Balakh Sher Mazari

Sardar Mir Balakh Sher Mazari (born 8 July 1928) (Urdu: بلخ شیر مزاری‎) is the tumandar[1] (or chieftain) and the paramount sardar of the Mazari tribe which is situated on the tristate area between Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan.

Sardar Mir Balakh Sher Mazari
2nd Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan
In office 18 April 1993 – 26 May 1993
President	Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Preceded by	Nawaz Sharif
Succeeded by	Nawaz Sharif
Personal details
Born	8 July 1928 Kot Karam Khan, Punjab, British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan)
Political party	Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Relations	Dost Muhammad Mazari (grandson) Sherbaz Khan Mazari (brother)

As the chieftain of his tribe, he holds the title of "Mir" but also goes by the styles of "Tumandar" or "Sardar". Mazari is 22nd Sardar and the seventh Mir of the Mazaris. Alongside Mazari, his brother Sherbaz Khan Mazari also played a role in the politics of Pakistan. His grandson Mir Dost Mohammad Mazari is a Pakistan Peoples Party parliamentarian from NA-175 Rajanpur who served as the parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Water and Power.[2]

Mazari served as the 14th Prime Minister of Pakistan in an acting capacity after the Nawaz government was overthrown by president Ghulam Ishaq Khan. Mazari's tenure as caretaker prime minister ended abruptly on 26 May 1993 when the Supreme Court revoked the presidential order and reinstated Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister.[3]

History

Mazari was born on 8 July 1928 to the 21st Sardar and the sixth Mir of the Mazari tribe, Murad Buksh Khan Mazari. He was later elevated to become the Mazari chieftain in 1933 after the death of his father who had ruled as chieftain for nine months. After the completion of his education from Aitchison College in 1945 went on to live in Rojhan-Mazari, from where he joined active politics in 1951. He has been elected Member of the Senate, Member of the National Assembly and Member of the Provincial Assembly on many occasions.

Caretaker prime minister

On 19 April 1993, president Ghulam Ishaq Khan exercised his extra-constitutional presidential powers, instituted to him through the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, to resolve the power struggle in Pakistan and dismissed the government of prime minister Nawaz Sharif. After dissolving both, the national and the provincial assemblies, Khan appointed Mazari as the caretaker prime minister.[4] After being appointed as the caretaker prime minister, Mazari had to serve as the head of the government for 90 days, a mandatory period required to set up a framework for the next general elections. Mazari scheduled the general elections for 14 July 1993.[4]

References

1. Qureshi, Hasnain. "Political scenario remains unchanged". The News International. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
2. Associated Press of Pakistan (7 November 2012). "Balakh Sher Mazari calls on Gilani". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
3. Blood, Peter R. (1 December 1996). Pakistan: A Country Study. DIANE Publishing. pp. 237–. ISBN 9780788136313. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
4. "Balakh Sher Mazari Becomes Caretaker Prime Minister". Story of Pakistan. 1 June 2003. Retrieved 12 July 2014.

Further reading

• Mazari, Sherbaz Khan (1999). A Journey to Disillusionment. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-579076-4.