ran for a seat in the National Assembly but did not win. In 2012, he joined the Pakistan Movement of Justice (PTI) party. He ran for the National Assembly again in 2013 but was not successful.
Academia and Other Roles
Khurshid Kasuri also shares his knowledge through teaching. In 2012, he gave lectures on peace and conflict studies. He is also an executive board member at Beaconhouse National University.
