Remembering an amazing political stalwart
Osama Siddiqui
Balochistan has given birth to several charismatic personalities who have done great work for Pakistan. As per Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s letters to Benazir Bhutto, “Baloch is a son of a proud mother and a fearless father.” Whenever the names of Balochis are mentioned in terms of their sacrifices for the survival and strengthening of democracy in the country, Sherbaz Khan Mazari’s name will be at the top of the list.
Sherbaz Khan Mazari was born in Rojhan Mazari, Punjab on October 6, 1930. His father Mir Murad Bakhsh Khan was the chief of Mazari tribe in Dera Ghazi Khan. His mother died when he spent a year in this world and his father passed away when he was only 2 years old, so he and his siblings were placed under British guardianship.
Earlier, he was initially educated at the prestigious Aitchison College. Thereafter, he got admission at the Royal Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehradun. His years at RIMC made him a thorough gentleman and a cosmopolitan as he spent more time with other communities over there. However, one night at the stroke of the midnight hour he was woken alongside other Muslim students and were safely taken to Saharanpur where they were taken to Lahore under Major Tikka Khan’s supervision who later became General Tikka Khan.
After that, Sherbaz Mazari started politics by supporting Fatima Jinnah against General Ayub Khan. He developed close relations with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and both of them had a common interest that was of collecting and reading books. He saw Bhutto closely and witnessed his rise and fall. Although he could have joined Pakistan People’s Party to become a famous leader, however, he made a deal that was not popular in nature. In this manner, he could have raised his own voice without any influence. Hence, in the 1970 general elections, he contested for National Assembly as an independent candidate and won.
He sat on the opposition benches and remained the opposition leader in the parliament during 1975-77. He was a strong ally and admirer of Khan Abdul Wali Khan who was leading a secular political party – National Awami Party. However, a time came when Bhutto banned the NAP and threw its leaders in prison in a controversial case commonly known as Hyderabad Tribunal Case. Sherbaz Mazari and Begum Naseem Wali Khan formed a political party that was National Democratic Party (NDP) and he was elected its president. Similarly, he was the last opposition leader before General Zia ousted Bhutto’s elected government.
He was against General Zia’s dictatorship and was one the founding members of the movement for restoration of democracy where he asked both the Wali Khan family as well as the Bhutto family to put the grievances aside and fight for democracy. The Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD) gave dictator Zia a very tough time and it also brought all the political parties of the country on one page.
In 1988, General Zia was killed in a plane crash and this ended the age of his brutality and fascism. Sherbaz Mazari was offered a seat adjustment in the general elections of 1988 by the PPP under the leadership of Benazir Bhutto but he politely declined the offer. He lost the elections in his hometown but won respect in the eyes of the nation for his democratic principles and struggle against dictatorship and oppression.
After living a long life with multiple ups and downs, Sherbaz Mazari died on December 5, 2020 at the age of 90. He will always be remembered as a stalwart of democracy in Pakistan. Men like him are very few in number in our part of the world. He was a well-read person and a believer in the dignity in politics. May his soul rest in peace!
The writer has done MSc in Business and Management from the Cardiff University, United Kingdom, and BBA from the Institute of Management Sciences (IMSciences), Peshawar. He has a keen interest in cricket, movies and the history of South Asia, particularly the Subcontinent. He may be reached at: osamasiddiqui21@yahoo.com. He also tweets at: @osamasidd97.
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