Ameen Faheem
| Makhdoom Muhammad Ameen Faheem |
|
|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Yousaf Raza Gillani |
| President | Asif Ali Zardari |
| Commerce Minister of Pakistan Commerce In Pakistan | |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | PPP |
| Religion | Islam |
Makhdoom Muhammad Ameen Faheem (alt. spelling: Amin Fahim) (Sindhi: مخدوم محمد امين فھيم, Urdu: مخدوم محمد امین فہیم, born 4 August, 1939) is a senior member of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, where he serves as the senior vice-chairman, and its head in the Parliament. He also holds the cabinet portfolio of Senior Federal Minister for Commerce. Makhdoom Amin Fahim is chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians in National Assembly of Pakistan and Parliamentary Leader of his party in National Assembly of Pakistan. He also served as Federal Minister during Benazir Bhutto's tenure. As of 2012, he is Commerce Minister in current coalition government.
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[edit] Early Years
Makhdoom, was born in Makhdoom family of Hala, which is located 200 km off the southern port city of Karachi, on August 4, 1939. His father, Makhdoom Muhammmad Zaman "Talib-ul-Mola", the spiritual leader of Sarwari Jammat of Pakistan, was one of the founding members of the PPP in 1967. Makhdoom Muhammad Zaman "Talib ul Mola" was a great poet and was elected MNA (Member of National Assembly), from the same area as his son. Makhdoom Muhammad Zaman was also offered many high-ranking posts in the time of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, but he refused and chose to stay in Hala and look after his Sarwari Jamaat.
[edit] Education
Makhdoom Muhammad Amin Fahim did his matriculation in 1955 and intermediate in 1957, in his native town Hala. In 1961 he achieved bachelors degree in Political-Science from Sindh University.[citation needed]
[edit] Political Career
Known as a humble politician, Makhdoom entered in the political arena in 1970 when he was elected as member National Assembly from southern district of Thatta in Sindh province. Since then, he has contested eight elections from elections held in 1977, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2007, remaining undefeated. Makhdoom Amin Fahim, however, boycotted the non-party elections of 1985 held by General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq-led military regime in line with the decision of his party. In 1993 he contested as MPA and MNA, and was the only Parliamentarian in Pakistan to win both seats unopposed. After that he gave up the MPA seat to his younger brother and he even came unopposed on it .
Makhdoom was offered the post of Prime Minister in 2002 by then President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, keeping in mind his party's leader Benazir Bhutto's refusal to appoint Mr. Amin Fahim's son Makhdoom Jameel Zaman as the Chief Minister Sindh, though he was offered the post of Prime Minister thrice before 1988-1990 and 1993. He remained loyal to his party and did not accept offers from then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the military dictators. Makhdoom Amin Fahim is currently the vice-chairman of PPP, and is also the Parliamentary Leader, (President) of the same party in the National Assembly. He was twice the Federal Minister in tenure of Benazir Bhutto. He was Communications Minister from December 1988 to August 1990, Railways Minister from December 1988 to March 1989. In the next tenure, he was Minister for Housing and Works from January 1994 to November 1996.
[edit] Personal Life
Makhdoom Amin Fahim is also the leader of the largest spiritual group of people called the "Sarwari Jamaat" in Pakistan, consisting of more than 5 million people across the world. It was recorded that Sarwari Jamaat consisted of one 100,000 people, 300 years ago.
Sister Dina (sister of Runa laila , singer of Bangladesh )once married Makhdoom Amin Fahim would have followed in her sister footsteps but had to give up singing when she married. She later died of cancer. In memory of her sister, Runa held six concerts in Bangladesh and donated the entire proceeds to a children's hospital in Dhaka to build a cancer ward which has been named after her sister.
[edit] Corruption Allegations
Amin Fahim has been involved in the NICL Multi Billion rupees scandal.[1] Many party members of various political parties of Pakistan are embroiled in such kick back schemes. National Accountability Bureau NAB was created to tackle such issues. Although not a complete success, it has assisted ruling parties in detaining rival party factions.
Amin Faheem's son , Makdhoom Najeeb, has been barred from traveling out of U.A.E. due to bounced cheque.[2] He was told to report to the Jebel Ali Police Station, as there was a case against him for a bounced cheque, which he gave to a Free Zone authority as part of a business deal. It was then discovered that the Free Zone Authority had erroneously presented the rent cheque to the bank even though the offices for which it had been given the Post Dated Cheque had already been handed back to the Free Zone authority a month earlier. The Free Zone apologized and lifted the case on him immediately. [3]
[edit] Career After Benazir Bhutto Assassination
Makhdoom Amin Fahim was mentioned as a possible Chairman for the PPP, in the wake of the December 27, 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto,[4] but Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari were named party co-chairs and he was considered the party's probable candidate for Prime Minister.[5] However, the PPP hesitated to name Mr. Makhdoom as its candidate following its victory in the February 2008 election. It was suggested that Benazir Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari, might be reluctant to nominate Makhdoom Amin Fahim as Prime Minister, because he was worried that Faheem could strengthen his political base in Sindh and threaten the influence of the Bhutto family there.[6]
On 15 March 2008, Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that he did not understand why the PPP had still not named him as its candidate. According to Faheem, if Zardari wanted to take the position for himself, he would support him.[7]
Later, the PPP nominated Yousaf Raza Gillani as Prime Minister on March 22, 2008. Although this was viewed as a snub to Mr. Amin Fahim, he said that he would not leave the PPP and had the "best wishes" for Gilani.[8] Amin Fahim, however, was made the Commerce Minister of Pakistan in November 2008 shuffle as a consolation.
[edit] Poetry
Initially, Makhdoom Amin Fahim was more interested in poetry than politics. However, he had no choice but to jump into the fray as the political heir of Makhdoom family.
He once said, 'Poetry is my first love. I am still fond of saying verses and reading poetry of others' His forte is mystic poetry. His poetry speaks about love, Peace, and simplicity.
"I have always been fond of the poetry of Maulana Rumi, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, and Sachal Sarmast. Their poetry has left a deep impact on my life. I have learned from them (Poets) to be loyal, to be loved, in good or rainy days"
He further said, 'I don't believe in ruling the people. I believe in ruling their hearts. That is why my voters love me, and they never disappointed me'.
[edit] References
- ^ "Karachi land deal: FIA links Amin Fahim to NICL scam" The Tribune 20 May, 2011
- ^ "Pakistan minister's son barred from leaving" Gulf News 19 September, 2011
- ^ [1] Gulf News 20 September, 2011
- ^ David Rohde, "Musharraf’s Political Future Appears Troubled", The New York Times, December 28, 2007.
- ^ "Revenge mission that will have to wait" The Times 31 December, 2007
- ^ Jo Johnson, "Party fails to name PM candidate", Financial Times, March 7, 2008.
- ^ "Pakistan: Bhutto party says PM candidate to be named next week", Associated Press International Herald Tribune, March 15, 2008.
- ^ "Bhutto's party names Pakistani PM candidate" Associated Press (MSNBC), March 22, 2008.
- Living people
- Commerce Ministers of Pakistan
- Communications Ministers of Pakistan
- Members of the National Assembly of Pakistan
- Pakistani Muslims
- Pakistani politicians
- Pakistan Peoples Party politicians
- Pakistani democracy activists
- Pakistani expatriates in the United Arab Emirates
- Pakistani religious leaders
- People from Matiari District
- Sindhi people
- University of Sindh alumni
- 1939 births
