{{short description|Pakistani politician|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Use Pakistani English|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Shibli Faraz | native_name = {{nq|شبلی فراز}} | native_name_lang = | image = Senator Shibli Faraz.jpg | alt = | caption = | office = Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Pakistan | term_start = 22 April 2024 | term_end = 8 August 2025 | predecessor = Shahzad Waseem | president = Asif Ali Zardari | prime_minister = Shehbaz Sharif | successor = Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri | office1 = Federal Minister for Science and Technology | term_start1 = 16 April 2021 | term_end1 = 10 April 2022 | president1 = Arif Alvi | prime_minister1 = Imran Khan | predecessor1 = Fawad Chaudhry | office2 = Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting | term_start2 = 28 April 2020 | term_end2 = 2 March 2021 | president2 = Arif Alvi | prime_minister2 = Imran Khan | deputy2 = Asim Saleem Bajwa | predecessor2 = Firdous Ashiq Awan ''(as Special Assistant)'' | successor2 = Fawad Ahmed Chaudhry | office3 = Leader of the Senate of Pakistan | term_start3 = 26 August 2018 | term_end3 = 4 June 2020 | president3 = Mamnoon Hussain<br />Arif Alvi | prime_minister3 = Imran Khan | predecessor3 = Raja Zafar ul Haq | successor3 = Shahzad Waseem | office4 = Member of the Senate of Pakistan | term_start4 = 12 March 2015 | term_end4 = 5 August 2025 | successor4 = Khurram Zeeshan | birth_date = <!-- {{birth date and age|df=yes|yy|mm|dd}} --> | birth_place = Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|Month DD, YYYY|Month DD, YYYY}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | citizenship = Pakistani | party = PTI (2015-present) | parents = Ahmed Faraz (father) | relations = Masood Kausar (uncle) | alma_mater = Cadet College Kohat | occupation = Politician }}
'''Syed Shibli Faraz''' ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|سید شبلی فراز}}}}) is a Pakistani politician who served as the Leader of Opposition in Senate of Pakistan from April 2024 to August 2025.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2463610/shibli-faraz-takes-helm-as-senate-opposition-leader|title=Shibli Faraz takes helm as Senate opposition leader|date=23 April 2024|access-date=5 May 2024|work=The Express Tribune (newspaper)}}</ref> He previously served as the Minister of Science and Technology, in 2021 and 2022. He had been a member of the Senate of Pakistan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2015.
Previously, Shibli had served as the Leader of the House for the Senate of Pakistan from 26 August 2018 until 4 June 2020. He is a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and is the party’s head in the Senate of Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/international/2015/March/international_March334.xml§ion=internationalMaulana|title=Maulana Haidri sworn in as Senate deputy chairman|website=www.khaleejtimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/Pakistan/267087-Politicians-surprised-as-PTIs-Shibli-Faraz-gets-1|title=Politicians surprised as PTI's Shibli Faraz gets 16 votes instead of 7 - Pakistan - Dunya News|date=14 February 2008 |publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://arynews.tv/en/pti-coalition-partners-sweep-kp-senate-polls/|title=PTI, coalition partners sweep senate polls from KP - ARYNEWS|date=6 March 2015|publisher=}}</ref>
==Early life and education== He was born in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and is the son of the late Urdu poet Ahmad Faraz.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 August 2018 |title=PM Imran nominates Ahmad Faraz's son as Leader of the House in Senate |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/359272-ahmed-farazs-son |website=The News International}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=16 March 2015 |title=Senate deputy chairman: Three-hour canvassing gave us 16 votes, says PTI candidate - The Express Tribune |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/853911/senate-deputy-chairman-three-hour-canvassing-gave-us-16-votes-says-pti-candidate/ |publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Senate complete |url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/editorial/14-Mar-2015/senate-complete |publisher=}}</ref> His uncle Barrister Masood Kausar had served as the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His family is of Pashtun background.<ref>{{cite news |last=Khan |first=Hidayat |date=23 November 2015 |title=Dawn report |work=The Express Tribune |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/957895 |access-date=10 August 2019}}</ref>
He completed his matriculation and intermediate from Cadet College Kohat. Later, he graduated from the Edwardes College, Peshawar, earned his LLB from the Law College, Peshawar and completed his MA in International Relations at the University de Los Andes, Colombia in 1994, while he has also been a Fellow in Finance & International Banking at the Chartered Banker Institute, London.<ref>{{cite web |title=Syed Shibli Faraz |url=http://www.senate.gov.pk/en/profile.php?uid=865 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250529204554/https://www.senate.gov.pk/en/profile.php?uid=865 |archive-date=29 May 2025 |access-date=6 June 2020 |website=Senate of Pakistan}}</ref> Additionally, he holds a commercial pilot license and is fluent in English, Pashto and Spanish in addition to Urdu and Hindko.<ref>{{cite web |title=Syed Shibli Faraz – Former Minister |url=https://www.moib.gov.pk/Profiles/7733/Minister |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250529205116/https://www.moib.gov.pk/Profiles/7733/Minister |archive-date=29 May 2025 |access-date= |website=Ministry of Information and Broadcasting |publisher=Government of Pakistan}}</ref>
== Professional career == Before entering active politics, Faraz had worked as an investment banker, and has previously served as a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force as well as a civil servant.<ref>{{cite web |date=28 April 2020 |title=Senator Shibli Faraz takes oath as Information Minister |url=https://www.radio.gov.pk/28-04-2020/senator-shibli-faraz-takes-oath-as-information-minister |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250529205753/https://www.radio.gov.pk/28-04-2020/senator-shibli-faraz-takes-oath-as-information-minister |archive-date=29 May 2025 |access-date= |website=Radio Pakistan |publisher=Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref>
==Political career==
=== Early career === He was elected as a Senator in March 2015 under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the 2015 Pakistani Senate election on a seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also served as Chairman of the Senate Committees on Circular Debt and Commerce and Textile.<ref name=":0" />
=== Leader of the House for the Senate === [[File:2018-11-07 Osttimoresen bei APA in Pakistan.jpg|thumb|Faraz in 2018 as Leader of the House for the Senate, next to Chairman of the Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani.]] In August 2018, then Prime Minister Imran Khan appointed Faraz as the Leader of the House for the Senate of Pakistan, where he served until 4 June 2020.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Guramani |first1=Nadir |title=PM Khan appoints Shibli Faraz as leader of the house in Senate |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1428846/pm-khan-appoints-shibli-faraz-as-leader-of-the-house-in-senate |work=Dawn |date=25 August 2018}}</ref> In response to the appointment of Faraz as Leader of the House, the PML-N made Raja Zafar-ul-Haq as Opposition Leader in the Senate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shibli Faraz, Raja Zafarul Haq appointed to top Senate slots |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/208665-shibli-faraz-raja-zafarul-haq-appointed-to-top-senate-slots |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=www.geo.tv |date=26 August 2018 |language=en}}</ref> While serving as Leader of the House, the Senate passed the Zainab Alert Bill, which was brought by the Imran Khan government.<ref>{{Cite web |last=APP |date=2020-03-04 |title=Senate passes Zainab Alert Bill 2020 |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2169426/1-national-assembly-zainab-alert-bill-2020-sails-senate |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Hasnaat |date=2020-02-25 |title=Zainab Alert Bill: Senate panel drops death penalty in final draft |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2164416/1-zainab-alert-bill-senate-panel-drops-death-penalty-final-draft#google_vignette |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref>
=== Minister of Information & Broadcasting === On 27 April 2020, Imran Khan appointed Shibli as the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting along with General Asim Saleem Bajwa as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Information and Broadcasting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1552668|title = Shibli Faraz appointed new information minister, Asim Bajwa replaces Firdous Ashiq Awan|date = 27 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/650639-firdous-out-shibli-in|title=Firdous Ashiq Awan out, Shibli Faraz in
|website=The News|language=en}}</ref>
As Information Minister, he gave out several statements, as he criticized Leader of the Opposition, Shehbaz Sharif for evading arrest from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB),<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-06-04 |title=Accountability process won't stop, says Shibli Faraz |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1561137 |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref> criticized former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his alleged overseas assets and money laundering and vowed that the government would bring him to Pakistan from his residence in London.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-02-14 |title=Nawaz should answer about his assets abroad: Shibli Faraz |url=https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/566611-Nawaz-should-answer-about-his-assets-abroad-Shibli-Faraz- |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Dunya News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Govt to exhaust all legal options to bring back Nawaz Sharif: Shibli Faraz |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/303900-govt-to-exhaust-all-legal-options-to-bring-back-nawaz-sharif-shibli-faraz |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=www.geo.tv |date=21 August 2020 |language=en}}</ref> He stated his support for the protection of journalism with the Journalist Protection Bill,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-02-14 |title=Govt will not allow any harm to freedom of journalism: Shibli Faraz |url=https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/578199-Govt-not-allow-any-harm-freedom-journalism-Shibli-Faraz |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Dunya News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Journalist Protection Bill finalised, says Shibli Faraz |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/742081-journalist-protection-bill-finalised-says-shibli-faraz |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}</ref> and termed the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) as a ‘group of hypocrites’.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-02-14 |title=Shibli Faraz terms PDM as 'group of hypocrites' |url=https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/576671-Shibli-Faraz-terms-PDM-as-group-of-hypocrites- |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Dunya News |language=en}}</ref>
=== Leader of Opposition for the Senate === He was nominated as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate or Pakistan for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) by Imran Khan on 19 April 2024 and was endorsed by all 19 senators part of PTI.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-04-19 |title=PTI's Shibli nominated as Senate opp leader |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2463136/ptis-shibli-nominated-as-senate-opp-leader |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref> He was appointed to the position on 22 April 2024 securing the endorsement of 21 senators. PTI had boycotted the election of the Chairman of the Senate due to ongoing polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Shibli is serving as opposition leader alongside the Chairman of the Senate, Yusuf Raza Gillani and Leader of the House in the Senate, Ishaq Dar.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-04-22 |title=Shibli Faraz appointed new opposition leader in Senate |url=https://humenglish.com/latest/shibli-faraz-appointed-new-opposition-leader-in-senate/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=HUM News |language=en}}</ref>
As opposition leader, he requested that separate seats should be allotted to the government and the opposition lawmakers and as per ''The News International'', he stated that "Unfortunately, this illegitimate government is using Parliament as a shield merely to preserve its unjust mandate. The government does not even have a two-third majority for constitutional amendments [referring to the 26th amendment] and is trying to secure it by abducting our members."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shibli seeks separate seats for govt, opposition senators |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1230271-shibli-seeks-separate-seats-for-govt-opposition-senators |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}</ref> In May 2024, PTI member Sher Afzal Marwat denounced Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub for not allowing him to meet with Imran Khan, stoking tensions within the PTI.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PTI's internal rifts widen as Sher Afzal Marwat refuses to work with Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/543036-ptis-internal-rifts-widen-as-sher-afzal-marwat-refuses-to-work-with-shibli-faraz-omar-ayub |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=www.geo.tv |date=8 May 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Staff Report |date=2024-05-08 |title=Marwat accuses Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub for hindering meeting with PTI founder |url=https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2024/05/08/marwat-accuses-shibli-faraz-omar-ayub-for-hindering-meeting-with-pti-founder/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Pakistan Today |language=en-US}}</ref> As opposition leader, Shibli Faraz stated that India was Pakistan's enemy country, but also praised the country for its electoral process, which he stated had no frontline rigging, and asked why Pakistan could not have similar free and fair elections.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-14 |title=Shibil Faraz, Pakistan's Opposition leader, praises India's 'peaceful' election process |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/shibil-faraz-pakistan-opposition-leader-praises-indias-election-process-9392247/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-06-14 |title=Pakistan's opposition leader praises 'enemy country' India's free and fair Lok Sabha elections |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/pakistans-opposition-leader-praises-enemy-country-indias-free-and-fair-lok-sabha-elections/articleshow/110967502.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2024-10-12 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref> He criticized the government for its 2024-25 federal budget which he declared as "anti-people".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-13 |title=Shibli Faraz berates govt for anti-people budget |url=https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/818320-Shibli-Faraz-berates-govt-for-anti-people-budget- |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Dunya News |language=en}}</ref>
In July 2025, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad sentenced Shibli Faraz and several senior PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub Khan and Zartaj Gul, to 10 years in prison for alleged involvement in the May 9, 2023, protests following Imran Khan arrest. The verdict was part of a broader crackdown in which over 100 PTI workers were convicted.
The sentences have drawn criticism from human rights groups and opposition voices, who allege the trials were politically motivated and orchestrated by the Pakistan Army and ruling establishment to suppress dissent and prolong the detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.<ref>{{Cite web |title= May 9 riots: Faisalabad ATC sentences Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz and other PTI leaders to 10 years in jail|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1927802/may-9-riots-faisalabad-atc-sentences-omar-ayub-shibli-faraz-and-other-pti-leaders-to-10-years-in-jail}}</ref>
In July 2025, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad sentenced Shibli Faraz and several senior PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub Khan and Zartaj Gul, to 10 years in prison for alleged involvement in the May 9, 2023, protests following Imran Khan’s arrest. The verdict was part of a broader crackdown in which over 100 PTI workers were convicted.
The sentences have drawn criticism from human rights groups and opposition voices, who allege the trials were politically motivated and orchestrated by the Pakistan Army and ruling establishment to suppress dissent and prolong the detention of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saeed |first=Iftikhar Shirazi {{!}} Tariq |date=2025-07-31 |title=May 9 riots: Faisalabad ATC sentences Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz and other PTI leaders to 10 years in jail |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1927802 |access-date=2025-08-02 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref> He has been disqualified by Election Commission of Pakistan due to his conviction in anti terrorism cases on 5 August 2025.
== 2022 helicopter incident == On 20 September 2022, Faraz was aboard a helicopter with Imran Khan and 2 others which was leaving Chakwal after a political rally by Khan when the pilot of the plane fell ill. Faraz, a former pilot, took over and safely landed the helicopter.<ref>{{cite web |title=Shibli Faraz Flies Helicopter AS Pilot Fell Ill | Imran Khan Chakwal Jalsa | Breaking News |url=https://www.bolnews.com/videos/shibli-faraz-flies-helicopter-as-pilot-fell-ill-imran-khan-chakwal-jalsa-breaking-news/}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Pakistan|Politics}} *Imran Khan
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Senate of Pakistan}}{{Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Faraz, Shibli}} Category:Living people Category:Science ministers of Pakistan Category:People from Kohat District Category:Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf politicians Category:Pakistani senators (14th Parliament) Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Pashtun people Category:Information ministers of Pakistan Category:Cadet College Kohat alumni Category:Edwardes College alumni Category:University of Los Andes (Colombia) alumni