Khawaja Saad Rafique, born on November 4, 1962, is a Pakistani politician affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). He held the position of a National Assembly member from October 2018 until August 2023, concurrently serving as the federal minister for Railways.
Rafique’s political career includes significant roles in various ministries. He served as the Minister for Railways in the Abbasi cabinet from August 2017 to May 2018 and held the same portfolio in Sharif’s third ministry from 2013 to 2017. Additionally, during the Gillani ministry in 2008, he briefly assumed the roles of Minister for Culture and Minister for Youth Affairs.
His tenure as a member of the National Assembly spans from 2002 to May 2018. Furthermore, Rafique served as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Youth Affairs from 1997 to 1999 under Sharif’s second ministry.
Early Life and Education
Rafique, born on November 4, 1962, in Lahore, Pakistan, is the son of Khawaja Mohammad Rafiq and Begum Farhat Rafique.
His father initially migrated from Kashmir to Amritsar before settling in Lahore, where he became a small-time businessman and a politician. He played a significant role in the Pakistan Movement and later founded his own party, the Pakistan Ittehad Party. Khawaja Mohammad Rafiq became an opposition leader, actively criticizing the Pakistan People’s Party and its leader, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Unfortunately, on December 20, 1972, while observing a Black Day alongside Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan’s Tehreek-e-Istiqlal, Khawaja Mohammad Rafiq was shot dead, allegedly by members of the PPP. The family attributed the crime to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Rafique’s mother, a politician and qualified educationist, manages the Khwaja Mohammad Rafiq Memorial School and is involved in various social welfare groups.
Rafique initiated his education at M.A.O. College and later transferred to Punjab University in 1982. He successfully graduated with a BA in Political Science in 1984 and subsequently earned an MA in Political Science in 1986.
Political Career
Early Political Involvement and PML-N Affiliation (1980s):
Khawaja Saad Rafique initiated his political journey in the early 1980s as a student leader representing the Muslim Student Federation at MAO College Lahore. Subsequently, he joined the ranks of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) later on.
Entry into Provincial Assembly (1997):
In the 1997 Pakistani general elections, Rafique contested on the PML-N’s ticket and secured a seat in the Provincial Assembly of Punjab for the first time. His capabilities were acknowledged when he was appointed Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Youth Affairs by then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. However, his tenure was abruptly terminated by General Pervez Musharraf following the 1999. During this tumultuous period, Rafique stood among the PML-N leaders who confronted Musharraf in the absence of Nawaz Sharif.
National Assembly Membership and PML-N Presidency (2002):
In the 2002 Pakistani general elections, Khawaja Saad Rafique was elected as a member of the National Assembly from Constituency NA-119 for the first time. Concurrently, he served as the president of PML-N Punjab during this period.
Re-election and Ministerial Role (2008):
In the 2008 Pakistani general elections, Rafique secured his second term as a member of the National Assembly from Constituency NA-125. Subsequently, he was appointed as the Minister for Culture and Minister for Youth Affairs in the Gillani ministry. However, in line with PML-N’s involvement in leading the Lawyer’s movement to restore the judiciary, Rafique resigned from his ministerial positions.
Khawaja Saad Rafique, a resilient politician, faced arrest and imprisonment for advocating the removal of Musharraf. Alongside party colleagues and lawyers, he actively participated in street protests, demanding Musharraf’s resignation and the reinstatement of deposed judges, resulting in his incarceration for engaging in protests marked by unrest and violence. Notably, Rafique played a pivotal role in sustaining the PML-N during the Musharraf government, demonstrating his commitment to the party’s cause.
In the 2013 Pakistani general election, Rafique secured his third term as a member of the National Assembly. His wife, Ghazala Saad, also received the PML-N ticket. Subsequently, he was appointed as the Minister of Railways by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in June 2013, a position he held until July 2017.
After the federal cabinet dissolution following Nawaz Sharif’s resignation due to the Panama Papers case, Rafique was once again appointed Minister for Railways in Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s cabinet. However, his tenure ended with the dissolution of the National Assembly in May 2018.
In the 2018 Pakistani general election, Rafique was re-elected to the Provincial Assembly of Punjab from Constituency PP-168 (Lahore-XXV). Although he contested for the National Assembly seat from Constituency NA-131 (Lahore-IX) and faced defeat against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Rafique later secured victory in the by-election held on October 14, 2018, for the same constituency.
Following the no-confidence vote that led to the removal of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Khawaja Saad Rafique assumed the role of Railway Minister in Shehbaz Sharif’s Cabinet. His political journey has been marked by resilience and active involvement in various capacities within the political landscape of Pakistan.
Family
Khawaja Saad Rafique’s personal life has seen two marriages. His first wife, Ghazala Saad Rafique, was a member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab. From this marriage, he has two daughters and one son. Additionally, his brother, Khawaja Salman Rafique, has been a member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab and held the position of Provincial Minister for Health.
In April 2017, reports surfaced about Rafique’s secret marriage to Shafaq Hira, a PTV host, conducted without the consent of his first wife, Ghazala. Subsequently, in June 2018, Rafique officially disclosed his second marriage to Shafaq Hira in his nomination papers for the 2018 general election. This aspect of his personal life drew attention and became a topic of public discussion.