Owais Ahmed Ghani (Urdu: اویس غنی احمد) is the former governor of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, who previously governed southwestern province of Balochistan for four and a half years.
He became active in politics in 1996 being one of the founding members of Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf led by cricketing hero Imran Khan. Following the partys rout in the 1997 general elections he subsequently left the party in protest against the joining of several controversial figures into the party. In 1999, he joined the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial cabinet serving as provincial minister for Industry from 1999-2002, [1] He was in 2002 appointed as Federal Minister for environment following the resignation of Omer Asghar Khan. Following the 2002 general elections he was appointed Governor of Balochistan. His period as Balochistan governor was controversial, especially following the murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti and Baloch protests against Federal rule. Ghani admitted there were problems with the law and order situation and drugs in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, due to instability in neighbouring Afghanistan.[2]
He became governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in January 2008 after the former governor, Ali Jan Aurakzai, stepped down. Ghani gained a reputation for being tough with militants during his tenure as governor of Balochistan,[3]
He is the third man (the first being Rahimuddin Khan and the second being Miangul Aurangzeb) in the history of Pakistan to have held the governorship of two provinces.
Owais Ahmed Ghani is the nephew of Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, one of the renowned founding fathers of Pakistan, son of his brother Sardar Abdul Ghani who was a career Police Officer. He is cousin of General Waheed Kakar Ex-Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan. The recently killed Commandant of the Frontier Constabulary, Safwat Ghayyur was his first cousin.
Political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Abdul Qadir Baloch |
Governor of Balochistan 2003 – 2008 |
Succeeded by Amanullah Khan Yasinzai Acting |
Preceded by Ali Jan Aurakzai |
Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 2008 – 2011 |
Succeeded by Syed Masood Kausar |