Sardar Sherbaz Khan Mazari

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Sardar Sherbaz Khan Mazari is a well known Pakistani politician hailing from the Baloch, Mazari tribe situated in Rojhan-Mazari.

Born to Mir Murad Baksh Khan, Chief of the Mazari Tribe, he lost his mother when he was one and father when he was two. As an orphan he alongwith his two brothers and three sisters were placed under the guardianship of the British Government. He studied at Aitchison College at Lahore and until partition at the Royal Indian Military College at Dera Doon.

Sardar Sherbaz Khan Mazari entered politics by supporting Miss Fatima Jinnah , sister of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, againstAyub Khan in the Presidential elections of 1964. In 1970 he was elected to the National Assembly as an independent candidate . He was a signatory to the 1973 Constitution, as head of the independent group in the Assembly.

After the Bhutto led army action in Balochistan and the subsequent banning of the National Awami Party, he formed the National Democratic Party. This was an effort to oppose Zulfiqar Bhutto's rule as well as to bring about peace in Balochistan. He served as the leader of the NDP from 1975 to 1985 and the leader of the Opposition in Parliament from 1975-1977.

A former friend of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, he became one of his main political opponents in the Pakistan National Alliance. The 1977 elections led to a civil agitation movement which ultimately ousted Zulfiqar Bhutto's government and brought in Martial Law under General Zia. DuringGeneral Zia's regime he again played a key role in opposing the military regime .He helped establish Movement of restoration of Democracy( MRD) ,an alliance of opposition parties which included the Pakistan Peoples Party. The resulting movement however did not succeed and it was only after Zia's death did democracy finally return to Pakistan.

A strong believer of democracy Sardar Mazari was incarcerated on numerous occasions during both Zulfikar Bhutto and General Zia's rule. He was one of the few West Pakistani politicians to have opposed the army action in what was then East Pakistan against the Bengali's and the only opponent of Zulfikar Bhutto to have condemned his judicial murder.

He was defeated in the 1988 general elections due to differences within the Mazari tribe apparently engineered by "the establishment" and retired from politics greatly disillusioned. In 1999, he wrote his memoir, Pakistan a journey to disillusionment.

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