Raja Pervaiz Ashraf facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
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راجہ پرویز اشرف
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Ashraf in 2013
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| 21st Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan | |
| In office 16 April 2022 – 1 March 2024 |
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| Deputy | Zahid Akram Durrani |
| Preceded by | Asad Qaiser |
| Succeeded by | Ayaz Sadiq |
| 17th Prime Minister of Pakistan | |
| In office 22 June 2012 – 24 March 2013 |
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| President | Asif Ali Zardari |
| Deputy | Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi |
| Preceded by | Yusuf Raza Gilani |
| Succeeded by | Mir Hazar Khan Khoso |
| Minister for Water and Power | |
| In office 31 March 2008 – 9 February 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Yusuf Raza Gilani |
| Preceded by | Liaquat Ali Jatoi |
| Succeeded by | Naveed Qamar |
| Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan | |
| In office 29 February 2024 – Incumbent |
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| Constituency | NA-52 Rawalpindi-I |
| In office 13 August 2018 – 10 August 2023 |
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| Constituency | NA-58 (Rawalpindi-II) |
| In office 2008–2013 |
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| Constituency | NA-51 Rawalpindi-II |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 December 1950 Sanghar, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Political party | PPP (1990–present) |
| Spouse | Nusrat Pervaiz Ashraf |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Sindh |
| Occupation | Agriculturist, businessman |
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (born December 26, 1950) is a Pakistani politician, businessman, and farmer. He served as the 17th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2012 to 2013. He was also the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2022 to 2024.
Ashraf is a senior leader in the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Before becoming prime minister, he was the Minister for Water and Power. He became prime minister on June 22, 2012, after the previous prime minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani, had to leave office.
One of his main goals as prime minister was to solve Pakistan's energy problems. He focused on building hydro projects, which use water to create electricity. One of these was the Neelum-Jhelum project.
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Early Life and Family
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was born on December 26, 1950, in Sanghar, a town in the Sindh province of Pakistan. His family is from Gujar Khan in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab. This area is known for being the home of many important political and military figures.
His family owned farmland, and he grew up in Sindh. He graduated from the University of Sindh in 1970. Before he got into politics, he worked in agriculture.
He is married to Nusrat Pervaiz Ashraf, and they have four children: two sons and two daughters. Ashraf can speak several languages, including English, Urdu, Punjabi, and Sindhi.
Political Career
Ashraf is known as a loyal member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He first ran for a seat in the parliament in the 1990s. He won elections in 2002 and 2008. After his 2008 victory, he became the minister for water and power.
Member of Parliament
Ashraf was elected twice as a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan (MNA) from his hometown area of Gujar Khan. As an MNA, he worked on important committees related to Kashmir, law, and human rights. He was also the secretary general of the PPP before becoming prime minister.
Minister for Water and Power
As the head of the Water and Power Ministry, Ashraf faced a major challenge. Pakistan did not have enough electricity, which led to frequent power cuts, also known as load shedding. He was often questioned in the National Assembly about the power crisis.
During his time as minister, he was criticized for not solving the power shortage quickly. However, about 3,570 megawatts of power were added to the country's system while he was in charge. He focused on building dams to generate hydropower, which is a cheap source of energy. These projects included the Satpara Dam and the large Diamer-Bhasha Dam.
Building dams takes a long time, so the electricity from them would not be available for many years. To solve the short-term problem, he started rental power projects. These projects were meant to provide electricity quickly but became controversial.
Prime Minister of Pakistan
On June 22, 2012, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan by the National Assembly. He received 211 votes. His election brought stability to the government after a few days of uncertainty.
Solving National Problems
Right after becoming prime minister, Ashraf said his main goals were to fix the economy and the country's power crisis. He immediately ordered more fuel to be sent to power plants to increase the electricity supply.
He also planned to build many small dams across the country to help with the energy shortage. Besides energy, he focused on improving the law and order situation in Karachi, which was facing a lot of violence at the time.
In September 2012, he announced a development plan worth 2 billion Pakistani rupees for the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Foreign Policy
As prime minister, Ashraf wanted to have a relationship with the United States based on equality. He received messages of congratulations from leaders around the world, including the Prime Minister of India, the U.S. Secretary of State, and the President of Afghanistan.
He stated that Pakistan would continue to support the people of Kashmir in their struggle for self-determination, following United Nations resolutions.
Ashraf made his first official trip as prime minister to Saudi Arabia in July 2012. He also visited Afghanistan to discuss the peace process in the region.
After Being Prime Minister
After his term as prime minister ended in 2013, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf remained active in politics.
On April 16, 2022, he was elected as the 22nd Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. He served in this role until March 2024.
See also
- Left-wing politics in Pakistan
