Muhammad Azam Khan

Swati Swati may refer to Films * ''Swati'' (1984 film), a Telugu film * ''Swati'' (1986 film), a 1986 Bollywood romantic drama film * '' Swati Mutyam'', a 1986 Telugu-language drama film written, directed by K. Viswanath * '' Swati Kiranam'', a 1992 ...

(

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

Pashto Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...

: محمد اعظم خان سواتی; born 22 June 1956) is a

Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...

politician and businessman who served as the Minister of Narcotics Control and

Railways Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to roa ...

from 2020 to 2022. He is the elected senior vice president of the

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is a political party in Pakistan established in 1996 by cricketer and politician Imran Khan, who served as the country's prime minister from 2018 to 2022. The party is led by Gohar Ali Khan since late 2023. ...

. He belongs to the

Swati tribe Swatis () are people inhabiting the Hazara division in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Of Dardic origins, Swatis originally spoke Dardic languages such as Gibri and Yadri and were native inhabitants of Swat valley. They were Pash ...

Mansehra Mansehra (Urdu, ) is a city in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. By population, it is the List of largest cities in Pakistan, 71st largest city in the country and the List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, ...

. Early in his life, Swati had moved to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

to escape political victimization by

Zia-ul-Haq Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (12 August 192417 August 1988) was a Pakistani military officer and statesman who served as the sixth president of Pakistan from 1978 until his death in an airplane crash in 1988. He also served as the second chief of ...

because of his democratic activism, where owned a chain of stores, was a member of the Pakistani American Congress and played important role in high-profile charity events, while in parallel practicing law. Returning to Pakistan, he joined the

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (, abbreviated as JUI, translated as Assembly of Islamic Clergy) is a Deobandi Sunni Muslim organization that was founded on 26 October 1945 by Shabbir Ahmad Usmani as a pro-Pakistan offshoot of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (JUH ...

in 2002 and became a

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

in 2003 but resigned in 2011 and joined the

(PTI). In 2018, he was again elected as a senator on PTI's ticket. He has served as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs from 18 April 2019 to 6 April 2020 in the cabinet of Prime Minister

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist, and former cricketer who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He was the founder of the political party Pak ...

Early life and education

Swati was born in

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ; , ; abbr. KP or KPK), formerly known as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Northern Pakistan, northwestern region of the country, Khyber ...

, and belongs to the Jalangial Alisheri family in the Mitravi sub-clan of

Pashtuns Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghan (ethnon ...

. He is great-grandson of Jageerdar Akbar Khan Swati, the Khan of Gidarpur village, Mansehra, who held the title of Kursi Nashin and was a member of Queen Victoria's 34-member cabinet during the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

. His maternal grandfather Khan Sahib Haji Faqeera Khan Swati was chief of Malakpur village located in

Mansehra District Mansehra District (Urdu, ) is a district in the Hazara Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northern Pakistan. Mansehra city serves as the headquarters of the district. The district has a Hindkowan majority, with a significant Pashtun and Kohista ...

and the elected MLA of

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

1937 Indian provincial elections Provincial elections were held in British India in the winter of 1936–37 as mandated by the Government of India Act 1935. Elections were held in eleven provinces - Madras, Central Provinces, Bihar, Orissa, the United Provinces, the Bombay P ...

. Hubert Digby Watson in Hazara Gazetteer 1907 wrote about Azam Swati's maternal grandfather that "Faqira Khan Swati is a thorn in the nose of us Englishmen". Because his family members, including his father, his uncles and his cousins, were already involved in local politics, he had early exposure to politics, competing in school and college debates and being elected president of the student council numerous times. His brother Laiq Muhammad Khan is also a politician. In terms of education, Swati earned his B.A from the Post Graduate College,

Abbottabad Abbottabad is a city in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in the country and 6th largest in the province by population, and serves as the headquarter of its namesake tehsil and district ...

; his

M.A Ma, MA, or mA may refer to: Academia * Master of Arts, a degree award * Marin Academy, a high school in San Rafael, California * Menlo-Atherton High School, a public high school in Atherton, California * Minnehaha Academy, a private high schoo ...

(

Economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

) from the

University of Peshawar The University of Peshawar (; ; ; abbreviated UoP; known more popularly as Peshawar University) is a public research university located in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The university is one of the oldest universities in the provi ...

; his LL.B (Bachelor of Law) as a gold medalist from the

University of Karachi The University of Karachi (; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (which is ...

; his M.A (

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

) also from the University of Karachi (Pakistan); his

LL.M A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...

(Master of Laws) from the

University of Houston Law Center The University of Houston Law Center is the Law school in the United States, law school of the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1947, the Law Center is one of 12 colleges of the University of Houston, a state university. It is ...

, USA; his

Doctor of Jurisprudence A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other jur ...

(JD) from the

South Texas College of Law South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL or South Texas) is a private law school in Houston, Texas. It was founded in 1923 when the YMCA made the decision to establish a law school with a focus on offering night classes for working professi ...

; and his Texas State Bar Certified

Attorney at Law Attorney at law or attorney-at-law, usually abbreviated in everyday speech to attorney, is the preferred term for a practising lawyer in certain jurisdictions, including South Africa (for certain lawyers), Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and the Unit ...

Business and legal career in the United States

Having migrated to the United States in 1978, Swati began by working in a convenience store for $2.50 an hour job. Over the years he eventually himself became the ower of several C-stores. In 1997, he founded the Pak-Oil Company and acquired jobber-ship for

Exxon Exxon Mobil Corporation ( ) is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Founded as the largest direct successor of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, the modern company was form ...

and other major oil and gas companies, being involved in fuel distribution and wholesale business. He also invested in real estate in Texas'

Golden Triangle Golden Triangle may refer to: Places Asia * Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia), named for its opium production * Golden Triangle (Yangtze), China, named for its rapid economic development * Golden Triangle (India), comprising the popular tourist sp ...

and neighbouring

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. Swati would remain active both in business, eventually owning more than 100 convenience stores, apartment buildings and restaurant franchises in East Texas and Louisiana, and also in law, as an attorney in

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, before renouncing his American citizenship in 2003, having returned to Pakistan in 2001 and joined its politics.

Political career in Pakistan

Early career and move to the United States

Swati became active in politics in the 1970s, when he was a practicing lawyer in Karachi and jailed many times for protesting against the military dictatorship of

. This is the reason why he would move to the United States in 1978.

Return to the United States and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)

After moving back to Pakistan in 2001, he'd be elected as district nazim of Mansehra, noted for not accepting any salary or security protocol. He would then become a senator on a

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan also known the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam or simply as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) (; ; JUI (F)) is an Islamic fundamentalist political party in Pakistan. Established as the ''Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam'' in 1945, it is th ...

ticket, having joined the party in 2002. During these years he'd also help establish the

Hazara University The Hazara University (HU) is a public university located in Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Recognized university Hazara University is recognized as a higher education institution by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. Overv ...

. Between 2008 and 2010, Swati had pursued the Hajj corruption case in the Supreme Court relentlessly, which ultimately forced the government to sack former religious affairs minister

Hamid Saeed Kazmi Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi (; born 3 October 1957) is a Pakistani politician who served as the 28th Federal Minister for Religious Affairs of Pakistan from 2008 to 2010 as part of the Pakistan People's Party government. He hails from Multan. Fami ...

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

In 2011, he joined Imran Khan's PTI. In December 2020, he was appointed Federal Minister for Railways.

Arrests

Multiple arrests for 'obnoxious tweets' against state institutions

Swati was taken into custody on 13 October 2022 by the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) cybercrime unit for allegedly making ‘controversial tweets’ against state institutions. The case was registered under Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and section 109 of the offense of aiding and abetting. A district and session court in Islamabad on 21 October 2022 granted him post-arrest bail against surety bond worth PKR 1 million. Swati was arrested again on 27 November after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) booked him in Islamabad over a “highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets ..against state institutions”. It was the second time that Swati was booked and arrested by the FIA over his tweets about army officials in less than two months.

Islamabad High Court The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is the senior court of the Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan, with appellate jurisdiction over the following District courts of Pakistan, district courts: * Islamabad District Court (East) * Islamabad Distr ...

approved Swati's post-arrest bail on 3 January 2023 against the submission of surety bonds worth Rs 200,000.

Torture

According to Azam Swati, he was stripped naked and constantly beaten and assaulted by military forces after his arrest in 2022. Swati has stated that military officials were behind his custodial torture. Swati officially said that “They kept beating me” and urged institutions to investigate his torture. He claimed that authorities beat him the “entire way” after his arrest and violated the privacy and integrity of his family. Former Prime Minister of Pakistan,

and the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights condemned his torture. During press conferences and statements, Swati revealed in 2022 that it was the

Pakistan Armed Forces The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consists of three uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are backe ...

and authorities that were behind his arrest and torture.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swati, Muhammad Azam Khan 1956 births Pakistani emigrants to the United States Living people Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf politicians University of Peshawar alumni University of Karachi alumni University of Houston alumni University of Houston Law Center alumni People from Mansehra District Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) politicians Pakistani senators (14th Parliament) Ministers of railways of Pakistan Imran Khan administration Former United States citizens

People from Swat District