Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi
Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi | |
|---|---|
سردار عبدالقیوم خان نیازی | |
| 13th Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir | |
| In office 4 August 2021 – 14 April 2022 | |
| President | Masood Khan Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry |
| Preceded by | Farooq Haider Khan |
| Member of Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 3 August 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Sardar Khan Bahadur Khan |
| Constituency | LA-18 (Poonch-II) |
| In office 2006–2011 | |
| Minister for Food Government of Azad Kashmir | |
| In office 2006–2008 | |
| Minister for Forest Government of Azad Kashmir | |
| In office 2010–2011 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1959 (age 64–65)[1] Dara Sher Khan, Azad Kashmir |
| Nationality |  Kashmiri |
| Political party |  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf |
| Other political affiliations | Muslim Conference |
Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi (Template:Lang-ur) is a Kashmiri politician from Azad Jammu and Kashmir who was the 13th Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir from August 2021 to April 2022.[2][3][1]
Niazi won the recent legislative assembly election from Abbaspur-Poonch area which was held on 25 July 2021.[4]
Personal life
Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi belongs to Dulli Tribe of Abbaspur tehsil in Azad Kashmir's Poonch district. His village Darra Sher Khan is located in Poonch's Battal sector, which has seen much destruction in Indian shelling in the past. His family is settled in Islamabad, where they own businesses.
Niazi is not Abdul Qayyum's family name, but a pseudonym, and an interesting story is attached to this title. In a recent interview with Aaj News he shared the story that in 1974 in his matriculation class, coincidentally another student was also present with the same name. So when they had to fill the examination forms he chose ‘Niazi’ as his Pen-name to differentiate from the other student. Whilst reading a list of PTI's nominated candidates during a rally in Bagh ahead of the elections, even Prime Minister Imran Khan had expressed surprise at Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi's name, saying: "How did a Niazi get here? I am quite surprised. Though we Niazis have spread everywhere."
His elder brother, Sardar Ghulam Mustafa, has also been a minister while his younger brother, Sardar Habib Zia, is a lawyer and his son a councilor in the United Kingdom.[5]
Career
Besides serving in the district council, Niazi remained the minister for food security between 2006 and 2008 in the Muslim Conference government, and the forest minister in the second cabinet of Sardar Ateeq from 2010 to 2011.[6]
Graduating from the Azad Kashmir University and beginning his political career in 1980 as district councilor in Poonch, he and his family have been traditionally associated with the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC) party. Niazi became a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly on an AJKMC ticket in 2006 and held from 2006 to 2011 different ministerial portfolios in prison, finances and others.[5]
On 14 April 2022, Niazi tendered his resignation as Prime Minister after a move by his parliamentary party — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf — to replace him with regional president Sardar Tanveer Ilyas through a vote of no-confidence.[7]
References
- ^ "Prime Minister Abdul Qayyum Niazi: A dark horse of politics in Azad Kashmir". The Express Tribune. 2021-08-04. Archived from the original on 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
- ^ "PTI's Abdul Qayyum Niazi elected Azad Kashmir's new prime minister". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
- ^ "PM Imran names Abdul Qayyum Niazi for AJK PM slot". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
- ^ "Imran Khan nominates Abdul Qayyum Niazi as next premier of PoK". The Hindu. PTI. 2021-08-04. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b Satti, Waqar (4 August 2021). "How Abdul Qayyum Niazi got the PM's nod for AJK's top slot". Geo News. Archived from the original on 2021-08-04. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ Dawn (2021-08-04). "PTI's Abdul Qayyum Niazi elected new prime minister of AJK". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
- ^ "Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi resigns as AJK PM". Dawn. 14 April 2022.
