Javed Ashraf Qazi

Lieutenant General Javed Ashraf Qazi, HI(M), SBt, (born 4 September 1941) is a Pakistani general and politician who is currently a Senator in the Parliament of Pakistan. During his army career, Qazi headed the Inter-Services Intelligence from 1993 to 1995 and Military Intelligence from 1990 to 1991. During his political career, he served as a cabinet minister under President-General Pervez Musharraf, first as Communications Minister (2000–2002) and then as Education Minister (2004–2007).

Military career
Qazi joined Pakistan Military Academy after graduating from Cadet College Hasan Abdal. He was commissioned in the Pakistan Army April 1962 in the 25th PMA Long Course in the Regiment of Artillery. He later rose in his career to be the DG Military Intelligence (DGMI) under General Mirza Aslam Beg in 1990. Promoted to Lieutenant General in 1992, Qazi served as Master-General of Ordnance (MGO) from 1992 to 1993. He was then brought in to head the intelligence agency ISI by General Abdul Waheed Kakar in May 1993. Gen Waheed mandated Qazi not only to cleanse the ISI of "Islamists" but to rein in the "Jehadis" in Kashmir. Qazi left the post in 1995 to assume the command of XXX Corps at Gujranwala. Qazi retired from the army in February 1996 thus relieving the corps.

During his time as corps commander in 1995, Qazi desperately bid for Army chief against the then senior and more deserving Lt Gen Jehangir Karamat. At one stage the adverse propaganda by Qazi had become so dirty that Karamat went to the then COAS General Abdul Waheed Kakar and asked to be relieved as Chief of General Staff (CGS). However, Karamat won and became the Army chief on January 1996.

Political career
Qazi started his political career after taking over as the Secretary of Science and Technology Division in 1996. He continued this post under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif till 1997. He was later inducted as the Secretary of Railways in October 1999 by the new military leader General Pervez Musharraf, which he continued till 2000. Then he became the Minister of Communications and Railways in addition to Housing and Works from 2000 to 2002. He successfully fought the Senate seat in 2003, and became a senator on Pakistan Muslim League (Q) seat. The government later inducted him as Minister of Education in 2004 replacing Zubaida Jalal. His three-year stint ended in 2007, when the 5-year mandate for PML-Q government ended. Presently he is senator of PMLQ.