Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi (Urdu: سید حامد سعید کاظمی; born 3 October 1957) is a Pakistani politician who served as the 28th Federal Minister for Religious Affairs of Pakistan from 2008 to 2010 as part of the Pakistan People's Party government.[1] He hails from Multan.[2]
Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi | |
|---|---|
سید حامد سعید کاظمی | |
| 28th Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony | |
| In office 14 November 2008 – 14 December 2010 | |
| President | Asif Ali Zardari |
| Prime Minister | Yousaf Raza Gillani |
| Preceded by | Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah |
| Succeeded by | Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 October 1957 |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent | Ahmad Saeed Kazmi (Father) |
| Alma mater | Bahauddin Zakariya University |
Family
editKazmi was born in a well-to-do religious family. His father, Ahmad Saeed Kazmi, was a prominent Sufi and Islamic scholar. He is one among eleven siblings.[3] Kazmi is married and has two daughters and two sons.[4] His father Syed Ahmad Saeed Kazmi son of Syed Muhammad Mukhtar Ahmad Shah Kazmi belonged to Amroha, India. They migrated to Multan in 1935. The family relates with Imam Musa Kazim through 35 steps, and this is why he is called Kazmi.[3]
Education
editHe obtained a Master of Arts degree in Urdu with Gold Medal from the Bahauddin Zakariya University in 1985.[4]
Political career
editHe was elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) from NA-192 Rahim Yar Khan-I in the 2008 Pakistani general election. He received 65,395 votes and defeated Makhdoom Syed Ahmad Alam Anwar of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML(Q)).[5]
Kazmi was sentenced to sixteen years imprisonment on the basis of charges of corruption by a lower court. The lower court has written in its 87 pages of decision that Hamid Kazmi was not found corrupt at any level but as he was the head of the ministry and by him mismanagement was done. But he appealed against it in the Islamabad High Court.[6] On 20 March 2017, he was acquitted in the Hajj corruption scandal, along with former ex-DG, Hajj Rao Shakeel, and Joint secretary for Religious Affairs, Aftab Aslam.[7]
He turned down a request from Asif Ali Zardari to contest against Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the vice chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as a candidate of the PPP from NA-156 Multan-III in the 2018 Pakistani general election. He instead opted to run as an independent from NA-175 Rahim Yar Khan-I.[8]
He ran for the National Assembly as an independent candidate from NA-175 Rahim Yar Khan-I in the 2018 Pakistani general election, but was unsuccessful. He received 39,514 votes and was defeated by Syed Mobeen Ahmed, a candidate of the PTI.[9]
He joined the PTI on 15 June 2022.[10]
Assassination attempt
editHe is a critic of the Pakistani Taliban. On 2 September 2009, while he was the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Kazmi survived an assassination attempt by suspected Taliban gunmen. He was shot by motorcycle borne gunmen as he was leaving his office. His driver and guard were killed in the attack.[11][12]
References
edit- ^ "Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony". mora.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ "PML-N may back Hamid Saeed Kazmi for NA-175: report". Pakistan Today. 2 July 2018. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs MNA NA-192 (Rahimyar Khan-I) Leadership profile". pakistanileaders.com.pk. 13 January 2010. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Syed Hamid Saeed Kaazmi Federal Minister Hamed Saeed Kazmi". Herald. 13 February 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ "NA-192 Rahimyar Khan I Detail Election Result 2008". www.electionpakistani.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ Asad, Malik (3 June 2016). "Haj corruption case: Former federal minister sentenced to 16 years in prison". Dawn. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ Shehzad, Rizwan (20 March 2017). "Islamabad High Court acquits former religious affairs minister in Hajj corruption case". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ "Hamid Saeed Kazmi declines to contest election against Shah Mehmood Qureshi". Geo.tv. 8 June 2018. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ "NA-175 Results - Election 2018 Results - - Candidates List - Constituency Details - Geo.tv". www.geo.tv. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
- ^ "Prominent political, religious personalities met Imran Khan in two days". ARY NEWS. 15 June 2022. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ Haider, Zeeshan (2 September 2009). "Pakistani minister shot and wounded: police". Reuters. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ "Minister's injured guard dies". Dawn. 10 September 2009. Retrieved 22 July 2022.