Former Chairman Senate Farooq H Naik Wednesday took oath as Federal Minister for Law, justice and Parliamentary Affairs. President Asif Ali Zardari administered the oath at Aiwan-e-Sadr. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, federal ministers and senior officials attended the oath-taking ceremony.
Farooq H Naik replaced Maula Bux Chandio, a PPP leader from Sindh, who took over the charge of the Ministry after Babar Awan resigned to act as counsel in Bhutto reference case filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan by the President. Babar Awan, who was considered as right-hand man of the PPP Co-Chairman and President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, has now been sidelined by the party's leadership due to refusal to appear before the Supreme Court of Pakistan as a witness in a contempt of court case against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Farooq H Naik was Chairman of the Senate but after Senate elections on March 12, 2012, he was replaced by Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari. He was elected Senator from Karachi, Sindh in 2003 for a period of six years (March 2003 to March 2009) and re-elected as member of Senate for 6 years (March 2009 to March 2015).
Before election as Chairman Senate on March 12, 2009, Naek performed as the Federal Minister for Law and Justice since March 31, 2008, but left the ministerial slot because of the new appointment. Farooq H Naik had taken oath from President Pervez Musharraf as Law Minister after general elections.
Farooq H Naek is MA in Economics from University of Karachi and LLB from Sindh Muslim Law College. He is a career lawyer who served as Assistant Director, Directorate of Labour and Social Welfare, Government of Sindh till 1971. He then served as Civil Judge and First Class Magistrate from 1971 to 1975. He was elected General Secretary of Karachi Bar Association during mid 80s. He also served as Deputy Attorney General of Pakistan from 1994 to 1996 during the second Benazir Bhutto government.