Honours/decorations

QSO for community services 2001

Current parliamentary roles

• Member, Primary Production Committee
• Spokesperson, Food Safety
• Spokesperson, Agricultural Science
• Associate Spokesperson, Ethnic Affairs
• Associate Spokesperson, Research and Development

Former parliamentary roles

• Member, Primary production select committee 27 August 2002-26 March 2003
• Chairperson, Education and State Sector Caucus Committee -August 2004
• Member, Local government and environment select committee 26 March 2003-11 August 2005
• Member, Education and science select committee 27 August 2002-11 August 2005
• Deputy Chaiperson, Primary production select committee 9 November 2005-2 April 2008
• Member, Primary Production Committee 2 April 2008-3 October 2008
• Chairperson, Education Science Committee 2 April 2008-3 October 2008

Personal details

Born 15 February 1949, Pakistan. New Zealand's first South Asian and Muslim MP

Education/qualifications

• BSc Ag Eng
• MSc Ag Eng, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK 1974-1975
• PhD in Agricultural Engineering, Massey University 1976-1979

Career

• Teacher and researcher, Massey University 1976-2002
• Associate Professor in Agricultural Engineering and Conservation Tillage Technology, Massey University -2002

Community activities

• Former President and founding member, Ethnic Council of Manawatu
• Justice of the Peace
• Former Chairperson, Manawatu-Wanganui Mid-Central Health Ethics Committee
• Former Member, Ministerial Advisory Group on Immigration
• Former President, NZ Federation of Ethnic Councils
• Former President and founding member, Federation of Islamic Association of New Zealand (FIANZ)

Party activities

Former Chairperson, Palmerston North Labour Party

Leisure activities

Social cricket and badminton, walking, gardening