Hafiz Khan
Hafizud Dean Khan is a
Fijian businessman and
Senator. Appointed to the Senate on
13 July 2005 to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Dr
Ahmed Ali, Khan became one of the 9 out of 32 Senators nominated by the
Prime Minister (a further 14 are chosen by the
Great Council of Chiefs, 8 by the
Leader of the Opposition, and 1 by the
Council of Rotuma). Khan was formally sworn in on
22 August 2005. In
June 2006, he became
Vice-President of the Senate.
Khan is Chairman of the
Hexon group of companies, and has saved in the past as Chairman of the
Fiji Sugar Corporation and of the
Fiji Hotel Association. He is also a member of the
Fiji National Tourism Council, and serves on the National Advisory Committee for multi-ethnic affairs, and on the National Reconciliation Committee.
In his
maiden speech to the Senate on
24 August 2005, Khan, who is the National President of Fiji's
Muslim League, affirmed his belief in a single God who will judge all people after death.
Himself an
Indo-Fijian, Khan defended the interests of
indigenous Fijians in his maiden speech. Differences between the two races have defined Fijian
politics for the past generation. Khan said that as a Fijian citizen by birth and also by choice, he believed in upholding the rights of the indigenous people.
"As I have chosen Fiji, having been born and raised here, as my home, indigenous Fijian aspirations and in particular, the protection of their rights to determine their own destiny, I believe, should always be paramount," Khan said. He described Fijians as a very accommodating, humble, and forgiving people.
On
14 October, Khan launched a national appeal for funds to assist with relief efforts in the wake of the devastating
earthquake that struck
Kashmir, on the
India/
Pakistan border on
8 October. The money raised by the Fiji Muslim League would complement the
F$90,000 pledged by the Fijian government, Khan said.
Khan is married, and has two children.
