Born in 1975, Faisal Sabzwari is a member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Rabta (Coordination) Committee as well as of its Central Executive Council. Sabzwari is highly regarded as a party stalwart, with which his association goes back to his student days, when he was the head of All Pakistan Muttahida Students Organisation (APMSO), MQM’s student wing.

Sabzwari, a graduate of the Preston Institute of Management Science and Technology (Pimsat) and the University of Karachi, has been an MPA in the Sindh Assembly twice — once from 2002 to 2007 and then again from 2008 to 2013.

The politician’s family has also been associated with MQM — Sabzwari’s uncle, Aslam Sabzwari, was brutally tortured and killed in 1995 during an operation against the party. In 2011, Sabzwari went to court over the matter to seek justice.

In the 2002 election, Sabzwari was elected from PS-118 (Gulshan-i-Iqbal and adjoining areas), while in 2008, he was elected from PS-126 (Gulistan-i-Jauhar and adjoining areas). Also in 2008, Sabzwari was accused by Pakistan Peoples Party’s candidate from NA-253, Faisal Raza Abidi, of mistreating female polling agents during the election.

During the tenure of the 2008-2013 Sindh Assembly, Sabzwari served as the provincial minister for youth affairs as well as MQM’s deputy parliamentary party leader.

Sabzwari has said that large land holdings must be taxed and has also spoken out against the proposed Kalabagh dam, saying it would be detrimental for Sindh. In 2013, he was identified as one amongst many non tax-paying Sindh MPAs.

— Research and text by Heba Islam