Azam Khan Swati

Senator Azam Khan Swati (Urdu: اعظم خان سواتی‬‎)
President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf KP
In office 4 December 2013 – 23 May 2015
Appointed by	Imran Khan
President	Javed Hashmi
Vice President	Ejaz Chaudhary Hamid Khan Asad Umar
Preceded by	Asad Qaiser
Constituency	Constituency NA-20
Federal Minister for Science and Technology
In office 2008 – 17 December 2011
President	Asif Ali Zardari
Prime Minister	Yousaf Raza Gillani
Succeeded by	Ishfaq Ahmad
Pakistani Senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 March 2018
In office 22 March 2003 – 17 December 2011
Personal details
Born	(1956-06-22) 22 June 1956
Political party	Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (2002–2011) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (2011–present)
Alma mater	University of Houston
Profession	Politician

Azam Khan Swati (Pashto: اعظم خان سواتی‎) (born 22 June 1956) is a Pakistani politician and a millionaire businessman who served as the Federal Minister for Science and Technology^[1] and member of Senate of Pakistan from 2006 to 2011. He is the elected Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Movement of Justice.^[2] Swati, during his stay in the United States, owned a chain of stores, was a member of Pakistani American Congress, played important role in high-profile charity events. He was born in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. He joined the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl party. Azam Khan Swati resigned from the Senate and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), on Saturday 17 December 2011, joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).^[3] Swati had pursued the Hajj corruption case in the Supreme Court relentlessly, which ultimately forced the government to sack former religious affairs minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi. In 2018 Senate election he was again elected as a senator on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ticket.^[4]

Early Life and Business

Azam Khan was born in Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Initially, he started his career as a practicing lawyer in Karachi but then left for the USA in 1978. In 1997 he established Pak-Oil Company and acquired a jobber-ship for Exxon, Chevron, Mobil, Shell and Diamond Shamrock. Besides fuel distribution and wholesale business he has handsome investments in real estate in the Beaumont-Golden Triangle area as well as in the bordering state of Louisiana.

During his stay in the United States, he keenly studied the American institutions and functioning of their democratic system. He felt the urge to help his country of origin by transferring the experience he had acquired in his adopted homeland America. He took along a burning desire to see American values of liberty, justice, the right to pursue happiness, civil liberties, rule of law, and due process transplanted in Pakistan. Thereafter he moved back to his home country of Pakistan 2001 and was elected as Mayor of District Mansehra.

Education

He has a degree of M.A. Economics & Political Science , LL.B, LL.M of International Law from University of Houston. Dr. of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law in 1990 and then passed Texas Bar and became Attorney-at-Law in Texas, USA.

Politics

Mr. Swati moved back to his home country of Pakistan in 2001 and got elected as a Mayor of District Mansehra. In 2003 after President Musharaf announced the Referendum, Mr. Swati voluntarily resigned from Mayorship and thereafter when the Senate election was announced, he was elected Senator with the highest number of votes as an Independent candidate. After getting elected he joined JUI-F. He took on to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl party. Mr. Swati was again elected for a second term in the Senate on the JUI ticket. Azam Khan Swati resigned from the Senate and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), on Saturday 17 December 2011, joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). After joining PTI he was elected Senior Vice President of PTI and lead the party historical Dharna by playing a pivotal role in making it successful. Due to his political contribution, Mr. Swati was nominated President of PTI for the province of KPK. In May 2015 he was awarded the PTI ticket for Senate and was for the 3rd time elected as Senator. Mr. Swati's biggest contribution was the establishment of Hazara University in his home District Mansehra along with standing against corruption on every level and through every forum in Pakistan. In fact, Mr. Swati is known to have made unprecedented sacrifices towards ending corruption in Pakistan. He was also the member of Standing Committee on Commerce, Functional Committee on Government Assurance, Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas, Standing Committee on Health, Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources, Committee on Information Technology, Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Standing Committee on Federal Education, Standing Committee on Food Security, Standing Committee on Legislation and Library Committee.

Assets

He is ostensibly one of the richest parliamentarians in the history of Pakistan in terms of wealth formally declared and taxed of $20.5m, with fellow PTI member Jehangir Khan Tareen also having a high official declared wealth. Swati's declared assets are:^[5]

• Rs 250m Abbottabad house
• Rs 0.45m another Abbottabad house;
• 10 plots worth Rs 12m in Bahria Town
• Rs 13 million of worth 8 plots in Top City
• Rs 11m four plots;
• Total current assets US$4.8m including personal banks accounts, note receivable etc.;
• US$15m worth fixed assets including real estate, 46% equity in Swati Enterprises and 100% equity in Swati Investment co.
• Other assets worth US$0.59m include household furniture, jewelry etc.
• His liabilities are US$5.2m.
• He is a taxpayer in the USA since 1979 and taxpayer in Pakistan as well. All of his assets worldwide are declared.

References