Ali Haider Zaidi-Cedar Herald Index

Syed Ali Haider Zaidi () is a Pakistani politician who served as the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs from 11 September 2018 to 10 April 2022. He previously served as the President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Sindh chapter until he joined Jahangir Khan Tareen's Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) party. He has been previously also remained a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 to January 2023.

Political career

In 1999, Zaidi joined PTI

He ran for the seat of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh as a candidate of PTI from Constituency PS-116 (Karachi-XXVIII) in the 2002 general elections, but was unsuccessful. He received 2,941 votes and lost the seat to Nasrullah Khan, a candidate of the MMA.

Ali Haider Zaidi

He ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of PTI from Constituency NA-252 (Karachi-XIV) and from Constituency NA-208 (Jacobabad) in the 2013 general elections but was unsuccessful. He received 49,622 votes from NA-252 (Karachi-XIV) and lost to Abdul Rashid Godil). He received 7,589 votes from NA-208 (Jacobabad) and lost the seat to Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani.

Ali Haider Zaidi

On 25 December 2014, he was appointed as president of PTI's Karachi chapter. In December 2015, he announced that he would resign as president of PTI's Karachi chapter in the aftermath of party's poor performance in local government elections.

Ali Haider Zaidi

He was elected to the National Assembly from the Constituency NA-244 (Karachi East-III) as a candidate of PTI in 2018 general elections.

On 11 September 2018, he was inducted into the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan and was appointed as Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs.

In 2019, A renowned investigative journalist Rauf Klasra broke a story of Zaidi's corruption. Klasra shared documentary proofs in his tweet regarding the kick bags Zaidi received from his friend named Atif Rais Khan, CEO & Chairman, LMKR. Klasra claimed that Zaidi helped his friend in getting $84million Peshawar Metro contract and also the he was living at the residence provided by Rais.

Ali Zaidi was appointed as PTI's Sindh Chapter president by Imran Khan on 25 December 2021.

On 20th April 2023, A judicial magistrate in Karachi’s Malir District granted bail to Ali Zaidi in a PKR 180 Million fraud case after he reached an “out-of-court settlement” with the complainant.

On 27 May 2023, he left the PTI due to the 2023 Pakistani protests.

Controversy

In July 2017, Saleem Safi accused Zaidi of working against Saudi Arabia and in favor of Iranian lobby groups. Zaidi rejected the allegations and sent a legal notice to Saleem claiming in damages.