Raja Riaz

Raja Riaz
Leader of the Opposition
In office
20 May 2022 – 10 August 2023
Prime MinisterShehbaz Sharif
Preceded byShehbaz Sharif
Succeeded byOmar Ayub Khan
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
13 August 2018 – 10 August 2023
ConstituencyNA-110 (Faisalabad-X)
Leader of the Opposition (Punjab)
In office
2011–2013
Succeeded byMehmood-ur-Rasheed
Senior Minister of Punjab
In office
9 June 2008 – 1 March 2010
Provincial Minister of Punjab for Irrigation and Power
In office
9 June 2008 – 1 March 2010
Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab
In office
2008–2013
In office
2002–2007
In office
1993–1996
ConstituencyPP55 Faisalabad-XIII, PP65 Faisalabad-XV
Personal details
Born (1955-07-26) 26 July 1955 (age 69)
Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
Other political
affiliations		PMLN (2023–2024)
PTI (2016–2022)
Independent (2015–2016)
PPP (1993–2015)

Raja Riaz Ahmed Khan (born 26 July 1955) is a retired Pakistani politician who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 till August 2023. Previously, he was the Punjab Minister for Irrigation and Power and also a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab between 1993 and 2013. He was the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly of Pakistan from May 2022 till August 2023.

Early life and education

He was born on 26 July 1955 in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.[1]

He graduated from Government College University and has the degree of Bachelor of Arts.[1]

Political career

He was elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) from Constituency PP-55 (Faisalabad-XIII) in 1993 Pakistani general election. He received 30,655 votes and defeated Qamar Uz Zaman Awan, a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML(N)).[2]

He ran for the seat of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of PPP from Constituency PP-55 (Faisalabad-XIII) in 1997 Pakistani general election, but was unsuccessful. He received 18,950 votes and lost the seat to Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan.[1]

He was re-elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of PPP from Constituency PP-65 (Faisalabad-XV) in the 2002 Pakistani general election. He received 27,788 votes and defeated Muhammad Saqib Malik, a candidate of PML(N).[3]

He was re-elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of PPP from Constituency PP-65 (Faisalabad-XV) in the 2008 Pakistani general election. He received 29,858 votes and defeated Haji Muhammad Shakeel Ansari, a candidate of PML(N).[4] He was inducted into the provincial Punjab cabinet of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif as provincial minister for irrigation and power[5] where he continued to serve until 2010.[1]

He ran for the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of PPP from Constituency PP-65 (Faisalabad-XV) in the 2013 Pakistani general election, but was unsuccessful. He received 17,571 votes and lost the seat to Muhammad Ilyas Ansari.[6]

He joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in May 2016.[7]

He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of PTI from Constituency NA-110 (Faisalabad-X) in 2018 Pakistani general election.[8] securing 114,215 votes against the PML(N) candidate Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan who bagged 108,172 votes.[9]

On 27 September 2018, Prime Minister Imran Khan appointed him as Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum.[10] He resigned this post in December 2018.

In March 2022, he was among the 20 PTI members of the National Assembly, who, in opposition to the PTI leadership, joined then opposition to pass a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. In April 2022, the National Assembly of Pakistan passed this motion securing 174 votes in favour. Because the majority of PTI MPs resigned from parliament in protest, he was appointed leader of opposition in National Assembly of Pakistan on 20 May 2022, as defunct group of PTI, having 20 PTI members in National Assembly.[11]

On 16 September 2023, he officially joined the PML(N).[12]

He got retirement from active politics before 2024 Pakistani general election. His son Raja Daniyal Ahmad contested for National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-N from Constituency NA-110 (Faisalabad-X) in 2024 Pakistani general election but was badly defeated by Sahibzada Hamid Raza of PTI.[13] Raja Danial could secure only 44,215 votes against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Sahibzada Hamid Raza who bagged 108,220 votes. Sahibzada defeated Raja by a heavy margin of 64,005 Votes.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Punjab Assembly". pap.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Punjab Assembly election results 1988–97" (PDF). ECP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  3. ^ "2002 election result" (PDF). ECP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  4. ^ "2008 election result" (PDF). ECP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  5. ^ Mahmood, Amjad (23 April 2008). "14-member Punjab cabinet takes oath". Dawn. Pakistan. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  6. ^ "2013 election result" (PDF). ECP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  7. ^ "PPP leader from Punjab Raja Riaz joins PTI | The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 13 May 2016. Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  8. ^ "PTI's Raja Riaz Ahmed wins NA-110 election". Associated Press Of Pakistan. 27 July 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  9. ^ "ECP – Election Commission of Pakistan".
  10. ^ "15 MNAs appointed as parliamentary secretaries". Pakistan Today. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Raja Riaz becomes Leader of Opposition in NA". The News International (newspaper). 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Former opposition leader Raja Riaz officially joins PML-N". Dawn. Pakistan. 2023-09-16. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
  13. ^ "PTI's Raja Riaz Ahmed wins NA-110 election". Associated Press Of Pakistan. 27 July 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  14. ^ "ECP – Election Commission of Pakistan".