Khawaja Salman Rafique

Khawaja Salman Rafique (Punjabi: خواجا سلمان رفیق) is a Pakistani politician who was a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, from April 2008 to March 2013, from September 2013 to May 2018 and from August 2018 to January 2023. He has served in Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif's cabinet as Minister for Specialised Health and he also has served as Advisor and Special Assistant for Health. He also served as Minister in Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz's Cabinet. He was one of the main key figures in handling dengue in 2010.

Early life and family

He was born on 16 February 1965.

He earned his BE degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore in 1990.

He is the younger brother of Khawaja Saad Rafique. His father Khawaja Muhammad Rafique was a politician, a Pakistan Movement activist and later an opposition leader to PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He was murdered in 1972 and the family blamed Bhutto. His mother Begum Farhat Rafique was also elected member of Provincial Assembly of Punjab in 1985.

Political career

He was elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) from Constituency PP-142 (Lahore-VI) in 2008 Pakistani general election. He served as Special Assistant to Chief Minister of Punjab on Health.

He was re-elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency PP-142 (Lahore-VI) in by-elections held in August 2013. In November 2013, he briefly served as Special Assistant to Chief Minister of Punjab on Health. In November 2016, he was inducted into the provincial cabinet of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and was made Provincial Minister of Punjab for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education.

He was re-elected to Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of PML-N from Constituency PP-157 (Lahore-XIV) in 2018 Pakistani general election.

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