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Shafqat Mahmood

Shafqat MahmoodColoumnist
Born: 19 February 1950
Profession: Journalist
Affiliation(s): PTI

Shafqat Mahmood has recently joined The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).

One of the educated few, having a distinguished academic career, a former civil servant and a committed Pakistani, Mr. Shafqat Mahmood was born in the Gujrat district of Punjab on 19 February, 1950. After having his early education from the Sadiq Public School Bahawalpur, he joined Government College Lahore wherefrom he got Master’s degree in Psychology in 1970. His association with the prestigious Government College was further extended when he was selected to serve as a Lecturer in the same institution in 1971. He got Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard University Cambridge, Mass, USA in 1981 and another Masters in Public Policy and Administration from University of Southern California, USA in 1987.

Mr. Shafqat Mahmood has a very distinguished career in academics and administrative courses. He got a Certificate of Merit of the Punjab University for 1970 for his outstanding performance in the University examination. His name stands inscribed in the Academic Roll of Honour of the Government College Lahore for 1970 for excellence in academic achievement. Mr. Shafqat Mahmood was awarded Huberts H. Humphery North-South Fellowship by the United States Government in 1980 and Edward S. Mason Fellow in Public Policy in developing countries by the Harvard University Cambridge, Mass, USA in 1980-81.

Mr. Shafqat Mahmood had a very keen interest in the public welfare acti- vities and always stood against despotism, violation of Human Rights, exploitation and suppression. It was as early as 1966, when he was just in his teen age blossoms, that he stood by the late Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto when he left the Ayub Government for his differences on the contents of the Tashkant Accord with India. He was one of the organizers of the mammoth reception accorded to Mr. Z.A. Bhutto on his arrival at the Lahore Railway Station. He had to experience, for the first time, the state tyranny when he was seriously beaten by the Police and received some serious injuries in his skull.

Mr. Shafqat Mahmood’s @ citude for leadership and inborn qualities of administration and management impelled him to opt for the Civil Service of Pakistan in 1973. He served as Assistant Commissioner in Murree and Pakpatan from 1975 to 1978 whereafter he handled the Secretariat job as a Deputy Secretary to the Government of the Punjab till 1980.

Mr. Shafqat Mahmood served as Deputy Commissioner in the important district of Gujranwala and Dera Ghazi Khan for about five years and also as Additional Commissioner Afghan Refugees Organization for quite some time in 1985. He was Additional Secretary Finance Government of the Punjab in 1988-89 and later served as Joint Secretary, Prime Minister’s Secretariat from 1989 to 1990.

Mr. Shafqat Mahmood, an enthusiastic and energetic Pakistani as he was, could not continue long in the civil bureaucracy and said good bye to the Civil Service of Pakistan for good in 1990 whereafter he formally joined the Pakistan Peoples Party and was appointed Political Secretay to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. He enjoys a good integrity and confidence of the Party leadership and represented Pakistan Peoples Party in international seminars in Britain, Korea, United States and Germany between 1990 and 1993. He was an official spokesman of the PPP and also held important positions in the Central Executive Committee of the Party during this period.

Mr. Shafqat Mahmood was elected as member of the Senate of Pakistan in March, 1994 for a six year term. He is a member of the Senate Standing Committees on Cabinet, Establishment and Management Services, Defence, Defence Production, Aviation, Foreign Affairs, Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas and that of the Functional Committee of the-Senate on Government Assurances.

Mr. Shafqat Mahmood is also represented in a number of social welfare organizations and his commitment for the down-trodden, the oppressed and not- so-fortunate segments of the society has always been above board. He is a staunch and committed supporter of the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir and has also pleaded their case against the Indian atrocities at all levels – national and international.