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Wajid Ali Khan (born April 24, 1946 in Lahore, Pakistan) is a Canadian businessman and politician. He is a current member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Mississauga—Streetsville for the Liberal Party. He is also the special advisor of the prime minister of Canada for the Middle East and the South Asia. Khan served as an officer and pilot in the Pakistan Air Force form 1966 to 1973. He took part in the India-Pakistan war in 1971 as a MiG-19 pilot. He was shot down during one of his missions and spent some time as a Prisoner of War. He moved to Toronto, Canada in 1974. Since then, he has emerged as a prominent voice in the city's Pakistani and Muslim communities of the city. Prior to his election, he was the President and CEO of the largest automobile showroom in Canada, that of Dufferin Mazda. Khan supported Paul Martin for the Liberal Party leadership in 2003. He was elected with over 50% support in Mississauga—Streetsville in the 2004 federal election, defeating Conservative Nina Tangri by nearly a 20% margin. Along with Yasmin Ratansi, Khan is the first Muslim MP to be elected for the Liberal Party. Rahim Jaffer, also a Muslim MP, had been elected for the Reform Party in 1997. Khan voted against the government's same-sex marriage bill on June 28, 2005. Khan was re-elected in the 2006 federal election, defeating Conservative Raminder Gill by an 11% margin. Since his reelection, he has been appointed Associate Critic for National Defense, and most recently Associate Critic for Treasury Board. Khan has also declared his support for Joe Volpe in the upcoming Liberal leadership. He was appointed as special advisor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the Middle East and the South Asia on August 8 2006. Khan has emphasized the non-partisan nature of his appointment, noting that he sought and received the approval of Liberal leader Bill Graham prior to taking on the responsibility.
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