Baligh Ur Rehman

Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman
محمد بلیغ الرحمٰن
43rd Governor of Punjab
In office
30 May 2022 – 10 May 2024
Appointed byArif Alvi
PresidentArif Alvi
Asif Ali Zardari
Prime MinisterShehbaz Sharif
Anwaar ul Haq Kakar
Shehbaz Sharif
Chief MinisterHamza Shahbaz

Parvez Elahi

Mohsin Naqvi (caretaker)
Maryam Nawaz
Preceded byOmer Sarfraz Cheema
Succeeded bySardar Saleem Haider Khan
Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training
In office
7 June 2013 – 28 July 2017
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif
Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control
In office
22 November 2013 – 28 July 2017
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif
Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training
In office
4 August 2017 – 31 May 2018
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterShahid Khaqan Abbasi
Succeeded byMohammad Yousuf Shaikh
Personal details
Born (1970-12-21) 21 December 1970 (age 53)[1]
Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan
RelationsQazi Adnan Fareed (cousin)

Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman (Urdu: محمد بلیغ الرحمن; born 21 December 1970) is a Pakistani politician who is the former Governor of Punjab, he served in office from 30 May 2022 till 10 May 2024.

In 2022 he was appointed by President Arif Alvi, on advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.[2][3] He had taken the oath of Governor of Punjab on 30 May 2022, Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Muhammad Ameer Bhatti administered his oath. Previously he served as the Minister of State Federal Education and of Interior and Narcotics Control between 2013 and 2017. He had been a member of the National Assembly from 2008 to May 2018.

After assuming the charge of Governor he automatically became the Chancellor of the public sector universities of the Punjab, Pakistan.

Early life and education

Baligh Ur Rehman was born on 21 December 1970 in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.[1]

His father Muhammad Aqil-ur-Rehman was Member of National Assembly during 1997-99 while his cousin Qazi Adnan Fareed is also a politician.[4]

He was initially educated at the Sadiq Public School, where he passed O Level with a Gold Medal and later completed his FSc, before graduating from the University of Pennsylvania as an electrical engineer in 1994.[5]

Political career

Baligh was elected as the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan for the first time in 2008 Pakistani general election from Constituency NA-185 on PML-N ticket.[6][7][8]

He was elected as the member of the National Assembly for the second time on PML-N ticket from NA-185 in 2013 Pakistani general election.[9][10]

In June 2013, he was appointed as Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training.[11][12][13]

In November 2013, he was given the additional charge of Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control in the cabinet of Nawaz Sharif.[14][15] He had ceased to hold ministerial office in July 2017 when the federal cabinet was disbanded following the disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after Panama Papers case decision.[16] Following the election of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as Prime Minister of Pakistan in August 2017, he was inducted into the federal cabinet of Abbasi.[17][18] He was elevated as federal minister and given the portfolio of Federal Minister of Education and Professional Training, serving in that capacity until the term of the National Assembly ended on 31 May 2018.[19][20]

Governor of Punjab (2022-2024)

On 30 May 2022, he was appointed as the 39th Governor of Punjab by President Arif Alvi.[21] On 22 December, Governor Baligh Ur Rehman denotified Chief Minister of Punjab, Chaudhary Parvez Elahi from his position, citing his failure to take a vote of confidence from the Provincial Assembly, which the Governor had requested, as the reason for the denotification.[22] However, Elahi was restored by the Lahore High Court on 23 December 2022. Chief Minister of Punjab, Parvez Elahi dissolved the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in January 2023, on Imran Khan’s orders, following this, Baligh Ur Rehman opted not to intervene in the dissolution process and stated he would “let the constitution take its course.”[23] Baligh Ur Rehman retained the position of Governor until he was replaced by President Asif Ali Zardari with Sardar Saleem Haider Khan in May 2024.

References

  1. ^ a b "Detail Information". 19 April 2014. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ "President Alvi approves Baligh Ur Rehman's appointment as governor Punjab". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  3. ^ "PPP finalises Sardar Saleem Haider, Faisal Karim Kundi for Punjab, KP governorship". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  4. ^ "Profile". Provincial Assembly of the Punjab. Archived from the original on 25 July 2023.
  5. ^ "Governor's profile". Government of Punjab, Pakistan. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Election Results 2008". Geo TV. Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ "Bahawalpur profile: In the land of the nawabs – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Nawabs of Bahawalpur to play vital role in next general elections". The Nation. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  9. ^ "138 MNAs either paid no income tax, or FBR has no such data". www.thenews.com.pk. 24 June 2013. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  10. ^ Correspondent, The Newspaper's (14 September 2013). "Ex-PML-N MPA held in fake degree case". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 12 April 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017. {{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ "Sworn in as Minister of State". Nation PK. 7 June 2013. Archived from the original on 10 February 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  12. ^ "Sharif's 25-member cabinet takes oath". DAWN.COM. 7 June 2013. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  13. ^ "Federal cabinet unveiled: Enter the ministers – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 8 June 2013. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Minister Baligh assumes additional charge in Interior Ministry". www.thenews.com.pk. 22 November 2013. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  15. ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (24 November 2015). "Tariq Fazal sworn in as minister of state". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  16. ^ "PM Nawaz Sharif steps down; federal cabinet stands dissolved". Daily Pakistan Global. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  17. ^ "A 43-member new cabinet sworn in". Associated Press Of Pakistan. 4 August 2017. Archived from the original on 4 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  18. ^ "PM Khaqan Abbasi's 43-member cabinet takes oath today". Pakistan Today. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  19. ^ Raza, Syed Irfan (5 August 2017). "PM Abbasi's bloated cabinet sworn in". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  20. ^ "Notification" (PDF). Cabinet division. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  21. ^ "President Alvi approves Baligh Ur Rehman's appointment as Punjab governor". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  22. ^ "Parvez Elahi denotified as chief minister". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  23. ^ Desk, BR Web (2023-01-14). "Punjab governor decides 'to not become part of' assembly's dissolution process". Brecorder. Retrieved 2024-08-22. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Punjab
30 May 2022 - Present 		Succeeded by
Vacant