33 Facts About Sajjad Karim

Sajjad Karim served as a Member of the European Parliament for the North West England between 2004 and 2019.

Sajjad Karim is a solicitor by profession and has been the Legal Affairs Spokesman for the Conservatives in the European Parliament since 2009.

In 2014 Sajjad Karim was the European Conservatives and Reformists candidate for President of the European Parliament.

Sajjad Karim has developed extensive experience in Trade related issues including being the Parliamentary Rapporteur for an EU-India Free Trade Agreement.

On 19 August 2020, Sajjad Karim tweeted his concerns at the current Government's lack of commitment to human rights, which was misreported by some in the media.

Sajjad Karim, a British Pakistani, was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, on 11 July 1970.

Sajjad Karim attended Walter Street County Primary School Brierfield and thereafter Mansfield High School, Brierfield.

Sajjad Karim completed his A levels at Nelson and Colne College before studying law at university.

Sajjad Karim attended the College of Law in Chester, studying law.

Sajjad Karim was elected a member of Pendle Borough Council in 1994 and served until 2002 representing Brierfield ward.

Sajjad Karim was elected to represent North West England in 2004 as a Liberal Democrat.

Sajjad Karim is interested in human rights issues, including child labour and the civil liberties of EU citizens in the War on Terror.

Sajjad Karim led the successful European Union contribution to the campaign for the commutation of the death penalty of British man, Mirza Tahir Hussain, who had spent half of his life on death row in Pakistan, for a crime he maintains he did not commit.

Sajjad Karim has spoken out on a number of key human rights issues and in particular, campaigns for self-determination for Kashmir.

Sajjad Karim has hosted a number of conferences in the European Parliament on the issue.

Sajjad Karim has been active on the issue of democracy in Egypt and civil rights in Turkey.

Sajjad Karim was reappointed to this front bench position in June 2014 following the European Elections in May As well as serving as a full member of the Legal Affairs Committee, Sajjad was previously a substitute member of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee and the Civil Liberties and the Justice and Home Affairs Committee.

Sajjad Karim previously served as a member of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and on the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean.

Sajjad Karim has championed the role played by the EU in developing and facilitating international trade between the EU and the wider world, and has been involved in the development of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement within the European Parliament.

Sajjad Karim was the European Parliament's rapporteur on the free trade agreement with India and has authored two trade-related European Parliament Reports on EU-India Trade Relations and the EU-India FTA.

Sajjad Karim has spent a considerable amount of his time working towards a reduction in EU regulations and red tape on businesses, particularly SMEs.

In February 2012, Sajjad Karim was one of five MEPs to be appointed to a panel to police the new code of conduct rules that will govern the behaviour of MEPs.

Sajjad Karim is the only British MEP to serve on this committee.

The incumbent Martin Schultz retained his position as president, with Sajjad Karim coming second out of four candidates, widely acknowledged that he secured support from MEPs right across the house beyond his own group.

Sajjad Karim made headline news in December 2012 when he played an instrumental role in securing the return of six-year-old Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson to UK from Pakistan following abduction by her father.

Sajjad Karim steered the International Trade Committee to approve the beneficial trade tariff.

From 2014 to 2019, Sajjad Karim steered the European Parliament's relations with the South Caucasus as chair of the region's delegation, successfully contributing to the establishment of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with Armenia and its GSP+ trading regime.

Sajjad Karim has been appointed as the vice-chair of ARDI and as chair of its Working group on Islamophobia.

Sajjad Karim has held multiple events within the European Parliament aimed at raising awareness of the issue of Islamophobia.

Sajjad Karim who considered the poster islamophobic was the only MEP who personally wrote to President Tajani challenging the poster, raising the issue in Plenary and eventually compelling the President to take down the poster.

Sajjad Karim was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for the University of Management and Technology in Lahore for his work in securing the GSP+ deal and for services to the British Pakistani community.

Sajjad Karim was presented with the award in March 2015 by Pakistan President, Mamnoon Hussain, at a ceremony in Islamabad.

In March 2019, Sajjad Karim was the recipient of the International Trade Award at The Parliament Magazine's annual MEP Awards.