Honourable Sardar Ayaz Sadiq

SPEAKER, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF PAKISTAN
(MARCH 2024 – TO DATE)

Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan

•    (November 2015 – August 2018)
•    (June 2013 – August 2015)

Member National Assembly of Pakistan

•    (12th National Assembly - 2002-2007)
•    (13th National Assembly - 2008-2013)
•    (14th National Assembly - 2013-2015)
•    (14th National Assembly - 2015-2018)
•    (15th National Assembly - 2018-2023)
•    (16th National Assembly - 2024-2029)

Important Offices

•    Former Federal Minister for Economic and Political Affairs
•    Former Federal Minister for Law and Justice
•    Former President, Parliamentary Assembly of ECO Countries
•    Former Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on National Security
•    Former President, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
•    Former President, Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians
•    Former Convener, Pakistan-Russia Parliamentary Friendship Group
•    Former Chairman, Monitoring & Implementation sub-committee of PAC

Board Membership

•    President, Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS)
•    Former Governor, Board of Executive Directors for the Islamic Development Bank
•    Former Governor, Board of Governors of the World Bank Group
•    Former Governor, Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank
•    Former President, Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS)

Brief Summary

Honourable Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was sworn in as the 22nd Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan on March 1, 2024 having secured an impressive mandate with 199 votes. He etched his name in the annals of parliamentary history by achieving the remarkable distinction of being elected Speaker for the third time across two distinct terms.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq joins the illustrious company of revered predecessors, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Honourable Speakers Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan and Malik Miraj Khalid. Their legacies, marked by the unique honour of being elected to the office of Speaker twice, serve as shining beacons of parliamentary excellence. He is also the only Speaker to have been elected twice as Speaker during the same tenure of the Assembly.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq brings diverse experience and distinct grace to the office of the Speaker. His non-partisan conduct strengthens the respect of the Chair as he evenly commands the trust and respect of the Treasury as well as the Opposition. Beyond adeptly managing House affairs, his profound knowledge, gender-neutrality, subtle humor, and inherently graceful demeanor further distinguishes his speakership.

As Speaker, he initiated   several projects   to   reform   the   legislative   and administrative working of the House and the Secretariat through a long-term Strategic Plan. These included the establishment of the SDGs Secretariat, switching the Parliament building to Solar energy, digitization, strengthening of the committee system, robust parliamentary diplomacy, introduction of a strict merit-based hiring policy through competitive examination and the establishment of a human resource department etc.

During the last tenure, he served as the Federal Minister for Economic and Political Affairs in the Cabinet of Honourable Shehbaz Sharif, then Prime Minister of Pakistan from April 2022 to August 2023. Earlier, after he had assumed the office of the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs on 26th April 2022, he was assigned the additional duty to advise and assist the Prime Minister on political and parliamentary affairs on 16th May 2022. He was also allocated the portfolio of the Federal Minister of Law and Justice on the 31st October, 2022.

During the current term, he was elected as the Member National Assembly of Pakistan for the fifth consecutive time in the aftermath of February 2024 elections by securing 68,037 votes from NA-120 constituency in Lahore, Pakistan.

Family Background:

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was born on October 17, 1954, to a noted business family of Lahore, the provincial metropolis of the Punjab Province.  The family had settled there at the time of the country’s independence in 1947.

His father, Sheikh Muhammad Sadiq not only prided himself as a leading businessman of his times, but also  as  a  noted philanthropist  —  a  passion  equally  shared  by  his wife Begum Attiya Sadiq.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s grandfather, Sheikh Sardar Muhammad, a reformer of his times, is credited for establishing  the  first Muslim  Girls School  in Lahore by  the  name  of  Sheikh Sardar Girls High school.  Sheikh Sardar Muhammad was also elected as the city’s Deputy Mayor   in early   sixties.  The   elder   Sardar   Muhammad later   joined   the   struggle   of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, the   sister  of   the   founder  of  the   nation,  Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah,  against  the  then  military  dictator  Field Marshal  Ayub Khan and faced  arrests  and  the  wrath   of  the  military  regime.  In his memory, the family built  a charity eye hospital  “Sardar Trust Eye Hospital”  on 16th October, 1994, which continues to  serve the  needy  and  the  poor. The hospital is also one of the leading hospitals doing corneal transplants completely free of cost.

Mr. Ayaz Sadiq married Ms. Reema Ayaz in 1977, a widely read and dedicated social activist.  She is the daughter of Mr.  Justice (Rtd) Sardar Mohammad Iqbal, the learned Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court and Pakistan’s first Federal Ombudsman. The couple is blessed with a daughter and two sons.

Early Life and Education:

Hailing from a self-made, hard working business family, the emphasis and importance on education, based on high morals and ethics, was a sine qua non.  While Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was sent to the prestigious Atchison College Lahore, his mother ensured the child’s upbringing in a strict code   of moral, religious and   social values.   After his Senior Cambridge, he went to the noted Hailey College of Commerce, University of the Punjab, to complete his bachelor’s in commerce. He is remembered as an ardent Sportsman of his times being a member of the College Cricket and Hockey teams as well as being Lahore’s junior table tennis champion.

Political Career:

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq joined the family business after the completion of his studies, he also started taking  keen  interest  in the  social welfare  activities; a family legacy.  This enabled him to grasp the difficulties of the downtrodden, igniting a  passion  to  bring  social reforms  through political  activism.  He entered mainstream politics in 1997 and later joined Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on 1st February 2001.

His joining the PML-N marked the unconstitutional overthrow of the Government of the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a military coup, which led to his arduous journey of opposition. He remained steadfast in his chosen path and braved arrests and political victimizations.  He also worked diligently to organize the party at all levels as Member of the Central Executive Committee and the Central Finance Secretary of the PML-N.

In 2002, he made his debut to the Parliament by getting elected in both the National as well as the Provincial Assemblies from Lahore. He chose to take oath as a Member of the National Assembly and contributed as Member of the Standing Committees on Finance, Railway and Defence Production. He was among 19 legislators from his party in a House of 342.

In 2008, he successfully returned to  the  National Assembly for  a second  term  and  was elected  as  the  Chairman   of  the  Standing  Committee  on  Railways.  He also served as Member    of   the   all-powerful   Public   Accounts   Committee   and    the   Parliamentary Committee   on   Kashmir.   During   this   term, he   also   helped    the   then   Speaker   in materializing   the idea   of Parliamentary Friendship   Groups   by drafting   its rules.  His contributions as Convener of the  Pak-German  Parliamentary Friendship  Group  went  a long  way  in  building  a  strong  parliamentary relationship between  the  two  countries.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was elected to the Parliament for the third consecutive term  in 2013 by managing  a landslide victory.  He secured over ninety-three thousand votes.  In view of his contributions to the Party and the Parliament, he was nominated for the Office of the Speaker. He was elected to this Constitutional Office with an over two-third majority.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was elected as Member of the 15th National Assembly of Pakistan by securing over one hundred and three thousand votes in the aftermath of July 2018 elections from NA-129 Lahore for the fourth consecutive term since 2002. During the 14th National Assembly, he was reelected as the Speaker, National Assembly of Pakistan by securing 268 votes on 9th November 2015.  

Lately, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was elected as the Member of the 16th National Assembly of Pakistan for the fifth consecutive term in the aftermath of February 2024 elections after securing 68,037 votes from NA-120 constituency in Lahore, Pakistan.

Role As the Speaker:

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq brings diverse experience and distinct grace to the office of the Speaker. His non-partisan conduct strengthens the respect of the Chair as he evenly commands the trust and respect of the Treasury as well as the Opposition. Beyond adeptly managing House affairs, his profound knowledge, gender-neutrality, subtle humor, and inherently graceful demeanor further distinguishes his speakership.

As Speaker, he initiated   several projects   to   reform   the   legislative   and administrative working of the House and the Secretariat through a long-term Strategic Plan. These included the establishment of the SDGs Secretariat, switching the Parliament building to Solar energy, digitization, strengthening of the committee system, robust parliamentary diplomacy, introduction of a strict merit-based hiring policy through competitive examination and the establishment of a human resource department etc.

During his previous term as the Speaker, his exceptional leadership not only garnered admiration from all quarters but also earned him unequivocal confidence from Members of the Opposition, solidifying his role as a statesman of remarkable poise and sagacity. He fortified the institution of the Speaker and left an indelible mark as a steward of professional decorum and parliamentary excellence.

A key   initiative   of   Sardar Ayaz Sadiq as Speaker   had   been   the   formation of   a Parliamentary Task Force on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in wake of the post- Millennium   Development Goals (MDGs) agenda of the United Nations. This made Pakistan’s Parliament the first legislature in the world to take up the development agenda on high priority, which was cited as a “role model” by numerous forums, including the United Nations and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also devised a comprehensive long-term Strategic Plan for  the National Assembly. This was done to foster energy in all spheres of parliamentary development.

He is also instrumental in building closer links with the Academia to bring in qualitative research    facilities   for   the   Members.    It   was   through   his   personal    supervision    and encouragement that more than 53 leading  universities and  high institutes agreed  to introduce  Parliamentary  Studies  course   as  a  discipline  in  order   to   attract   qualified workforce as well  as to  promote better  understanding of  Parliament   and  its working among  the  youth.

Furthermore, being an ardent advocate of parliamentary supremacy, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq lays  special  emphasis  on  recreating   the  image  of  the  Parliament   as  an  institution among  the  young  minds.  Batches of young students are regularly invited to witness the proceedings of the House.  A sizeable number of young graduates have been offered internships to work in various branches of the National Assembly.

His prime emphasis on austerity and cost reduction led him to get an energy audit of the Parliament.  This helped   in bringing   in measures, which enabled saving the public exchequer.  The audit   also enabled them   to   look at alternative sources of energy production. The idea of shifting the energy needs of the Parliament on solar energy was thus   introduced.  The   Parliament of   Pakistan became    the   first 100% “Green Parliament” in the world. The Parliament is also the first institution in the country to have been issued the “Net Metering” license by NEPRA. With the help of the “Net Metering”, the surplus production of energy is added to the National Grid. In addition, Speaker’s house is the first ever government residence to have been allotted the Net Metering License.

In his constitutional position as Speaker, he performed the duties of Acting President of Pakistan  on  numerous occasions  in the  absence  of  the  President  and  the  Chairman Senate.

As Speaker, he presides over the House Business Advisory Committee comprising of representatives of all parliamentary parties and chalks out the business of the House. He also heads the Council of Chairmen of National Assembly Standing Committees.

In addition, he was also unanimously elected as the Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on National Security in April 2017.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq played an instrumental role on numerous occasions and served as a bridge between the Government and the Opposition to reach consensus on matters of national significance like establishment and extension of Military Courts, passage of Electoral Reforms bill, issue of Delimitation and the very important FATA Reforms which paved the way for merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Parliamentary Diplomacy:

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has long worked in building meaningful partnership with sister parliaments since his days as a Member of Opposition. As the author of the Rules of Parliamentary Friendship Groups (PFGs), he envisaged a clear roadmap for these vital organs to promote parliamentary diplomacy.

Consequently, soon after his election as Speaker, he reorganized and notified PFGs by appointing their dedicated Conveners. He takes personal interest in ensuring regular meetings  of these  groups,  tasking them  to  build  strong  and  purposeful relationship with the world  community.

In past, his keen interest at the  multilateral forums  was evident  from  his proactive participation in numerous  Inter  Parliamentary  Assemblies,  The  Commonwealth  Parliamentary Conference,  Association   of  South   Asian  Association   Regional   Cooperation  (SAARC) Speakers    and    Parliamentarians,   the    Asian   Parliamentary   Assembly    and    others.

He held importance offices including:

•    The President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)
•    The President   of the Parliamentary Assembly of the   Economic   Cooperation Organization Countries (PAECO)
•    The President of Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians

It was under   his leadership   that   Pakistan got the first ever opportunity to  host  the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in 2015.  However, he forgo CPA Presidency and pulled back from hosting  the  Conference as  no  compromise could  be  made   on Pakistan’s principled   stance  on  Kashmir  by  inviting  the  Indian  Occupied   Jammu   and Kashmir Assembly.

However, the pursuit  for  safe,  trustworthy and  mutually  respectful  neighborhood  has equally  been  very  dear  to  the  Honorable Speaker. The holding of  first ever  “SAARC Young Parliamentarians Conference (SYPC) on  Peace  and  Harmony for  Development” held  in Islamabad,  Pakistan in August 2016 is a manifestation of his belief to engage  in a constructive  dialogue.

Under his patronage, the National Assembly organized conferences to address issues of critical national importance for effective oversight. In this regard, National Parliamentary Meeting on Malnutrition of Mother & Child had been convened in February 2016.

The Parliament of Pakistan also hosted Two-Day International Parliamentary Seminar on Kashmir in January 2017 to condemn brutal human rights violations and delve upon the imperative issue of right to self-determination of the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir.

National Assembly also organized a conference on “Role of Women Parliamentarians in Strengthening Democracy and Social Justice” in March 2017, in which women parliamentarians from over 13 countries participated.
Under the leadership of Speaker, Parliament of Pakistan also organized the first Speaker’s Conference on “Challenges of Terrorism and Inter-Regional Connectivity” in December 2017 where China, Afghanistan, Turkey, Russian Federation and Iran participated. One of the landmark achievements of the Speakers’ Conference was inclusion in the Joint Declaration of long-outstanding issue of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

International Travels

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has widely travelled to various parts of the world in his capacity as a parliamentarian and now as the Speaker. He has led parliamentary delegations to numerous friendly countries as state and official guest. These include:

Saudi Arabia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Bahrain, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, The Maldives, The United Kingdom, Cameroon, Spain, Cuba,  Kuwait,  The United  Arab Emirates, Tajikistan, China, Qatar, Iran, Iraq, Romania, Turkey, Germany, Afghanistan and others.