Babar Awan

Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Senator

Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians Zaheer-ud-din Babar Awan (born 27 January 1958) is the former Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs of Pakistan. He is also a senator in Pakistan's upper House of the Parliament, and a practicing lawyer and member of the Pakistan Peoples Party Central Executive Committee. Awan won the Senate election in 2006 unopposed. Awan was born in a village in Kahuta, near Islamabad.Early life and education Political career Awan was a student leader in his student life. He first joined the PML-Junejo of former Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo. In 1996, he joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). In 1997, Awan contested for the General Elections from Murree from the PPP, and remained unsuccessful. He ran again in the 2002 elections, this time from Islamabad, but was defeated again. In 2004, Benazir Bhutto appointed Awan as the finance secretary of the Pakistan People's Party. In 2006, Awan contested for the Senate election and was elected unopposed. Awan was present during the 19 October attack on Benazir Bhutto in Karachi, and then when Benazir Bhutto was killed in Rawalpindi. Awan was appointed the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs in November 2008. He was elevated as the Federal Law Minister in December 2009. He resigned along with the rest of the federal cabinet in early 2011, but was brought back less than 48 hours later. He was also given the Ministry of Information Technology. In 2011, he resigned as minister to plead in the Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto murder case. Popularity Awan first came to limelight in 1990s when soon after the second Benazir government was ousted, several leading Pakistan Peoples Party figures were implicated in corruption cases by their then rivals Nawaz Sharif Government. Many of the PPP leaders used Babar Awan as their legal advocate. He is a criminal lawyer but he also deals with politically-inspired corruption, corporate and financial cases. Awan did nearly 10 cases of Asif Ali Zardari, and Benazir Bhutto, along with Aitzaz Ahsan and Farooq H. Naek. He was arrested by the Nawaz Sharif government and was pressurized to leave the cases, when he did not bow to authority, his food was poisoned which luckily could not go down awan's throat. Awan's cousin was killed during a PPP political rally. Thus Awan became more involved politically in the Pakistan Peoples Party. Benazir Bhutto was impressed by Awan after seeing him in court making his arguments, and offered him to run in the 1997 elections. Awan was a friend of Bhutto's brother, Murtaza Bhutto. Since 1998, Awan's political career has had a meteoric rise. In 2007, he was present when Benazir Bhutto's return was announced in a press conference. He was the lawyer of Makhdoom Ameen Faheem in the 2007 Presidential Elections. He is highly praised by most impartial political and social figures due to his impressive skills as an orater. Links with other political parties The PPP has used Awan for dialogue with other political parties. Awan is highly supported in his Awan tribe. His political base lies in his hometown. Awan's elder brother was also a worker of the Pakistan People's Party. His another brother is a worker of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Punjab. Awan is the uncle of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz leader Malik Shakeel Awan. Controversies Haris Steel case In November 2009, National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan summoned Awan after he was accused for getting bribes from the owners of the Haris Steel Mill in order to get a favorable verdict from the court. Awan was reported to have said that he had taken professional fee only and objectors were welcome to pursue any complaint in any professional body. In 2011, Sheikh Afzal, the owner of Haris Steel Mill, stated that he has been pressurized by the Punjab Government to issue a statement against Awan. Fake degree accusation In November 2008, Awan was accused of holding a degree that was awarded by an institution that was shut down. The university, Monticello University of Hawaii, was shut down in 1997. It had reportedly fooled thousands of students to take money. Awan insisted that he had attained his degree in 2000, and had no idea at the time that the institution was a diploma mill. Benazir Bhutto murder case His name was highlighted in April 2010 after a United Nations investigation report into the murder of Benazir Bhutto, but his name was dropped due to lack of evidence. This was surprising for Awan and other PPP members who had reportedly heard Benazir say that Awan was her "brother".