Malik Amin Aslam

former federal minister of climate change

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Malik Amin Aslam is a former federal minister of climate change who joined PTI in 2010. He was born in Karachi, studied electrical engineering and graduated from McGill University in 1993. He won a national assembly seat for PML-Q in 2002 and was appointed Minister of State for Environment in 2004.

Early life and background

Aslam was born in Karachi. His family lived in Lahore from about 1970 to 1984. His father was a People's Party politician who contested National Assembly elections in the 1970s. Aslam has said that his family has served their area since his great-grandfather. [1]

Education

Aslam attended Aitchison and finished school there in 1984. He went on to Engineering University in Lahore after intermediate college and studied electrical engineering. He completed the four-year engineering course in six years and graduated in 1990. [1]

Aslam chose an MBA in development finance at McGill University in Canada, wanting a broader field than engineering. He graduated from McGill in 1993. He became interested in pursuing a further degree in the environment, and his thesis compared the emissions trading concept as it was applied in the United States. [1]

Early career

Aslam worked as a financial analyst at PPIB. He has said that Pakistan's environmental impact assessments were a decision justification tool, and that there was nobody qualified to review environmental impact assessments. He has also said that the government should not have given sovereign guarantees. [1]

Aslam was a freelance consultant. He did consultancy projects for the World Bank and the UN. [1]

Political career

Aslam contested the 2001 local body election for the district Nazim seat and lost by seven or eight votes. He won a national assembly seat for PML-Q in 2002 and became an MNA. He was appointed Minister of State for Environment in 2004. He has said that the years 2004 to 2007 were under Musharraf, with Shaukat Aziz as Prime Minister. [1]

Aslam carried out an investigation into an oil spill off Karachi. He has said that his team created Pakistan's first carbon policy, called the CDM strategy. He has also said that dollars were coming in during that period because Pakistan was a major partner in the US war. [1]

Aslam joined PTI in 2010. He has said that he and his colleagues created a forum called the Prime Minister's Committee on Climate Change. [1]

Views on politics

Aslam has said that Pakistan's politics needs delivery, decency and democracy within parties. He has said that personality cult politics is damaging in the long run, and that parties need structures, processes and performance-based evaluation. He has also said that the three Ds are inevitable in Pakistan, though their timing is debatable. [1]

Views on energy

Aslam has said that Pakistan has coal, hydro, solar and wind options, and that Thar coal can be gasified, which cuts emissions when used for power. He has said that Thar coal power costs about 3 to 4 rupees, against roughly 40 to 50 rupees for most generation. He has also said that Pakistan has about 50,000 megawatts of unmet potential on what is called the Indus cascade. [1]

Aslam has said that Pakistan was basing everything on furnace oil, an expensive imported fuel. He has said that there was a cap of 50 megawatts, and that his government removed it when it came to power. He has said that the IMF imposed a 17% import tax on solar panels, which he says is not applied anywhere else in the world. He has also said that Pakistan's emissions are below 1% of the world total and among the lowest in the world. [1]

Tree planting programme

Aslam has said that the party owned his work and implemented it after forming the government in KP in 2014. He has said that a 10 billion tree project was started, with a first five-year phase target of 3.2 billion. He has said that Pakistan was spending its own money and was not asking any donor for money. [1]

Aslam has said that a PC-1 of 22 billion rupees was prepared, and the work was finished at 14 billion. He has said that an estimate had put the cost at 50 rupees per tree, and the work came in at 14 rupees. He has said that political ownership helped greatly when they took on the timber mafia, and that Pakistan received recognition as a nature leader in the world. [1]

Aslam has said that the billion tree programme was derailed, and that the incoming government regarded it as Imran Khan's project. He has said that it was given another name, the world forgot it, and Pakistan gained no benefit. [1]

Views on water

Aslam has said that Pakistan is a water mismanaged country, not a water scarce one. He has said that Pakistan releases about 100 million acre feet of water into the Arabian Sea each year, that water is underpriced and overused in Pakistan, and that about 80% of water use goes to agriculture. He has also said that Pakistan sits on the world's third largest sweet water aquifer. [1]

Aslam has said that about 30% of arable land came under water, and that the flood came from monsoon rain rather than glacial melt. [1]

Vehicle policy

Aslam has said that he formed a group to refine a policy, took it to cabinet, and it was approved. He has said that the phases were to act most aggressively on two-wheelers, then three-wheelers, then four-wheelers. He has said that Honda and Toyota had cornered about 80% of the car market at that time. [1]

Aslam has said that the EV policy was later sabotaged. He has said that he wrote a letter to a prime minister, which is on record. [1]

Views on agriculture

Aslam has said that price controls on items such as sugar and wheat result in there being no incentive. He has also said that the entire economic model of agriculture in Pakistan is broken down because of populist narratives. [1]

Personal life

Aslam has said that all three of his children studied abroad and that he called them back to Pakistan. He has said that he never considered leaving Pakistan for good, and that he believes Pakistan is meant to endure and rise. [1]

Timeline

1970 to 1984
His family lived in Lahore.[1]
1984
Finished school at Aitchison.[1]
1993
Graduated from McGill University.[1]
2001
Contested the district Nazim seat in the local body election and lost by seven or eight votes.[1]
2002
Won a national assembly seat for PML-Q and became an MNA.[1]
2004
Appointed Minister of State for Environment.[1]
2010
Joined PTI.[1]
2014
The party implemented his work after forming the government in KP.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2023-10-11 The electric car policy Pakistan's auto mafia killed Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Malik Amin Aslam?

Malik Amin Aslam is a former federal minister of climate change. He joined PTI in 2010 and won a national assembly seat for PML-Q in 2002.[1]

What does Malik Amin Aslam do?

Malik Amin Aslam is a former federal minister of climate change. He worked as a financial analyst at PPIB and was a freelance consultant who did consultancy projects for the World Bank and the UN.[1]

Where did Malik Amin Aslam study?

Malik Amin Aslam attended Aitchison and finished school there in 1984. He studied electrical engineering at Engineering University in Lahore and graduated in 1990. He then graduated from McGill University in Canada in 1993, where he chose an MBA in development finance.[1]

Where is Malik Amin Aslam from?

Malik Amin Aslam was born in Karachi. His family lived in Lahore from about 1970 to 1984, and his father was a People's Party politician who contested National Assembly elections in the 1970s.[1]

When was Malik Amin Aslam Minister of State for Environment?

Malik Amin Aslam was appointed Minister of State for Environment in 2004. He has said that the years 2004 to 2007 were under Musharraf, with Shaukat Aziz as Prime Minister.[1]

What is Malik Amin Aslam known for?

Malik Amin Aslam is known as a former federal minister of climate change. He has said that his team created Pakistan's first carbon policy, called the CDM strategy.[1]

Which political parties has Malik Amin Aslam been part of?

Malik Amin Aslam won a national assembly seat for PML-Q in 2002 and became an MNA. He joined PTI in 2010.[1]

What does Malik Amin Aslam say about Thar coal?

Malik Amin Aslam has said that Thar coal can be gasified, which cuts emissions when used for power. He has said that Thar coal power costs about 3 to 4 rupees, against roughly 40 to 50 rupees for most generation.[1]

References

  1. The electric car policy Pakistan's auto mafia killed . Thought Behind Things , 2023-10-11.
Show the source passages (66 statements)
  1. He was born in Karachi. I was born in Karachi and early life jo thi meri Lahore mein guzri
  2. His family lived in Lahore from about 1970 to 1984. that tenure from 1970 uh till 1984, Right. we were in Lahore, based in Lahore.
  3. His father was a People's Party politician who contested National Assembly elections in the 1970s. My father was a politician, ji. And he was uh 1970s mein uh you know, National Assembly pe election woh ladte the. Aur uh uh People's Party mein the.
  4. He says his family has served their area since his great-grandfather. Uh right from my great grandfather, hum log is area ko serve karte rahe hain.
  5. He attended Aitchison and finished school there in 1984. I went into class one to Aitchison and then finished Aitchison in uh uh 1984.
  6. He went on to Engineering University in Lahore after intermediate college. Haan, high school pura kiya, intermediate and then I went to uh uh Engineering University in Lahore.
  7. He studied electrical engineering. I did electrical engineering from there.
  8. He completed the four-year engineering course in six years and graduated in 1990. But the end result was ke woh jo chaar saal ka course tha, woh chhe saal mein complete hua. Right. So, instead of uh getting through in 1988, I got through in 1990.
  9. He chose an MBA in development finance at McGill University in Canada, wanting a broader field than engineering. But I thought I need to move away from this and kuch aur thoda sa wide karne ki zaroorat hai. So phir maine MBA choose kiya in in Development Finance. Right. And I went to McGill University in Canada.
  10. He graduated from McGill in 1993. Wahan se maine graduate kiya tha ji uh 93 mein.
  11. He became interested in pursuing a further degree in the environment. So that got me interested ke yaar ek aur degree karni chahiye koi environment ki.
  12. He says Pakistan's environmental impact assessments were a decision justification tool. Yahan pe jo tha it was a decision justification tool.
  13. His thesis compared the emissions trading concept as it was applied in the United States. My thesis was on comparing ke jo emissions trading ka concept US mein kiya gaya tha
  14. He worked as a financial analyst at PPIB. Ek PPIB bhi banaya gaya tha us zamane mein, IPPs lag rahe the. Sahi. Uh jo aaj hamare gale ka toq bane hue hain. Toh woh us zamane mein lag rahe the. Toh us waqt unka main ek financial analyst ki uh uh job maine wahan pe ki thi.
  15. He says the government should not have given sovereign guarantees. government should not have been there to uh you know, give sovereign guarantees aur contracts jo ke Pakistan mein nahi
  16. He says there was nobody qualified to review environmental impact assessments. Who is going to check ke yeh there was there was no nobody qualified to you know go through those EIAs
  17. He was a freelance consultant. I was a freelance consultant.
  18. He did consultancy projects for the World Bank and the UN. phir maine World Bank ke saath, UN ke saath mukhtalif consultancy projects kiye.
  19. He joined PTI in 2010. As soon as I got into I got into PTI and joined PTI in 2010.
  20. He contested the 2001 local body election for the district Nazim seat and lost by seven or eight votes. Woh 2001 mein I think hamara woh tha local body ka election tha. Sahi hai. So I contested for the district Nazim us waqt aaye the to uski seat pe na I lost that election by seven eight votes.
  21. He won a national assembly seat for PML-Q in 2002 and became an MNA. Phir 2002 ke andar national election ho gaya. Us pe I contested PML-Q ki taraf se and I won that election aur uske baad mein MNA ban gaya.
  22. He carried out an investigation into an oil spill off Karachi. Us zamane mein yeh oil spill hui thi badi Testman oil spill Karachi ke bahar. To I did an investigation of that
  23. He was appointed Minister of State for Environment in 2004. And then I got into the cabinet as a Minister of State for Environment in 2004.
  24. He says the years 2004 to 2007 were under Musharraf, with Shaukat Aziz as Prime Minister. So you know 4 2004 to 2007 this was Musharraf sahab the, Shaukat Aziz sahab was the Prime Minister
  25. He says his team created Pakistan's first carbon policy, called the CDM strategy. Pakistan ki carbon policy hai pehli which was called the CDM strategy woh humne banayi thi
  26. He says dollars were coming in during that period because Pakistan was a major partner in the US war. Us zamane mein aapke dollars aa rahe the because we were a major partner in in the US war
  27. He says Pakistan's politics needs delivery, decency and democracy within parties. So you know second is first one is delivery, second is decency and third is I think is the politics of democracy within parties.
  28. He says personality cult politics is damaging in the long run. Woh jo personality cult wali politics hai woh is damaging in the long run.
  29. He says parties need structures, processes and performance-based evaluation. Parties ke andar dekhein na structures hone chahiye, processes hone chahiye, performance based evaluation honi chahiye within the parties.
  30. He says the three Ds are inevitable in Pakistan, though their timing is debatable. Toh yeh teen D's I think inevitable hain Pakistan mein bhi. But jo timing hai woh you know that's debatable ki jaldi hoga ya der se hoga.
  31. He says all three of his children studied abroad and he called them back to Pakistan. mere bache teeno bahar pade hain aur teeno ko maine maine wapas bulaya hai.
  32. He says he never considered leaving Pakistan for good. I never even thought about that aur abhi bhi main kabhi yeh nahi socha ke is mulk ko humne kahin chhod ke jana hai
  33. He says he believes Pakistan is meant to endure and rise. mera imaan yeh hai ke Pakistan uh inshaAllah hamesha hamesha rehne ke liye bana hai aur inshaAllah isne tarakki karna hai aur upar jana hai.
  34. He says Pakistan has coal, hydro, solar and wind options. We have coal, we have hydro, we have solar, we have wind.
  35. He says Thar coal can be gasified, which cuts emissions when used for power. Jo Pakistan ka jo thar coal hai usko unhone check kiya aur uske mutabiq woh ab us coal ko gas mein change kar sakte hain aur us jab aap gas mein change karke usko bijli banate hain to usse carbon emissions bahut kam effect hoti hain.
  36. He says there was a cap of 50 megawatts, and his government removed it when it came to power. There was a cap of 50 megawatt ka. Woh phir hamari jab government aayi thi we removed that cap.
  37. He says Pakistan's emissions are below 1% of the world total and among the lowest in the world. Hum to 1% jo duniya ki emissions hain uske 1% se bhi neeche hain hum. Right. Aur lowest one of the lowest in the world.
  38. He says the IMF imposed a 17% import tax on solar panels, which he says is not applied anywhere else in the world. IMF ne aake ispe tax laga diya tha 17% ka import of solar panels pe jo duniya mein kahin nahi lagate.
  39. He says Pakistan was basing everything on furnace oil, an expensive imported fuel. hum furnace oil pe base kar rahe the saara kuch jo ke it's an extremely expensive uh and imported um you know fuel.
  40. He says Thar coal power costs about 3 to 4 rupees, against roughly 40 to 50 rupees for most generation. while most of your electricity generation was hovering around 50, 40, 45, 50 rupees um jo aapki thar coal wali hai wo to was around 3, 4 rupees.
  41. He says Pakistan has about 50,000 megawatts of unmet potential on what is called the Indus cascade. un-met potential, koi 50,000 megawatt hamara jo Indus cascade jisko kehte hain
  42. He says a 10 billion tree project was started, with a first five-year phase target of 3.2 billion. Pakistan ki ecology ke mutabiq to 10 billion tree ka project start kiya. Jiska hamara pehle phase ka jo 5 saal ka target tha woh 3.2 billion ka tha.
  43. He says Pakistan was spending its own money and was not asking any donor for money. paisa Pakistan apna khud laga raha tha. We were not asking anybody for money. You were not asking any donor for money.
  44. He says a PC-1 of 22 billion rupees was prepared, and the work was finished at 14 billion. 22 arab rupaye ka PC-1 banaya gaya tha design. Jab humne khatam kiya to humne isko 14 arab mein khatam kiya.
  45. He says an estimate had put the cost at 50 rupees per tree, and the work came in at 14 rupees. Uski jo cost unhone nikali thi woh us waqt nikali thi 50 rupaye per tree. Right. So you were at 14 rupees.
  46. He says Pakistan received recognition as a nature leader in the world. Pakistan ko recognition mili as a nature leader in the world
  47. He says the billion tree programme was derailed, and the incoming government regarded it as Imran Khan's project. yeh cheez derail ho gayi aur jo aane wali government thi unhone yeh samjha ke ji yeh billion tree jo hai yeh to Imran Khan ka project hai
  48. He says it was given another name, the world forgot it, and Pakistan gained no benefit. usko ek aur naam de diya. Duniya bhool gayi usko aur Pakistan ko koi fayda nahi hua.
  49. He says Pakistan is a water mismanaged country, not a water scarce one. Pakistan is not a water scarce country. Pakistan is a water mismanaged country.
  50. He says Pakistan releases about 100 million acre feet of water into the Arabian Sea each year. hum taqreeban on an average 100 million acre feet har saal Arabian Sea mein flush kar dete hain.
  51. He says water is underpriced and overused in Pakistan. Pani is waqt Pakistan mein you know underpriced hai, overutilized hai.
  52. He says about 80% of water use goes to agriculture. Industrial consumption 10% hai. 80% ja raha hai agriculture ke andar.
  53. He says about 30% of arable land came under water. taqreeban 30% aapka jo arable land tha jahan pe aap crops ugate the woh pani ke niche aa gaya.
  54. He says the flood came from monsoon rain rather than glacial melt. woh glacial melt ki wajah se nahi tha, woh monsoon rain ki deluge ki wajah se tha
  55. He says he and his colleagues created a forum called the Prime Minister's Committee on Climate Change. Humne actually climate change ke upar ek banaya tha ek bahut zabardast forum which was called the Prime Minister's Committee on Climate Change.
  56. He says Pakistan sits on the world's third largest sweet water aquifer. lekin Pakistan sits on the third largest sweet water aquifer in the world
  57. He says the party owned his work and implemented it after forming the government in KP in 2014. Jis pe maine kaam kiya tha us waqt aur woh party ne usko own kiya. Aur phir jab KP mein government banayi 2014 mein to usko implement kiya.
  58. He says political ownership helped greatly when they took on the timber mafia. woh timber mafia ke sath jab humne take on kiya usmein bahut help hui political ownership ki right to the top.
  59. He says he formed a group to refine a policy, took it to cabinet, and it was approved. So immediately maine iski uski policy ko humne group banaya, usko refine kiya, took it to cabinet and it got approved
  60. He says the phases were to act most aggressively on two-wheelers, then three-wheelers, then four-wheelers. humne woh phases rakhe the ke two wheelers mein sabse zyada isko aggressively karenge, phir three wheelers aur phir uske baad yeh four wheelers mein jayegi.
  61. He says the EV policy was later sabotaged. Lekin uske baad yeh policy sabotage hui.
  62. He says he wrote a letter to a prime minister, which is on record. maine phir ek prime minister ko khat likha jo ke on record hai
  63. He says Honda and Toyota had cornered about 80% of the car market at that time. ek ek Honda hai aur ek Toyota hai aur unhone puri car market ko us waqt 80 feesad jo hai woh corner kiya hua tha
  64. He says price controls on items such as sugar and wheat result in there being no incentive. Jo price controls humne establish kiye hue hain chahe woh sugar ke hon chahe woh um gandum ka ho chahe woh iska ho uska ho they are resulting in um I mean woh hota yeh hai ki jab aapka koi incentive hi nahi hai.
  65. He says the entire economic model of agriculture in Pakistan is broken down because of populist narratives. the entire economic model of agriculture unfortunately in Pakistan is broken down because of populist narratives
  66. Malik Amin Aslam is a former federal minister of climate change. Malik Amin Aslam is the Ex-Federal Minister of Climate Change.