Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf was a Pakistani politician and businessman who was the founder of Ashraf Sugar Mills and Ashraf Coal Mines.

Early life

Chaudhry Ashraf was born in 1925, to a well-known family in Challianwala,

Mandi Bahauddin District Mandi Bahauddin ( Punjabi and ) is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Located in central Punjab, the district is bordered on the northwest by the Jhelum River, on the southeast by the Chenab River (which separates it from Gujranwal ...

and was the son of Khan Muhammad Ashraf Sr. (1889-1985). He served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

at the age of 15, and fought in

The Blitz The Blitz (English: "flash") was a Nazi Germany, German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, for eight months, from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941, during the Second World War. Towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940, a co ...

. Chaudhrey graduated from Bahauddin University with a bachelor's degree in 1946. His uncle Chaudhry Rehmat Ali was a close associate of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pa ...

. He founded Ashraf Sugar Mills in the 1950s. He was the father of former Chairman

Pakistan Cricket Board The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), formerly known as Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (BCCP), is a sports governing body for cricket in Pakistan responsible for controlling and organising all tours and matches undertaken by the Pakistan ...

Zaka Ashraf. After his son Zaka graduated from Cadet College Petro with his bachelor's degree in 1973, he planned to serve in the Army and eventually became a Navy Officer and later travel aboard in several countries including

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

and

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

, but by his father's request he was to work at his business, so that when he died The Ashraf name would carry on with his son.

Political career

He became member of

Senate of Pakistan The Senate of Pakistan, Constitution of Pakistan, constitutionally the House of the Federation, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan. As of 2023, It has a maximum membership of 96, of which 92 are elected by the Member of th ...

as the candidate of

Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is a political party in Pakistan and one of the three major List of political parties in Pakistan, Pakistani political parties alongside the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. With a Cent ...

(PPP) in the government of

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979) was a Pakistani barrister and politician who served as the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and later as the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan from 19 ...

Death

He died in November 1983. After his death, his son Zaka became the Chairman of Ashraf Sugar Mills and inherited his late father's fortune.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashraf, Chaudhry Muhammad 1983 deaths 1925 births Members of the Senate of Pakistan Pakistani industrialists Pakistani company founders Pakistan People's Party politicians People from Mandi Bahauddin District