Gohar Ayub Khan

Gohar Ayub co-established an industrial firm under the business umbrella of Universal Insurance company Limited, founded by his father-in-law.[3] During a short span of time, Ayub Khan intensified pro-Western and pro-Capitalism policies, and Gohar Ayub emerged as a powerful business oligarch.[3] There is no evidence that suggests Gohar Ayub secured all these positions with the consent of his father.[3] In 1969, a Western commentator estimated Gohar Ayub's personal wealth at $4 million, while his family's wealth was put in the range of $10–20 million.[4]

Gohar Ayub reportedly played an influential, but controversial, role in Karachi after his father's election in the allegedly rigged 1965 Presidential election against Fatima Jinnah.[5] This move led to fierce clashes between rival political groups.[6][7][8][9] Gohar Ayub also faced criticism during that time on questions of family corruption and cronyism through his business links with his father-in-law.[5]

Gohar Ayub had been a long-standing member of the Pakistan Muslim League and was elected five times to the National Assembly from his home constituency. He first successfully contested a presidential election in March 1965 on a Muslim League platform. In 1977, he contested the National Assembly seat from Peshawar Jail and was elected on the ticket of Asghar Khan's Independence Movement party, defeating the candidate Akhtar Nawaz Khan of the Pakistan People's Party.

After successfully contesting the 1990 general election, Gohar Ayub was appointed as the 14th Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan on 4 November 1990, remaining until 1993. He was succeeded by Yousaf Raza Gillani (later Prime minister) after the 1993 general election. Gohar Ayub also served as senior vice-president of the Pakistan Muslim League from 1990 to 1993. After his re-election in 1993, Gohar Ayub became deputy leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.

After securing a heavy mandate from his constituency, Gohar Ayub was appointed as the 20th Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1997 by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Gohar Ayub publicly backed Prime Minister Sharif in authorizing a nuclear testing programme in response to India's nuclear test in May 1998.[10] Although the prime minister was much more subdued, Gohar Ayub reportedly issued hostile statements and began to call for atomic tests in response to India.[10] He prematurely issued media reports to the media, which reportedly displeased the prime minister.[10]

On 7 August 1998, Gohar Ayub was replaced by economic minister Sartaj Aziz (who put forth efforts to make peace between India and Pakistan), and was reassigned as Minister for Water and Power, a position he filled until he was ousted and forced to resign on 12 October 1999 as a result of a military coup commenced by General Pervez Musharraf.

Gohar Ayub's relationship with Nawaz Sharif eventually became strained, causing Gohar Ayub to leave the Pakistan Muslim League in 1999. Gohar Ayub defected to the Pakistan Muslim League's splinter group in 2001. He was appointed as the first secretary general of the party. Unable to contest the 2002 election because of a graduation degree restriction introduced by Pervez Musharraf, Gohar Ayub instead endorsed and provide vital support to his family. His younger son, Omar Ayub Khan, won his Haripur District seat, while his wife Zeb Gohar Ayub was elected MNA on the reserved women seats. To date, Gohar Ayub's strongest political opponent in his constituency has been former Chief Minister Raja Sikander Zaman.

Gohar Ayub Khan still serves as Chief Executive of Universal Insurance and is on the board of several other companies in his in laws the Khan Khattak family's corporation the Bibojee Group.[11]