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Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq

Ex Federal minister for religious affairs
Born: N/A
Profession: Politician, Banker
Affiliation(s): PML (Z)

Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq (born 1953) in Nowshera, Khyber PK.

Education

Ijaz received his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Punjab. He completed his degree in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, in Carbondale, Illinois.

Bahrain-based banker

Thereafter he enjoyed a successful career as a Bahrain-based banker from 1978 until 1988.

Political career
He entered Pakistani politics after the death of his father, the President of Pakistan, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, in a plane crash in August 17, 1988.

Pakistan muslim league

He allied himself with his late father’s endorsed political party, Pakistan Muslim League in 1989 to form the conservative opposition to the country’s succeeding ruler, Benazir Bhutto, who was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan shortly after General Zia’s death.

Relation with Benazir & Nawaz Sharif

Initially considered to be spearheading the Benazir-opposed right-wing, Ijaz would ally himself with the more politically experienced Nawaz Sharif, who had served as Chief Minister in the cabinet of General Zia.

Federal minister for labour

He was appointed federal minister for labour within the cabinet of Nawaz Sharif.

Senior president of the PML (N)

He was the senior president of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) during its second tenure in the 1990s.

Differences with Sharif

He stepped down from the post following differences with Sharif, who was overthrown shortly afterwards by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999.

PML(Zia-ul-Haq)

Forming his own PML splinter faction, Zia-ul-Haq Shaheed.

Election 2002 allying with PML-Q

Ijaz was elected to the Pakistan National Assembly for a record fourth time in the 2002 general election. Initially allying himself with Musharraf’s PML-Q party.

Federal minister for religious affairs

In 2004, he was made Federal Minister for Religious Affairs of Pakistan with the additional charge of Ministry of Minority Affairs. Ijaz’s relationship with Musharraf’s central government immediately became strained, when he denounced the Blair administration’s flawed allegations of Pakistani involvement in the 7/7 London bombings.Ijaz-ul-Haq speaking about Pakistan’s atomic program at the Federal Religious Ministry, Islamabad, May 2007

Abdul Qadeer Khan’s support

His support for nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan and his criticism of the Bush administration all deviated from the government line. However, his remarks concerning the knighthood of Salman Rushdie received international condemnation.

Election 2008 & resigned from PML-Q

He lost for the first time in the 2008 general election, and resigned from the PML-Q in February 2010.

Election 2010

His revived PML-Zia upset the Pakistan Peoples Party in Bahawalnagar for Member of the Provincial Assembly in March 2010.