Ayaz Sadiq

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq is a Pakistani politician and businessman who serves as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. He holds this position in the lower house of the federal parliament since March 2024. As a senior member of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), he has maintained a continuous presence in the National Assembly through every election since 2002.

Early life and education

Sadiq was born on 17 October 1954 in Lahore to a Kashmiri Shaikh family. His father, Sheikh Muhammad Sadiq, worked as a businessman while his mother, Attiya Sadiq, served as a social worker and philanthropist. He comes from a lineage of influential local figures—his grandfather, Sheikh Sardar Muhammad, served as the Deputy Mayor of Lahore and acted as a political activist close to Fatima Jinnah.

He attended Aitchison College in Lahore for his schooling. His classmates at the institution included notable figures such as Imran Khan and Pervaiz Khattak. After completing his Senior Cambridge studies, Sadiq earned a degree in commerce from Hailey College of Punjab University in 1975. During his college years, he represented his institution in both hockey and cricket. He also held the title of Lahore’s junior table tennis champion.

Career

Sadiq began his political journey in the mid-1990s as a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He was a close friend of the PTI chairman, Imran Khan, during this period. In the 1997 Pakistani general election, Sadiq ran for the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab from constituency PP-121 Lahore. He received 4,541 votes but lost the seat to the Pakistan Muslim League (N).

He left PTI in 1998 due to differences with Imran Khan and joined the PML (N) in 2001. In the 2002 general election, Sadiq was elected to the National Assembly from constituency NA-122 (Lahore-V) by defeating Imran Khan. He claimed this victory was significant because Nawaz Sharif was in exile and Pervez Musharraf held power. During this tenure, he served on the Standing Committees for Railways, Finance, and Defence Production.

Sadiq secured re-election in 2008 from the same constituency. While serving as a member of the National Assembly, he became the chairman of the Standing Committee on Railways. He won his third term in the 2013 general election and was elected Speaker of the National Assembly in June 2013. Although Imran Khan alleged rigging in his constituency, the Election Commission of Pakistan ordered a re-poll. Sadiq retained his seat in an October 2015 by-election and was subsequently re-elected as Speaker for a second time.

He was elected to the National Assembly again in the 2018 general election from constituency NA-129 (Lahore-VII). On 15 August 2018, Asad Qaiser replaced him as the speaker. In April 2022, he oversaw the voting on the motion of no-confidence against Imran Khan. The following day, he managed the voting for the election of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Personal life

Sadiq married Reema Ayaz in 1977. His wife is the daughter of Sardar Muhammad Iqbal, who served as the First Ombudsman of Pakistan and Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court. The couple has one daughter and two sons.

As a businessman, Sadiq is involved with Sardar Chemical Industries Limited. This company was established as a private firm in 1989 and began production in 1993. It became a public limited company on the Pakistan Stock Exchange in 1994. The firm manufactures reactive dyes, acid dyes, and optical brighteners for the textile and leather industries.

He also engages in philanthropic work through the Sardar Trust Eye Hospital. This non-profit facility was established in Lahore in 1994 by Sadiq and his family members. His grandfather previously founded the Sheikh Sardar Muhammad Girls High School in Lahore to encourage women's education. That school was eventually nationalised.