Hari Ram
{{Short description|Politician in Pakistan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Hari Ram
| office = Provincial Minister of Sindh for Minorities Affairs
| term_start = 19 August 2018
| term_end = 11 August 2023
| office1 = Provincial Minister of Sindh for Social Welfare
| term_start1 = 19 August 2018
| term_end1 = 11 August 2023
| office2 = Provincial Minister of Sindh for Prisons
| term_start2 = 19 August 2018
| term_end2 = 11 August 2023
| office3 = Member of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh
| term_start3 = 13 August 2018
| term_end3 = 11 August 2023
| constituency3 = PS-47 (Mirpur Khas-I)
| office4 = Member of the Senate of Pakistan
| term_start4 = March 2012
| term_end4 = March 2018
| nationality = Pakistani
| party = PPP (1988-present)
}}
Hari Ram Kishori Lal ({{langx|ur|{{nq|ہری رام کشوری لال}}}}) is a Pakistani Hindu politician from Sindh. A five-time legilslator to the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, Ram was one of the first non-Muslims to win a non-reserved constituency in a Pakistani province in 2018 (alongside Giyanoo Mal, the first being Mahesh Kumar Malani in 2013).{{Efn|Before the promulgation of the 1973 constitution which reserved seats for minorities (non-Muslims were further barred from contesting elections on non-reserved seats in 1985 which was overturned in 2002), non-Muslims which had been elected include: Sindhi Hindus Aidansing Nagji Sodho, Dharamdas Motmal, Gulji Ratanji Menghwar, Lilji Akhji Sodho, Rup Chand Chelaram, Rup Chand Seoomal Luhano, Shambhoomal Hiranand Luhano, Sawaising Sonji Sodho, Teoomal Nathromal, Sirumal Kirpaldas as members of the 4th Provincial Assembly of Sindh after the 1953 Sindh provincial election (though it is unclear if these were reserved or non-reserved seats); and Buddhist Tridev Roy as a member of the 5th National Assembly of Pakistan after the 1970 Pakistani general election.|name=prev}}
He served in the Senate from 2012 to 2018.
Early life
Ram was born on 29 May 1952 in Mirpurkhas.{{cite web |title=Profile |url=http://www.pas.gov.pk/index.php/members/profile/en/32/666 |website=www.pas.gov.pk |publisher=Provincial Assembly of Sindh |accessdate=16 September 2018 |archive-date=10 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610150014/http://www.pas.gov.pk/index.php/members/profile/en/32/666 |url-status=dead }} A landlord, he did not study beyond high school.
Political career
Ram won four consecutive elections to the Provincial Assembly of Sindh in 1988, 1990, 1993, and 1997 as one of the five representatives of the local Hindu community; he did not have any political affiliation.[https://www.ecp.gov.pk/Documents/Results%201988%20-%201997/Sindh.pdf Detailed Results of Elections to the Provincial Assembly of Sindh] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104140755/https://www.ecp.gov.pk/Documents/Results%201988%20-%201997/Sindh.pdf |date=2022-11-04 }}. Undated. Election Commission of Pakistan In 2012, he was elected to the Senate of Pakistan from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on the sole seat reserved for minorities from Sindh.{{cite news|title=PPP dominates Senate elections|url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/40747-ppp-dominates-senate-elections|accessdate=28 January 2018|work=www.geo.tv|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128154748/https://www.geo.tv/latest/40747-ppp-dominates-senate-elections|archivedate=28 January 2018}}{{efn|Ram secured 157 votes against a paltry 4, secured by Photo Mal alias Dileep of Pakistan Muslim League (Q).{{cite news|title=Senate elections: Despite drama, upset, PPP comes out on top - The Express Tribune|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/344818/senate-elections-despite-drama-upset-ppp-comes-out-on-top/|accessdate=28 January 2018|work=The Express Tribune|date=3 March 2012}}}}
In 2018, he was elected to the Provincial Assembly from Mirpur Khas-I, becoming one of the first non-Muslims to win a non-reserved constituency in any provincial assembly of Pakistan.{{efn|name=prev}}{{cite news |title=Pakistan election 2018 results: National and provincial assemblies |work=Samaa TV |url=https://www.samaa.tv/news/2018/07/live-pakistan-election-2018-results/ |url-status=live |accessdate=3 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729083521/https://www.samaa.tv/news/2018/07/live-pakistan-election-2018-results/ |archive-date=2018-07-29}}{{Cite news |date=29 May 2021 |title=Pakistan election: Muslim-majority areas elect 3 Hindu candidates in Sindh |newspaper=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/pakistan-election-muslim-majority-areas-elect-3-hindu-candidates-in-sindh-118073101491_1.html}} He was inducted into Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah's cabinet, and made the Minister for Minorities Affairs with the additional portfolios of Social Welfare, and Prison.{{cite news |title=Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah picks his 10-member cabinet |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1427999/sindh-cm-murad-ali-shah-picks-his-10-member-cabinet |accessdate=19 August 2018 |work=DAWN.COM |date=19 August 2018}}
Personal life
Ram has a son.{{Cite web |last=Correspondent |first=The Newspaper's |date=2020-06-08 |title=Minister's son, guard and driver injured in accident |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1562024 |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} On 21 May 2021, he suffered a cardiac arrest while attending a ministerial meeting.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-21 |title=Sindh Food Minister Kishori Lal suffers heart attack |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/759031/sindh-food-minister-kishori-lal-suffers-heart-attack/ |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=Daily Times |language=en-US}}
Notes
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References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lal, Hari Ram Kishori}}
Category:Pakistani senators (14th Parliament)
Category:Pakistan People's Party MPAs (Sindh)
{{Pakistan-senator-stub}}