A British politician and solicitor by profession, Sajjad Haider Karim is a former Member of the European Parliament. He has developed an extensive experience in trade related issues including being the Parliamentary Rapporteur for EU-INDIA Free trade agreement.

Elected local in the United Kingdom from 1989 to 2002 in the borough of Pendle near Leeds and Manchester, Sajjad was elected to the European Parliament in 2004 and re-elected in 2009 and 2014, when he was chosen as the Conservative Group’s candidate for the presidency of the Parliament.

Over the years, Sajjad has become a pillar of the conservative group: a member of the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, he has also chaired the South Asia Trade Supervisory Council, the South Caucasus Delegation and the powerful Parliamentary Conduct Committee.

Throughout his tenure, Sajjad has championed the EU’s role in the development of trade between the EU and the rest of the world. He was appointed rapporteur on the free trade agreement with India, and subsequently played a key role in numerous trade negotiations. He has also worked as a rapporteur on improving the legislative process in the EU and reducing the legislative burden. He contributed to many key reforms, including the exemption of SMEs from regulation, the strengthening of national parliaments in EU decision-making and the regulation of the EU audit profession after the financial crisis.

Highly invested in the relations between the European Union and South Asia, he has been particularly active towards Pakistan and Azerbaijan, where he enjoys a strong reputation after working for trade rapprochement, the defense of human rights and the fight against child labor.

His involvement in international issues has also led him to engage diplomatically with Syrian opposition groups, in favor of democracy in Egypt and civil rights in Turkey and Kashmir. In January 2015, Sajjad was nominated for the British Muslim Awards’ Politician of the Year award.

In March 2019, Sajjad Karim received the International Business Award at the annual European Parliament Awards by The Parliament magazine.