Raja Farooq Haider Khan

Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan (Urdu: راجہ محمد فاروق حیدر خان) is an Azad Kashmiri politician and former Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He is a senior member of the Pakistan Muslim League (N).

Early life and education Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan was born on 1 October 1955.

He was born in Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir but his family house lies in Downtown, Srinagar now in Indian Kashmir, from where his parents moved due to partition.

He received his school education from Abbottabad Public School (APS), which is one of the most renowned and historic educational institution in the North West of Pakistan. He completed his intermediate also from Abbottabad Public School. Haider completed his graduation from Government College University, Lahore, which is one of the oldest seats of learning in the Muslim world.

Family Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan belongs to a well known Kashmiri-speaking political family in AJ&K. He inherited the career from his family.

His father Raja Muhammad Haider Khan led the Muslim Conference being the President of Muslim Conference for two times i.e. in 1960 and 1963.

His mother Mohterma Saeeda Khan holds the honor to be the first female Member of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in the history of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K).

His uncle Raja Muhammad Latif Khan was elected as a Member of AJ&K Legislative Assembly in 1970.

His sister Ms. Noreen Haider (aka Mrs. Noreen Jamshed) also remained a Member of AJ& K Legislative Assembly from 1991 to 1996.

Political career

Raja Farooq Haider Khan started his early political career with All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC) where his father served as a President for two tenures. Haider remained President of Muslim Conference for Muzaffarabad District, Azad Kashmir from 1986 to 1990. From 1989 to 2001, Haider remained Chairman of the Central Parliamentary Board of Muslim Conference AJ&K. He remained General Secretary of the Muslim Conference AJ&K from 1997 until 2001. From 2004 to 2006, he remained Senior Deputy President Muslim Conference AJ&K.

He was elected to the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly from LA-27 Muzaffarabad-V in the 1985 Azad Kashmiri general election. During this term, he served as a parliamentary secretary, but was later elevated to the cabinet as a senior member in 1988.

He was reelected to the Assembly from LA-27 Muzaffarabad-V in the 1991 Azad Kashmiri general election, and held a ministerial position until 1996.

He was re-elected to the Assembly in a 2006 by-election from LA-28 Muzaffarabad-V, which was called due to Zaffar's death on 2 September 2006, as a candidate of AJKMC. He received 24,005 votes and defeated Sahibzada Ashfaq Zaffar, a candidate of PPP.

Due to differences with Prime Minister Attique Ahmed Khan, he formed a forward bloc in AJKMC. On 6 January 2009, over allegations of corruption and nepotism, Ahmed Khan's government was ousted through a no-confidence motion that received support from the Haider Khan-led forward bloc and PPP. In his place, Muhammad Yaqoob Khan was elected to position of Prime Minister.

Both factions of AJKMC supported Haider Khan's nomination, and he was elected as the Prime Minister on 22 October 2009, receiving 29 votes and defeating Yaqoob Khan, who received 19 votes.

Ahead of a no-confidence motion that was submitted by AJKMC members, 18 members of his cabinet resigned on 25 July 2010. He resigned the next day, and was replaced by former Prime Minister Attique Ahmed Khan.

In December 2010, he convinced Nawaz Sharif, the president of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML(N)), to form a chapter in Azad Kashmir. Haider Khan was appointed as the chapter's chief organiser on 26 December 2010.

After the election, he was nominated by PML(N) for the position of Prime Minister, but was unsuccsessful. He received 11 votes and was defeated by Chaudhry Abdul Majid of PPP. Subsequently, on 2 August 2011, he was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition.

On April 5 2012, he was elected unopposed as the president of PML(N)'s Azad Kashmir chapter.

After the election, as PML(N) had won a majority of seats, he was elected as Prime Minister on, receiving 38 votes and defeating Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin of PPP and Ghulam Mohiuddin Deewan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who each received five votes. He was sworn in on the same day.

A sedition case was filed against him in October 2020. On 5 October 2020, he was booked in a treason case along with key leaders of PML(N), including Maryam Nawaz.

He was re-elected to the Assembly from LA-32 Muzaffarabad-VI as a candidate of PML(N) in the 2021 Azad Kashmiri general election. He received 25,598 votes and defeated Sahibzada Ashfaq Zaffar, a candidate of PPP. In the same election, he contested from LA-33 Muzaffarabad-VII as a candidate of PML(N), but was unsuccessful. He received 14,384 votes and was defeated by Dewan Ali Khan Chughtai, a candidate of PTI.

He was re-elected to the Assembly from LA-32 Muzaffarabad-VI as a candidate of PML(N) in the 2026 Azad Kashmiri general election. He received 21,613 votes and defeated a candidate of Sahibzada Ashfaq Zaffar, a candidate of PPP.

Helicopter firing incident On 30 September 2018, Haider's helicopter came under fire from the Indian Army when he was travelling to Forward Kahuta (his village near the Line of Control) He barely escaped the attack near Abbaspur village while travelling with two AJK ministers and his personal staff officer in the civilian helicopter. According to him, the incident took place at around 12:10 pm PST.