Hafiz Abdul Kareem (Urdu: حافظ عبدالکریم; born 1 January 1960) is a Pakistani politician who served as Minister for Communications, in Abbasi cabinet from August 2017 to May 2018. He has been a member of the Senate of Pakistan since March 2018. He was also a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from June 2013 to 2018.

Hafiz Abdul Kareem
Senator
حافظ عبدالکریم
Member of the Senate of Pakistan
Assumed office
12 March 2018
Minister for Communications
In office
4 August 2017 – 31 May 2018
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterShahid Khaqan Abbasi
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
1 June 2013 – 31 May 2018
ConstituencyNA-172 (D.G.Khan-II)
Personal details
Born (1960-01-01) January 1, 1960 (age 64)
Karachi, Pakistan
Political partyPakistan Muslim League (N)

Early life and education

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Kareem was born on 1 January 1960. He has completed matriculation level education.[1]

Political career

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He ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) from Constituency NA-172 (Dera Ghazi Khan-II) in 2008 Pakistani general election, but was unsuccessful.[2][3][4] He received 41,894 votes and lost to Farooq Leghari.[5]

He ran for the seat of the National Assembly as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency NA-172 (Dera Ghazi Khan-II) in by-election held in March 2011, but was unsuccessful.[6][7] He received 41,894 votes and lost the seat to Awais Leghari.[8]

He was elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency NA-172 (Dera Ghazi Khan-II) in 2013 Pakistani general election.[9] He received 49,230 votes and defeated Jamal Leghari.[10]

Following the election of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as Prime Minister of Pakistan in August 2017, he was inducted into the federal cabinet of Abbasi[11][12] and was appointed as federal minister for Communication for the first time.[13][14]

He was nominated by PML-N as its candidate in the 2018 Pakistani Senate election.[15] However the Election Commission of Pakistan declared all PML-N candidates for the Senate election as independent after a ruling of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.[16]

He was elected to the Senate of Pakistan as an independent candidate on a technocrat seat from Punjab in Senate election.[17][18] He was backed in the election by PML-N[19] and joined the treasury benches, led by PML-N after getting elected.[20] He took oath as a Senator on 12 March 2018.[21] On 12 March 2018, he ceased to hold the office of Federal Minister for Communication due to resignation from the National Assembly.[22] On 15 March 2018, he was re-inducted into the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi[23] and re-appointed as Federal Minister for Communications.[24] Upon the dissolution of the National Assembly on the expiration of its term on 31 May 2018, Kareem ceased to hold the office as Federal Minister for Communications.[25]

References

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  1. ^ "MP Profile". Open Parliament Pakistan. FAFEN. 26 January 2016. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Results of two seats in D.G. Khan withheld". DAWN.COM. 20 February 2008. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  3. ^ "Money and tribes talk in NA-172 electioneering". DAWN.COM. 30 November 2010. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Traditional rivals face off". DAWN.COM. 2 May 2013. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  5. ^ "2008 election result" (PDF). ECP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Awais Leghari leading in NA-172 by-polls". DAWN.COM. 29 March 2011. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Awais Leghari wins NA-172 by-election". The Nation. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  8. ^ "2002 election result" (PDF). ECP. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Friends or foes?". The Friday Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  10. ^ "2013 election result" (PDF). ECP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "PM Khaqan Abbasi's 43-member cabinet takes oath today". Pakistan Today. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ "Bloated cabinet: Influential ministers with powerless underlings - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 25 September 2017. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  15. ^ "List of Senate candidates from Punjab". DAWN.COM. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  16. ^ "PML-N's Senate nominees to contest election as independent candidates, says ECP". DAWN.COM. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  17. ^ "LIVE: PML-N-backed independent candidates lead in Punjab, PPP in Sindh - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 3 March 2018. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  18. ^ Khan, Iftikhar A. (4 March 2018). "PML-N gains Senate control amid surprise PPP showing". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  19. ^ "PML-N backed candidates win 15 seats in Senate Elections". Daily Pakistan Global. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  20. ^ Guramani, Nadir (22 March 2018). "15 independent senators backed by PML-N in Senate polls join treasury". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  21. ^ "Senate elect opposition-backed Sanjrani chairman and Mandviwala his deputy". The News. 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  22. ^ "Dar, Michael, Kareem no more ministers". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  23. ^ "Michael, Kareem made federal ministers". The Nation. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  24. ^ "Hafiz Abdul Kareem, Kamran Michael sworn in as federal ministers". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  25. ^ "Notification" (PDF). Cabinet division. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.