Muhammad Yaqoob Khan (politician)

Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan (Urdu: سردار محمد یعقوب خان) is an Azad Kashmiri businessman and politician. He served as the President of Azad Kashmir from 25 August 2011 to 25 August 2016. He also served as the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir from 7 January 2009 to 22 October 2009. Beside politics, Khan is also serving as the Chairman of YK Group of Companies.

Early life
Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan was born in 1953 in the village of Ali Sojal (Khai Gala) in Rawalakot tehsil into a Sudhan family, and is the brother of a renowned figure in the political and social scenario of Azad Kashmir, Haji Muhammad Zaman Khan. He graduated from Karachi University and started his political career with an ethnic political party, the Punjabi Pakhtoon Ittehad in Karachi. He joined an Azad Kashmiri political party, Tahreek-e-Amil, and was elected senior vice president of this party later on. He also had a political affiliation with the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference.

Political career
Khan was elected as Member of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly three times and took over ministerial jobs as Minister for Health, Population Welfare & Hydro Electric Board, and Housing & Planning. He is currently MLA from LA 20 Alisojal.

Business
Khan founded his own business with the name, YK Group of Companies in 1976, Islamabad and is, since, serving as its Chairman. YK Group provides its services in the field of Polypropylene Manufacturing, Construction, Land Development, Human Resource Services, Hotelling and Power Generation.

Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir
Khan became the 8th Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on 7 January 2009 after a successful no confidence vote over former premiere Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan. He resigned from the office on 22 October 2009 to avoid a political controversy in the Legislative Assembly. Raja Farooq Haidar took over the office after his resignation.

President of Azad Kashmir
Khan was elected as the 22nd President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on 25 August 2011 succeeding Raja Zulqarnain Khan. He completed his term on 25 August 2016 and was succeeded by Masood Khan.