Raja Ashfaq Sarwar (Urdu: ; 27 October 1954 — 11 April 2020) was a Pakistani politician, Member of Punjab Assembly, former Adviser to Chief Minister of Punjab,Office of the CM of Punjab, "Advisory Council"Staff Reporter, "CM for ensuring all facilities to tourists" The Nation Newspaper Online 13 July 2010 and Minister for Labour and Human Resource.APP, "Nawaz, Shahbaz to become 3rd time PM, CM" The Business Recorder 3 June 2013 He was Secretary General of the center-right party PMLN in Punjab.Abdul Manan, PMLN-finalises-two-candidates-against-pm-ashraf/ "Next general election: PMLN finalises two candidates against PM Ashraf " Express Tribune 13 September 2012 He had held various portfolios over his career including Minister for Youth Affairs, Minister for Forestry Wildlife & Fisheries, and Minister for Health.
Early life and education Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, born at Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi, hails from the village of Ghora Gali in the Murree Hills and is the eldest son of Raja Ghulam Sarwar (late) a two-time member of West Pakistan Assembly."Political History of Murree" MurreeHills.com He attended Lawrence College.Staff Writer, "Raja Ashfaq Sarwar Profile" Pakistan Herald
Political career His political career started in 1988 when he successfully contested a Punjab Assembly seat from Murree as an Independent candidate. He joined PML (a part of IJI then) later becoming PMLN, and was appointed Provincial Labour Minister.
He successfully contested the same seat in 1990 and became the Punjab Minister for Forestry, Wildlife, Fisheries and Minister of Youth Affairs. Within the party he became President of PML Youth Wing Punjab where he appointed Khawaja Saad Rafique as general secretary. He was re-elected as an MPA in 1993 and 1997 where he became Provincial Minister for Health and Population Welfare up until the 1999 coup d'état by General Pervez Musharraf.
Following the Military Coup he took a break from his own elections to focus on strengthening PML N, and restoring Democracy and the Judiciary in Pakistan. During this period he was twice-elected as General Secretary of PMLN in Punjab and currently holds this position.Neem Rev, "Principles v Power – A test for the Pakistani Politician" The Emergency Times 20 January 2008 In 2008 he was appointed Adviser to Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif.
On 11 May 2013 he was again elected as Member of Punjab Assembly from his home constituency of PP-1 in Rawalpindi District, serving Tehsil Murree and Tehsil Kotli Sattian, however he lost the 2018 General Election to Major Latosab Satti, a candidate of PTI.Election Commission of Pakistan, "Punjab Assembly Results" Election of 11 May 2013
He died on 11 April 2020 at the age of 65 after a prolonged illness.
Election history
References
External links Profile of Raja Ashfaq Sarwar Political History of Murree Official PML-N Website