Qamar Zaman Kaira (Urdu: قمر زمان کائرہ; born 5 January 1960) is a former Minister of Information and Mass-Media Broadcasting in the Government of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013. He also remained an advisor on Kashmir affairs to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from 18 April 2022 to 10 August 2023.
Qamar Zaman Kaira قمر زمان کائرہ | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Qamar Zaman Kaira in 2018 | |
| Minister of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas | |
| In office 18 April 2022 – 10 August 2023 | |
| President | Arif Alvi |
| Prime Minister | Shehbaz Sharif |
| Minister of Information and Mass-Media Broadcasting | |
| In office 18 April 2012 – 16 March 2013 | |
| President | Asif Ali Zardari |
| Prime Minister | Raja Pervez Ashraf Yusuf Raza Gillani |
| Minister of Information and Mass-Media Broadcasting | |
| In office 14 March 2009 – 9 February 2011 | |
| President | Asif Ali Zardari |
| Prime Minister | Yusuf Raza Gillani |
| Preceded by | Sherry Rehman |
| Succeeded by | Firdous Ashiq Awan |
| Minister of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas | |
| In office 31 March 2008 – 9 February 2011 | |
| President | Pervez Musharraf Asif Ali Zardari |
| Prime Minister | Yusuf Raza Gillani |
| Preceded by | Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo |
| Succeeded by | Shaukatullah Khan |
| Governor of Gilgit–Baltistan | |
| In office 16 September 2009 – 22 March 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Shama Khalid |
| Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan | |
| In office 13 March 2008 – 12 March 2013 | |
| Constituency | NA-55 (Jehlum-II) |
| In office 16 November 2002 – 15 November 2007 | |
| Constituency | NA-55 (Jehlum-II) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Qamar Zaman Kaira 5 January 1960 Lalamusa, Punjab, Pakistan, |
| Citizenship |  Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistan |
| Political party |  PPP (2002-present) |
| Relations | Tanveer Ashraf Kaira (cousin) |
| Residence | Islamabad |
| Alma mater | Forman Christian University University of Punjab |
| Occupation | Politician |
Before heading the Ministry of Information, Kaira was the minister of the Ministry of Kashmir and Northern Areas and later ascended as acting Governor of Gilgit–Baltistan in 2009.[1] His career in national politics started in 2002 on the platform of the Pakistan Peoples Party.He has pioneered many articles on political philosophy and raised a voice for democracy in the country. After succeeding Sherry Rehman as minister of information in 2009, he lost his ministry in 2011 to Firdous Ashiq Awan. However, in 2012, he was again reappointed in the ministry of information after a cabinet reshuffle. His son Osama Zaman Kaira died in a road accident on 17 May 2019 in Lalamusa in an attempt to save a motorcyclist, losing control of the car and crashing into a tree. He was laid to rest on 18 May in the same city.[2]
Education
editKaira was born in Lalamusa, Gujrat on 5 January 1960. He belongs to a political family from Gujrat. After attending a local high school, Kaira matriculated and passed intermediate college testing examinations.
After attending a F.G. Community College in Kharian Military District, Kaira made college transfer to Forman Christian University.[3] There, he enrolled in the Department of Philosophy and earned a BA in Philosophy from Forman Christian University in 1983.[3] Kaira later applied to a graduate school at the University of Punjab to resume his higher education.[3] In 1985, Kaira wrote his thesis for double master's degrees and subsequently obtained an MA in philosophy of politics and an MS in political science from the Punjab University.
Political career
editKaira was elected to the National Assembly for the first time in 2002 and remained a member of the lower house of parliament until 2007. He returned to the National Assembly for a second consecutive term in 2008 and became a minister in the coalition government of the PPP, ANP, MQM and JUI-F formed after the 2008 elections.
He is a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, having won from his local constituency in Gujrat in the 2002 and 2008 General Elections Pakistan. He was selected for the office of Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas on 31 March 2008, and was given the additional office of Federal Minister for Information on 14 March 2009. He remained Federal Minister until 2013.
After the resignation of the Imran Khan Government in 2022, Qamar Zaman Kaira was inducted into the cabinet of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He remained an advisor on Kashmir Affairs to former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from 18 April 2022 to 10 August 2023.
Other positions held
edit- Special Advisor to the Prime Minister (2022-2023)
- Federal Minister for Information Media and BroadCasting (2008-2013)
- Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan (2008-2013)
- 1st Governor of Gilgit Baltistan (2008-2010)
- Member National Assembly (2008-2013)
- Member National Assembly (2002–2007), He hold various position at center as party central leader.
References
edit- ^ "Kaira takes oath as acting governor" Archived 22 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine Dawn
- ^ "Qamar Zaman Kaira's son laid to rest in Lalamusa". Express Tribune.[full citation needed]
- ^ a b c Govt. Pakistan. "Minister for Information & Broadcasting". Government of Pakistan. Ministry of Information and Mass-Media Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2012.