Observer Report
Rojhan Mazari
Veteran politician Sardar Sherbaz Khan Mazari passed away on Saturday at the age of 90, his family said in a statement. “The Mazari family is deeply grieved to announce the passing away of our cherished elder, Sardar Sherbaz Khan Mazari,” it said.
“A devoted and loving patriarch, fiercely dedicated to his country, loyal to his friends — he commanded respect for his unwavering integrity. He was much revered by his tribe, where his sense of justice prevailed in resolving conflict through tribal faislas (decisions),” the statement added.
Mazari, a tribal chief from Rojhan Mazari — located in Punjab, close to the Balochistan border — was founder of the National Democratic Party. In the 1970 elections, Mazari had contested as an independent candidate and was elected as a member of the National Assembly. He was among those who opposed military action in East Pakistan.
He served as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly from 1975 to 1977. He had played an important role in the preparation of the 1973 Constitution and later during the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy. Mazari was brother-in-law of late Baloch leader and chief of the Jamhoori Watan Party Nawab Akbar Bugti.
