Wajid Ali Khan (born April 24, 1946) is a Canadian businessman and politician. Between 2004 and 2008, he was a member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Mississauga—Streetsville initially as a Liberal and then as a Conservative Member of Parliament. In March 2018, he was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and charged with three counts of fraud, three counts of false pretense and one count of uttering a forged document. The fraud charges were subsequently withdrawn in March 2022.
Early life, family and education
Khan was born in Lahore in what is now Pakistan. He served as an officer and a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force from 1966 to 1973, He also has been involved in investment activities in the Toronto area as well as Edmonton and Pakistan. He recalled:
Khan later referred to the altercation, saying he pushed Jamal aside because he was "speaking nonsense" and referred to him as an "idiot" with "piss-poor" command of the English language. Khan, who had been chastised by Jamal's wife Cherfya in the past, later reported Jamal's behaviour to the authorities, leading to his being charged as the ringleader of a Toronto terrorism plot, and jailed for two years before being released.
Advisor for the Middle East and Afghanistan
He was appointed as special advisor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the Middle East and Afghanistan on August 8, 2006. In response to criticisms about providing support for his Conservative political opponents, Khan 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. Khan was sent to the Middle East on a 16-day trip to prepare a report on conditions there; before departing, he promised that the report would be made public upon his return, a promise which later became a point of contention.
Crosses the floor
Early in January 2007, media outlets began reporting speculation that Khan was considering crossing the floor to join the Conservative Party. Liberal leader Stéphane Dion had stated that he would not permit Khan to continue in his role as an advisor to Stephen Harper while sitting as a Liberal MP. On January 5, Khan crossed the floor to the Conservatives.
Following his defection to the Tories, there were calls from Khan's former Liberal colleagues for his Middle East report to be made public as promised; however, Prime Minister Harper refused this, saying that publication of the report would make Khan "a pundit and not an advisor."
On January 15, 2007, it was revealed that Khan's old Liberal riding association had been de-registered by Elections Canada effective December 31, 2006. Khan's businesses lent nearly $180,000 to the riding association in a two-year period. While loans to riding associations are permissible, the magnitude of the loans from Khan's business was considered highly unusual. On February 3, 2008, Chief Government Whip Jay Hill announced that Khan had fully concluded the matter with Elections Canada and had been readmitted to the Conservative caucus.
In the October 14, 2008 federal election, Khan lost his reelection bid to Liberal candidate Bonnie Crombie by 4,725 votes.
Criminal charges
In 2007, Khan was charged in Ontario Superior Court with overspending during the 2004 election. He "received a six-month conditional sentence and was fined $5,000 in Ontario Superior Court" regarding a false bankruptcy filing.