Tariq Bashir Cheema

Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema (Punjabi, Urdu: چوہدری طارق بشیر چیما) is a Pakistani politician who is serving as the Secretary General of the PML-Q since 2003.[2] He had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 till August 2023 and from June 2013 till May 2018. He served as the Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research.

Tariq Bashir Cheema
طارق بشیر چیمہ
Federal Minister for Ministry of National Food Security & Research
In office
19 April 2022 – 10 August 2023
PresidentArif Alvi
Prime MinisterShahbaz Sharif
Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions
In office
20 August 2018 – 6 September 2018
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterImran Khan
Preceded byRoshan Khursheed Bharucha (caretaker)
Succeeded byShehryar Khan Afridi (Minister of State)
Chairman Standing Committee on Science and Technology
In office
2013–2018
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
13 August 2018 – 10 August 2023
ConstituencyNA-172 (Bahawalpur-III)
In office
1 June 2013 – 31 May 2018
ConstituencyNA-187 (Bahawalpur-V)
Mayor of Bahawalpur
In office
2005–2010
In office
2001–2005
Provincial Minister of Punjab for Food
In office
1993–1996
Provincial Minister of Punjab for Agriculture
In office
1993–1996
Member of Provincial Assembly of Punjab
In office
1993–1996
ConstituencyPP-221 (Bahawalpur-IV)
Secretary General of Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
In office
2003 – 28 July 2022
Federal Minister for Housing and Works
In office
6 September 2018 – 28 March 2022
PresidentArif Alvi
Prime MinisterImran Khan
DeputyShabbir Ali Qureshi
Personal details
Born (1958-11-11) November 11, 1958[1]
NationalityPakistani
Political partyPakistan Muslim League (Q) (2003-present)
Other political
affiliations		Pakistan People's Party 1980 - 2002
RelationsTahir Bashir Cheema (brother)
Alma materGovernment High School Sajawal Wala

Education

He holds a Higher Secondary School Certificate.[3]

Political career

Cheema began his political career as an activist for the student wing of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in 1980 at the Government High School Shahi Wala.[4]

In 2004, DAWN reported that Cheema was a suspected member of Al-Zulfiqar which, according to the claim of the then Zia regime, was a terrorist organization formed by Murtaza and Shahnawaz Bhutto to avenge the execution of their late father. He was sent to Lahore Central Jail for being accused in various cases. He was released on the demand of militants involved in the 1981 Pakistan International Airlines hijacking as a trade-off to rescue the passengers of the plane. He later moved to Afghanistan.[4]

DAWN also reported that Cheema later returned to Pakistan for a brief time but again left Pakistan as there were a number of cases against him on terrorism charges.[4] Cheema remained outside Pakistan until 1989 and he returned when all the cases against him were withdrawn by the then government of the PPP. After his return, he took part in Bahawalpur politics on the platform of the PPP.[4]

He first ran for the seat of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab as a candidate of Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDA) from Constituency PP-221 (Bahawalpur-IV) in the 1990 general elections but was unsuccessful.[4] He received 27,904 votes and lost the seat to Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, a candidate of Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI).[5]

He was elected to the Provincial Assembly of Punjab as a candidate of PPP from Constituency PP-221 (Bahawalpur-IV) in 1993 general elections. He received 45,684 votes and defeated Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N).[5] During his tenure as Member of the Punjab Assembly, he served as Provincial Minister of Punjab for Food and Agriculture.[4]

He ran for the seat of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab as a candidate of PPP from Constituency PP-221 (Bahawalpur-IV) in 1997 general elections but was unsuccessful.[4] He received 32,727 votes and lost the seat to Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, a candidate of PML-N.[5]

In 2001, he became the District Nazim (District Mayor) of Bahawalpur after defeating the Abbasi Nawab family of Bahawalpur[4][6][7] and was elected for a second straight time in 2005.[8]

In 2003, he was removed from the post of divisional president of PPP on the orders of Benazir Bhutto after Cheema was found supporting the PML-Q candidate instead of PPP.[9] In 2003, he left PPP to join Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) due to the growing differences between him and the PPP.[10]

He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of PML-Q from Constituency NA-187 (Bahawalpur-V) in 2013 Pakistani general election.[11][12][13][14] He received 92,972 votes and defeated Saud Majeed. In the same election, he also ran for the seat of the National Assembly from Constituency NA-186 (Bahawalpur-IV) as a candidate of PML-Q but was unsuccessful. He received 61,403 votes and lost the seat to Riaz Hussain Pirzada.[15] During his tenure as Member of the National Assembly, he became the chairperson of National Assembly's Standing Committee on Science and Technology.[7][16]

In 2016, Punjab Police booked Cheema along with others on the charge of violating Section 144.[17] In 2017, he was appointed as the Secretary General of PML-Q.[7]

He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PML-Q from Constituency NA-172 (Bahawalpur-III) in 2018 Pakistani general election.[18]

On 18 August, Imran Khan formally announced his federal cabinet structure and Cheema was named as Minister for States and Frontier Regions.[19] On 20 August 2018, he was sworn in as Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions in the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan.[20] He expressed reservations over being given the ministerial portfolio of Ministry of States and Frontier Regions. On 6 September 2018, his ministerial portfolio was changed from Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions to Federal Minister for Housing and Works.[21][22]

On 28 March 2022, he resigned from the cabinet ministry of Housing and Works.[23]

Family

Cheema belongs to a political family from Bahawalpur.[7] He is the elder brother of Tahir Bashir Cheema, who is an MNA from Bahawalnagar.[24]

References
  1. Letter of Authority
  2. "PML-Q Fires Ch Shujat, Cheema As Rift Widens Within Party". 29 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  3. "PhD, MSc degree holders in Federal and Provincial cabinets of PTI government". Dunya News. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  4. "Why Cheema ditched PPP". DAWN.COM. 11 March 2004. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  5. "Punjab Assembly election result 1988-97" (PDF). ECP. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  6. "Langah's PPP ticket stirs controversy". DAWN.COM. 31 December 2002. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  7. "Bashir Cheema new PML-Q Secretary General". www.thenews.com.pk. 3 January 2017. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  8. "New district nazims — group affiliation". DAWN.COM. 8 October 2005. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  9. "Tariq Cheema replaced". Dawn. 11 January 2003. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  10. "3 PPP lawmakers quit party". Dawn. 11 March 2004. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  11. "Q winners thankful to Nawab Abbasi". The Nation. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  12. "Q intra-party polls after Eid". The Nation. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  13. "All parties claim BNAP support to woo voters". The Nation. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  14. "Chaudhrys set to revive PML-Q from 31st". The Nation. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  15. "2013 election result" (PDF). ECP. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  16. "DailyTimes | Tariq Bashir in, Mushahid Hussain 'out'". dailytimes.com.pk. 3 January 2017. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  17. "PML-Q MNA, others booked under Section 144". The News. 1 November 2016. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  18. "Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema of PML-Q wins NA-172 election". Associated Press Of Pakistan. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  19. "PM Imran Khan finalises names of 21-member cabinet". DAWN.COM. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  20. "16 ministers from PM Imran Khan's cabinet sworn in". DAWN.COM. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  21. "Federal minister Tariq Bashir Cheema's portfolio changed". Geo News. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  22. "PM Imran re-designates PML-Q Federal Minister Bashir Cheema". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  23. Waqas, Faisal (2022-03-28). "Tariq Bashir Cheema resigns from cabinet". GNN - Pakistan's Largest News Portal. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  24. "Lobbying for ruling party ticket: Papers for NA-190 accepted". DAWN. 20 March 2004. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
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