Humayun Akhtar Khan

Humayun Akhtar Khan
Federal Minister for Trade and Commerce
In office 23 November 2002 – 15 November 2007
Preceded by	Ishaq Dar
Succeeded by	Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
Member of the National Assembly for Constituency NA-125 (Now NA-131)
In office 23 November 2002 – 15 November 2007
Preceded by	Mian Abdul Waheed
Succeeded by	Khawaja Saad Rafique
Chairman Board of Investment
In office 30 July 1997 – 12 October 1999
Preceded by	Asif Ali Zardari
Succeeded by	Abdul Hafeez Shaikh
Member of the National Assembly for Constituency NA-150 (Now NA-178)
In office 1 April 1997 – 12 October 1999
Preceded by	Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood
Succeeded by	Jahangir Khan Tareen
Member of the National Assembly for Constituency NA-93 (Now NA-131 and NA-129)
In office 19 October 1993 – 5 November 1996
Preceded by	Aitzaz Ahsan
Succeeded by	Mian Abdul Waheed
Member of the National Assembly for Constituency NA-92 (Now NA-123 and NA-127)
In office 6 November 1990 – 18 July 1993
Preceded by	Muhammad Hussain Ansari
Succeeded by	Nawaz Sharif
Personal details
Born	(1955-04-01) 1 April 1955
Political party	Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Parent	Akhtar Abdur Rahman (father)
Relatives	Haroon Akhtar Khan (brother) Jahangir Khan Tareen (cousin)
Alma mater	Government College University University of Manitoba
Website	www.humayunakhtarkhan.com www.tsmlgroup.com www.ipr.org.pk www.facebook.com/HumayunAkhtarKhanOfficial/

Humayun Akhtar Khan is a Pakistani politician and business tycoon. He has been elected as a member of the National Assembly four consecutive times between 1990–2007, having served as Federal Minister for Trade and Commerce from 2002–2007 and as Chairman Board of Investment from 1997–1999. His father General Akhtar Abdur Rehman headed the ISI from 1979–1987, eventually going on to become Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Armed Forces, while his brother Senator Haroon Akhtar Khan served as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue from 2015-2018. Humayun is the Founder and Chairman of the Institute for Policy Reform and along with his brothers owns one of the largest conglomerates in Pakistan, comprising Tandlianwala Sugar Mills, Superior Textile Mill, and Lotte Akhtar Beverages (PepsiCo Franchise).

Bildung

Humayun Akhtar received his primary education from Army Burn Hall College, Abbottabad and his secondary education form St. Mary's Academy, Rawalpindi. He attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from Government College University, Lahore and later traveled to Canada where he attained a Master of Science Degree in Actuarial Science and Business Mathematics from University of Manitoba. He is a fellow of the USA Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, the highest professional designations required to become an Actuary. After completing his studies, Humayun worked for an Actuarial Consulting Company called Sobeco in Winnipeg and Toronto from 1981–1987.

Business

Lotte Akhtar Beverages

Humayun along with his brothers decided to move back to Pakistan in 1988 after the death of their father. The Akhtar brothers along with their cousin Jahangir Khan Tareen and his brother in law Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood together bought Riaz Bottlers (Bottling and Distribution Franchise for PepsiCo beverages in Pakistan) from former Chief Minister of Punjab Sadiq Hussain Qureshi. The consortium managed to turn around the fortunes of Riaz Bottlers from bankruptcy to being the standout company in the beverage industry with key sponsorship deals such as that with the Pakistan Cricket Team and a vast portfolio of beverages including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, 7-Up, Aquafina, Mirinda, Slice, Sting. In 2018, South Korean chaebol Lotte Chilsung acquired a controlling stake in Riaz Bottlers (now known as Lotte Akhtar Beverages) although the Akhtar brothers maintain a significant minority share and are Lotte's strategic partner in Pakistan.

Tandlianwala Sugar Mills

After years of unprecedented success in the beverage industry, the Akhtar brothers entered the sugar industry and later expanded into production of its downstream products such as ethanol and carbon dioxide. Today, Tandlianwala Sugar Mills is the second largest publicly listed producer of sugar and its allied products on the Pakistan Stock Exchange in terms of revenue, market capitalization, production, and capacity while it is also the largest exporter of ethanol in the country, comprising 17% of Pakistan's total ethanol exports. The group includes three sugar mills in Tandlianwala, Muzaffargarh, and Dera Ismail Khan with a combined crushing capacity of 41,000 Tons of Cane per day (Annual Production of 400,000 M. Tons); two ethanol distilleries in Tandlianwala and Muzaffargarh with production capacity of 255,000 liters per day (Annual Production of 84 Million Liters), and a Carbon Dioxide Recovery plant with capacity of 48 Tons Per Day (Annual Production of 16,000 Tons).

Think Tank

In March 2014, the Akhtar Brothers founded a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank called the Institute for Policy Reform which regularly publishes research reports, analysis, briefs, and fact sheets on key public policy issues concerning Pakistan with a particular focus on economic policy, national security, and international relations. IPR's Board of Advisors includes prominent personalities from various fields of Pakistani society including Diplomats, Lawyers, Legislators, Academic Scholars, Corporate Executives, Military Officers, and Bureaucrats.

Politics

Entry into Politics (1988-1990)

Shortly after the assassination of his father General Akhtar Abdur Rahman in the plane crash which also killed President of Pakistan General Zia-ul-Haq, Humayun joined the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, a coalition of conservative Pro-Zia / Anti-Bhutto parties headed by Nawaz Sharif. He decided not to contest the 1988 General Election as he was busy establishing businesses at the time but actively campaigned for the party in Lahore which helped him make a name in his constituency and eventually get a ticket in the next election.

Stint as Chairman Board of Investment (1997-1999)

In 1997, new elections were called for after the ouster of Benazir Bhutto's government. Despite defeating PPP heavyweights from tough constituencies in the last two elections and carrying out several development projects, Humayun was given a PML (N) ticket to contest from NA-150 in Rahimyar Khan instead of Lahore. However, with the help of his friend and business partner Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood who is very influential in Rahimyar Khan, Humayun managed to win the election and was then appointed Chairman Pakistan Board of Investment with the status of Minister of State in the government headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Only one month after he was asked to head the Board of Investment, Humayun presented a new investment policy aimed at utilizing investor potential in the Pakistani market. The policy was very well received in the international investor community, and has often been cited as the best among developing countries. It served the purpose of opening Pakistan to foreign investors, which eventually led to billions of dollars worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) coming into Pakistan. It also rendered Humayun worthy of the respect of investor circles both in Pakistan and abroad. His interpersonal skills were vital to successful networking, and proved central to his efforts towards enhancing Pakistan's trade outreach and enabling the country to escape growing international isolation while bolstering trade simultaneously.

Formation of PML-Q (1999-2002)

After the military coup in 1999 in which Nawaz Sharif was overthrown by General Pervez Musharraf, Humayun Akhtar along with many of Nawaz Sharifs close aides were under house arrest for months. For two years the National Accountability Bureau launched thorough investigations against Humayun's family and placed him on the Exit Control List. After being cleared of all allegations leveled against him, Humayun resumed his political career in 2001. In 2002, General Pervez Musharraf who by then had also become the President of Pakistan promised that there would be General Elections in October. Because Nawaz Sharif had been exiled to Saudi Arabia and the military establishment gave the impression that he was gone for good, many of his most prominent party leaders including Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Ijaz-ul-Haq, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad, Mian Azhar and Humayun Akhtar Khan formed a new party called Pakistan Muslim League- Quaid-e-Azam. Humayun contested from constituency NA-125 which was in fact part of what was once called NA-93, the constituency he won from in 1993. This time his main opponents were Akram Zaki of PML (N) and Naveed Chaudhry of PPP. Although many political analysts believed that it would be a one sided affair in favor of Humayun who was very popular in this constituency, it turned out to be a very tough election as the Muslim Leagues vote was split and Humayun won by an extremely narrow margin of around 1,000 votes. The runner-up Akram Zaki claimed victory and stated that the result had been rigged in favor of the PML-Q candidate. Zaki took the result to the Lahore High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan but after a recount it was concluded that Humayun had won fair and square. He was then sworn in as the Commerce Minister in a cabinet led by Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

Prime Ministerial Candidacy (2002-2004)

In 2002 when PML (Q) was forming its government, Humayun Akhtar was one of the candidates considered for the post of Prime Minister. However, President Musharraf and the PML-Q eventually decided to choose the Prime Minister from one of the smaller provinces and hence gave the honor to Zafarullah Khan Jamali of Balochistan. By early 2004, it was clear that Jamali had fallen out of favor with President Musharraf and his own party members. Jamali did not support Musharraf's decision to keep on his uniform amongst other things while Musharraf was fed up of Jamali's incompetence and poor governance. By May 2004, the party decided to sack Jamali and in his place a number of potential candidates were listed. After many high level consultations between the President and his close political and military aides, it was decided that Humayun was the best choice to lead the nation. Although Humayun had strong backing of the Pakistan Army and the ISI as many of the top generals had served under his father who led these institutions in the 1980s, his own party leaders the Chaudhrys of Gujrat proved to be the last hurdle in his nomination as they fought tooth and nail to ensure that he does not become the next Prime Minister. Party President Chaudhry Shujaat went to the extent of asking Musharraf to delay the announcement of the new Prime Minister by three weeks till the budget session concludes. Many political analysts believe that the main reason behind the delay was to postpone Humayun's candidacy as the Chaudhry's felt that he had intentions of hijacking the party from them and as a result threatening Pervaiz Elahi's own political ambitions of eventually becoming Prime Minister after the next election. Eventually Musharraf adhered to the pressure and the only other viable option for Musharraf was Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz who was a Senator, not a Member of Parliament. Eventually, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was made interim Prime Minister for two months and it was decided that Shaukat Aziz would contest an election for the national assembly via by-election. Shortly after contesting and winning the by-election, Shaukat Aziz replaced Chaudhry Shujaat as Prime Minister.

2008 General Election and it's Aftermath (2008-2012)

After the PML-Q completed its five-year term in power, general elections were announced. Following the Lal Masjid incident and the sacking of all the supreme court judges via the PCO, President Musharraf was under intense pressure to shed his uniform and contest his third term as president as a civilian rather. After winning his presidential election, Musharraf shed his uniform and allowed opposition leaders Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto to return to Pakistan and contest the upcoming elections. Despite all this, many analysts still believed that the PML (Q) had a chance to be in power once again due to rapid economic growth and development that took place during its tenure. In Humayun's own Lahore constituency NA-125 and neighboring NA-124, unprecedented levels of development projects took place with a total of Rs. 500 Million spent in NA-125 and Rs. 750 Million spent in NA-124. Therefore, the party decided that Humayun would be its candidate for both constituencies in the 2008 election, considering that the previous PML-Q candidate had been defeated last time and defected to PML-N while Humayun had won from the area in 1993 when both NA-125 and NA-124 were part of NA-93. However, after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the tables turned as her husband Asif Ali Zardari defamed the PML (Q) by blaming its leadership for conspiring to kill his wife. On the election day, Musharraf's most prominent allies including Humayun Akhtar suffered heavy defeats from their respective constituencies. This was the first time in his political career that Humayun was defeated. Tellingly, 23 out of 27 members of the former federal cabinet lost their seats as the Pakistan Peoples Party came to power while Nawaz Sharif's party gained control of Punjab. Musharraf's unpopularity due to a series of costly political decisions and an unexpected turn of events ensured that the PML (Q) suffered a heavy defeat in the 2008 general elections. Shortly after Musharraf's resignation from the presidency the party began to disintegrate particularly when an opportunity to reunite Muslim League factions was lost as the Chaudhry's of Gujrat decided to support PPP instead of PML (N) after Governor's Rule was imposed in Punjab in February 2009 in the hopes of making Moonis Elahi the Chief Minister while later in the year they refused to let go of their grip on the party by changing the parties election commission shortly before the party elections to ensure their grip on the party, disillusioning many party stalwarts who went on to create a Likeminded group in the party. In 2011, the Chaudhry brothers decided to join PPP in the federal government while the Likeminded group decided support PML (N) in the Punjab Assembly, National Assembly, and Senate. Additionally, with the emergence of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf towards the end of 2011 several remaining PML (Q) members jumped ship, leaving what was once known as the Kings party in disarray.

Alliance with PML-N (2012-2013)

In May 2012 the Likeminded Group formed an alliance with the PML (N) in a bid to unite all Muslim League factions under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, with the aim of defeating the PTI and the ruling coalition of PPP and PML (Q) in the upcoming general elections. According to the seat adjustment formula that would accommodate several leaders of the Likeminded Group, Humayun was to be awarded a PML (N) ticket from NA-124 Lahore instead of NA-125 while his brother Haroon Akhtar was to be awarded a PML (N) senate seat in the 2015 senate elections. However, days before the election tickets were finalized, PML (N) violated the agreement it signed in 2012 and Humayun did not receive a PML (N) ticket from either of the two constituencies although his brother Haroon was accommodated in June 2015 as a Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue and was elected as a Senator on a PML (N) ticket in the 2018 Senate Election. While Humayun has been out of the public eye over the past five years, he has been spearheading new joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions for his family businesses.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (2018-Present)

In July 2018, Humayun Akhtar joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Having served as a Member of the National Assembly several times from all of the areas comprising NA-131, he led PTI Chairman Imran Khan's campaign in the constituency and played an integral role in helping him defeat Khawaja Saad Rafique by a narrow margin of over 600 votes. After Imran Khan decided to keep his MNA seat from Mianwali, Humayun Akhtar was declared PTI's candidate for the by-election from NA-131.