Born on August 4, 1939 in Hala, Sindh, Makhdoom Amin Faheem hails from an influential feudal family and is a senior leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He inherited the PPP’s politics from his late father Makhdoom Mohammad Zaman, who was one of the founder members of the party and a senior vice-president. Faheem was also a trusted aide of PPP’s former chief, Benazir Bhutto, especially during her years in self-imposed exile.

He graduated from Sindh University in 1961 and won his first National Assembly seat in 1970. Faheem has been elected six times since. However, as PPP member, he boycotted the 1985 non-party election during General Zia ul Haq’s tenure. Faheem was also offered the position of prime minister during former president Pervez Musharraf’s tenure, which he refused. He recently served as MNA from NA-218 (Matiari-cum-Hyderabad (Old Hyderabad-I)).

Faheem served as a minister with various portfolios during PPP governments. He served as a Federal Minister of Communication (1988-90) and Minister of Housing and Public Works (1994-96) during Benazir’s two terms and recently served as Federal Minister for Commerce.

After Benazir’s assassination, Faheem felt sidelined by the party’s new de facto chief Asif Ali Zardari. Apart from being passed over for the position of party chief, Faheem’s name was also dropped as PPP’s candidate for prime minister in 2008. Faheem’s candidacy was reportedly jeopardised due to his past contacts with Musharraf.

Despite the snub, Faheem stuck to the party and was later appointed federal commerce minister. He has been in the news over his alleged involvement in the National Insurance Company (NICL) land scam and also over the postponement of his trip to India as tensions sparked between the two countries. Moreover, he was recently elected president in PPP’s intra-party election. Whether he would be able to reclaim the influence he once enjoyed within his party remains a matter of speculation.

— Research and text by Saher Baloch