Raza Rabbani facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raza Rabbani
رضا ربانی
Rabbani in 2017
7th Chairman of the Senate
In office 12 March 2015 – 11 March 2018
President	Mamnoon Hussain
Preceded by	Nayyar Hussain Bukhari
Succeeded by	Sadiq Sanjrani
Minister of Inter Provincial Coordination
In office 3 November 2008 – 13 March 2009
Prime Minister	Yousaf Raza Gillani
Preceded by	Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan
Succeeded by	Aftab Hussain Shah Jillani
Minister of State for Law and Justice
In office 19 October 1993 – 5 November 1996
Prime Minister	Benazir Bhutto
Preceded by	Saima Akhtar Bharwana
Succeeded by	Tehmina Daultana
Advisor to the Chief Minister of Sindh on Cooperative
In office 1988 – 25 February 1990
Chief Minister	Syed Qaim Ali Shah
Personal details
Born	(1953-07-23) 23 July 1953 (age 71) Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Political party	Pakistan Peoples Party
Alma mater	University of Karachi
Awards	Nishan-e-Imtiaz

Mian Raza Rabbani (Punjabi, Urdu: رضا ربانى; born 23 July 1953) is a Pakistani politician and lawyer. He served as the 7th Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan from March 2015 to March 2018. He has been a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party since 1968.

Raza Rabbani has been elected as a Senator six times since 1993, representing the Sindh province. He was a close helper to Benazir Bhutto, who made him the party's deputy secretary general in 1997. He also became the leader of the opposition in the Senate in 2005. Rabbani has held several important roles, including Minister of Inter Provincial Coordination and Minister of State for Law and Justice. He also served as the Leader of the House and Opposition Leader in the Senate. In March 2015, Raza Rabbani was chosen as the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan by everyone's agreement. He held this position until March 2018, when Sadiq Sanjrani took over.

Early Life and Education

Rabbani was born on 23 July 1953 in Lahore, Punjab. He comes from a well-educated Punjabi family. His father, Mian Atta Rabbani, was an officer in the Royal Indian Air Force during the British Raj. He was also the first pilot to be commissioned in the Pakistan Air Force after Pakistan became independent. His father even served as Muhammad Ali Jinnah's Aide-de-Camp, which means he was a personal assistant. Raza Rabbani grew up in Karachi.

He went to Habib Public School in Karachi for his early education. Later, he earned his Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Law (LLB) degrees from the University of Karachi in 1976 and 1981.

During his time at the University of Karachi, Rabbani was very active in politics. He led the Liberal Students Federation in 1974. He is believed to have joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in 1968. He was even put in jail during the rule of Zia-ul-Haq. After finishing his studies, he began working as a lawyer.

Political Career and Public Service

Rabbani started his political journey with the PPP in 1981. He served as an Advisor to the Chief Minister of Sindh for Co-operative matters from 1988 to 1990.

He was first elected to the Senate of Pakistan in 1993 and served there until 1999. In 1994, he joined the federal government as the Minister of State for Law and Justice. He held this position during the second government of Benazir Bhutto until 1996.

In 1996, he became the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. The next year, in 1997, Benazir Bhutto appointed him as the deputy secretary general of the PPP.

He was re-elected to the Senate in 2003 and again in 2006 for a six-year term. From 2005 to 2008, he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

After the PPP won the 2008 general elections, he chose not to join the government of Yousaf Raza Gillani. This was because he did not want to take an oath from the then-President, Pervez Musharraf. He then served as the Leader of the House in the Senate from 2008 to 2009.

In November 2008, Rabbani became an Advisor to the Prime Minister on Inter-Provincial Coordination. He resigned in March 2009 due to a disagreement within the PPP. In 2011, he briefly served as the Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination and Human Rights.

He later became the chairman of the parliamentary committee for constitutional reform. He also chaired the Parliamentary Committee on National Security. He was re-elected to the Senate in 2012 for another six-year term.

After the PPP lost the 2013 general election, he was made an additional secretary general of the party. In July 2013, he was nominated as the PPP's candidate for president. However, the PPP later decided to boycott the presidential elections.

Rabbani has received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz award for his important work in parliament.

Involvement with the Inter Parliamentary Union

In October 2019, Rabbani was chosen as an executive member in the Inter Parliamentary Union. This happened after the Indian government withdrew the nomination of another candidate.

Views on National Security

Even with some disagreements with his party's leaders, Senator Rabbani was chosen to lead important committees. In 2008, he became the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security. He also chaired the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reform.

His skills led him to also chair the "Beginning of the Rights of Balochistan" committee. Here, he worked on a plan to solve problems in the Balochistan Province. He presented this plan to the Parliament.

Rabbani has also spoken out on international issues. In 2003, he opposed the Iraq War. He also supported Dr. AQ Khan against President Musharraf regarding atomic proliferation issues. He believed that the "propaganda against Pakistan in the Western Media about terrorism and nuclear weapons" was unfair.

During times of tension between the United States and Pakistan, Rabbani stated that Pakistan needed to focus on its own security. He also strongly criticized the US for its drone operations in North-Western Pakistan. He said these operations violated international law and human rights.

Writings and Political Ideas

Rabbani has written about his support for socialism, communism, and ideas about fairness in the constitution. In 2003, he wrote a book called "LFO: a fraud on the Constitution." This book was against President Pervez Musharraf and his plan to make his rule legal.

He has also spoken about political challenges in Pakistan. Rabbani believes that some political groups work with the government to weaken left-wing parties. He made this statement during the 2013 general elections. During that time, left-wing parties faced pressure from right-wing groups to limit their campaigns. Rabbani also suggested that the international community supported conservative parties against leftist ones.

Books by Raza Rabbani

He has written the following books:

• LFO: a fraud on the Constitution (2003)