Imran Ismail

Imran Ismail is a Pakistani businessman and politician who served as the 33rd governor of Sindh. He was born on 1 January 1966 in Karachi.

Early life and education

Ismail was born into the Delhi Punjabi Saudagaran community in Karachi. He completed his matriculation at Cantt Public School. Following this, he attended Government National College in Karachi for his undergraduate studies. He later pursued specialized training in leather and chemical technology. These studies took place at institutions located in Italy and the United States, where he focused on industrial production and applied sciences in materials.

Career

Ismail began his professional life in the business sector. He served as the Chairman of the Finance Committee for the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). Additionally, he was a member of the Managing Committee of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI). Through these roles, he supported various initiatives for commercial development.

His political journey started when he became a founding member of the PTI in 1996. He worked to build the party's organizational structure within Sindh. Ismail contested several elections but faced multiple defeats. In the 1997 Sindh provincial election, he ran for PS-93 Karachi East-III and received 1,302 votes. He lost that race to Waseem Akhtar of the Haq Parast Group (HPG). During the 2002 Pakistani General Election, he again contested PS-93 Karachi East-III. He earned 3,926 votes in that contest but was defeated by Hameed Ullah Khan of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal.

In April 2015, Ismail participated in a by-election for the National Assembly from constituency NA-246 (Karachi-VIII). He received 24,821 votes during this election. Although he lost to Kunwar Naveed Jamil, his political standing continued to grow. He was eventually elected to the Provincial Assembly of Sindh from constituency PS-111 in the 2018 Pakistani general election.

Ismail reached a high office when Imran Khan named him Governor of Sindh on 6 August 2018. The PTI formally nominated him for this position on 11 August 2018. He took his oath as a member of the Sindh Assembly on 13 August 2018. On that same day, he stated that the PTI intended to demolish the security walls surrounding Bilawal House. He was officially appointed as Governor of Sindh on 23 August 2018. This appointment led to criticism from academic experts. These critics argued that his status as an intermediate pass meant he lacked the necessary qualifications for a role that includes being the chancellor of state-run educational institutions.

He resigned from his seat in the Sindh Assembly on 27 August 2018 to assume his gubernatorial duties. Ismail held this position until 18 April 2022, when he resigned as Governor of Sindh. In 2022, he sustained injuries during an attempted assassination of Imran Khan.

Ismail later became a founding member of the IPP. He officially left the PTI in May 2023. Following the May 9 riots, he held a press conference on 27 May 2023 to announce his departure from the party. He condemned the violence and stated that the perpetrators should be punished.

Beyond politics, Ismail contributed to party media. He appeared in the 2017 PTI anthem "Rok Sako To Rok Lo Tabdeeli Aayi Re." This music video was released by Az Records and earned more than 27 million views on YouTube. Ismail wrote the specific line "Rok Sako To Rok Lo" for the track. He also featured in the 2022 song "Saray Niklo Pakistan Ke Liye."

Personal life

Ismail was born in Karachi to the Delhi Punjabi Saudagaran community. He remains a figure active in both business and political circles.