Khawaja Saad Rafique

Khawaja Saad Rafique is a prominent Pakistani politician representing the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). He served as a Member of the National Assembly from October 2002 until August 2023. Throughout his career, he held several high-ranking positions, including the role of Federal Minister for Railways.

Early life and education

Rafique was born on 4 November 1962 in Lahore, Punjab. He belongs to the Punjabi Kashmiri community. His father, Khawaja Muhammad Rafique, was a renowned politician who served as the President of the Pakistan Ittehad Party. Tragically, his father was assassinated on 20 December 1972 near the Punjab Assembly. His mother, Begum Farhat Rafique, is an educationist and a politician who runs the Khwaja Mohammad Rafiq Memorial School.

Rafique began his academic journey at M.A.O. College. He transferred to the University of the Punjab in 1982. He earned a BA in Political Science in 1984. Later, he attained an MA in Political Science in 1986.

Career

His political journey started as a student leader for the Muslim Student Federation at M.A.O. College in the early 1980s. He later joined the PML-N. In the 1997 general elections, he was elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed him as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Youth Affairs. This tenure ended in 1999 following the coup by General Pervez Musharraf.

Rafique became a vocal opponent of the Musharraf dictatorship. He was arrested and imprisoned for participating in protests demanding the restoration of deposed judges. In the 2002 general elections, he secured his first seat in the National Assembly from constituency NA-119. He also served as the president of PML-N Punjab during this period.

In the 2008 general elections, he was re-elected from constituency NA-125. He briefly held the portfolios of Minister for Culture and Minister for Youth Affairs in the Gillani ministry. However, he resigned on 12 May 2008 to protest for judicial independence. He remained a key activist for the PML-N during the Musharraf era.

Rafique returned to the National Assembly for a third time after the 2013 elections. He was appointed Minister of Railways by Nawaz Sharif on 8 June 2013. Following the resignation of the Prime Minister in 2017, he lost his ministerial post. He later served as Minister for Railways again under Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. After the vote of no confidence against Imran Khan, he was appointed Railway Minister in Shehbaz Sharif's cabinet.

In the 2018 general elections, he was elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab from PP-168. Although he lost his National Assembly bid for NA-131 to Imran Khan, he won the seat back in a by-election on 14 October 2018. His tenure in the National Assembly eventually concluded following his defeat by Latif Khosa in the general election held on 8 February 2024.

Personal life

Rafique has two marriages. His first wife is Ghazala Saad Rafique, who has served as a member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab. They have two daughters and one son. In June 2018, he disclosed his second marriage to PTV host Shafaq Hira in his election nomination papers.

His brother, Khawaja Salman Rafique, is also a political figure. He has served as a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab and as the Provincial Minister for Health.