Awan (tribe) - Notable Awans

Notable Awans

Many Awans have played, and continue to play, prominent roles in areas as varied as politics, the armed forces, academia, literature, and sport. These include figures such as:

• Malik Amir Mohammad Khan, Langur, of Kalabagh, Governor of West Pakistan, 1960–66)
• Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan (Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Pakistan) and a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora. Grandson of Malik Amir Mohammad Khan)
• Sumaira Malik (Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. During the tenure of former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, headed the Ministry of Women Development and Ministry of Youth Affairs. Granddaughter of Malik Amir Mohammad Khan, and niece of the former President of Pakistan, Farooq Leghari)
• Air Marshal Nur Khan (Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Air Force, 1965–69, Governor of West Pakistan, 1969–70, and recipient of the Hilal-i-Jurat, Pakistan’s second highest military award. A close relative of Malik Amir Mohammad Khan)
• Malik Meraj Khalid (Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, Speaker of the National Assembly, Chief Minister of Punjab, Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, and Rector of the International Islamic University Islamabad)
• Zaheer-ud-din Babar Awan (Senior lawyer of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and prominent leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, former Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and recipient of one of Pakistan’s highest civilian honours, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz)
• Ghulam Farooq Awan (Lawyer, former Additional Attorney General of Pakistan, and appointed by the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Brother of Babar Awan)
• Firdous Ashiq Awan (Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. Former Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting)
• Zain Awan (Indian journalist. Currently Asia and Australasia correspondent for Al Jazeera English)
• Dr. Akil N. Awan (British academic and the current RCUK Fellow in the ‘Contemporary History of Faith, Power and Terror’ and Lecturer in both International Terrorism and Contemporary Islam in the Department of History and the Department of Politics and International Relations, at Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL))
• Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (Former chairman of Pakistan Ordnance Factories, and former chairman of Pakistan Steel Mills. Recipient of the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s second highest civilian award, and the highest medal award that can be given to those who have attained the rank of Lieutenant General)
• Major General Ameer Faisal Alavi (First General Officer Commanding of the elite Special Service Group of the Pakistan Army)
• Lance Naik Sher Shah (VC) Awan (Recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest recognition for valour “in the face of the enemy” that was awarded to British Empire personnel)
• Subedar Hajji Fateh Khan Awan (Recipient of the Indian Order of Merit and the Italy Star)
• Sultan Bahu (Sufi poet-saint. Founded the Sarwari Qadiri Sufi order)
• Maulana Ameer Mohammad Akram Awan (Famed Sufi, Shaikh of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order, mufassir, philosopher and reformist, Dean of the Siqarah Education System, and head of a welfare organisation, the Al-Falah Foundation)
• Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi (Renowned author, poet and journalist. Founded, published and edited the prestigious literary journal Funoon, served as Secretary of the Progressive Writers Movement and was a recipient of the President’s Pride of Performance, the Pakistan Academy of Letters Lifetime Achievement award, as well as the Sitara-i-Imtiaz for Literature)
• Dr. Naheed Qasimi (Writer and literary critic. Daughter of Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi)
• Dr. Rafiq Anjum Awan (Gojri poet, scholar and researcher. Recipient of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages Best Book Award in 1995 and 2007)
• Saadat Awan (Pakistani American musician and vocalist, member of The Cassettes and the Metropolitan band)
• Samina Awan (British Pakistani actress. Nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her starring role in Love + Hate)
• Mohammad Akram (Former Pakistani international cricketer)
• Akhtar Ayub (Pakistani first-class cricketer, who was also a member of the Pakistan U-19 cricket team that won the 2006 U/19 Cricket World Cup)
• Imran Awan (International cricketer of Pakistani origin, who has represented the United States national cricket team)
• Qazi Mian Muhammad Amjad (Aristocrat and eminent legal scholar of the Qur'an, Hadith, and the Hanafi school of Islamic law)
• Qazi Mazhar Qayyum (Raees-Azam Naushera. Eldest son of Qazi Mian Muhammad Amjad. Renowned Hakeem, who wielded considerable political influence in the Punjab, prior to and following creation of Pakistan)
• Khan Sahib Qazi Zafar Hussain (Youngest son of Qazi Mian Muhammad Amjad and brother of Qazi Mazhar Qayyum. Awarded the title of Khan Sahib by the British Crown)
• Lieutenant Colonel Qazi Altaf Hussain (Eldest son of Qazi Zafar Hussain. Served in the 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force) Regiment, and former Commandant of the Zhob Militia)