Zafarullah Khan Jamali

Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali (1 January 1944 – 2 December 2020) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Pakistan from 2002 until his resignation in 2004.

He was the first and only elected prime minister from Balochistan, Pakistan.

Jamali was born on 1 January 1944 to a political, religious and landlord family in Rojhan village of Commissariat Baluchistan of the British Indian Empire, now Nasirabad District in Balochistan, Pakistan.

Jamali received his early education at Lawrence College, Murree and A-levels from Aitchison College, Lahore.Jamali was a great hockey player in his time.

He then studied in a government college for a bachelor's degree.

He received his master's degree in political science at the University of the Punjab in 1965.

Originally a supporter of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamali emerged from the politics of Balochistan under military governor Rahimuddin Khan during the 1970s.

Jamali began his political career in 1970 and joined PPP.

Jamali took part in 1970 Pakistani general election for the first time, but lost it.

He was elected to the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan in 1977 Pakistani general election on a PPP ticket.

He was appointed a provincial minister in the provincial cabinet of Nawab Mohammad Khan Barozai in Balochistan.

He briefly held portfolios for the departments of Food, Information, Law and Parliamentary Affairs.

After the imposition of martial law in Pakistan by General Zia-ul-Haq, he was allied to Zia-ul-Haq.

Jamali was appointed as a state minister in the federal cabinet by General Zia-ul-Haq.

Jamali was elected as the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1985 Pakistani general election from Naseerabad constituency and was inducted into the federal cabinet of Junejo and given the portfolio of Federal Minister of water and power.

He became a national figure as part of the government of Nawaz Sharif, and was Chief Minister of Balochistan for two non-consecutive terms (from June–December 1988 and November 1996 –February 1997).

Jamali was appointed as the caretaker Chief Minister of Balochistan in 1988 after General Zia-ul-Haq dismissed the government of Junejo.

Jamali was re-elected as the member of the provincial assembly of Balochistan in 1988 Pakistani general election and became the chief minister of Balochistan.

Jamali ran for the seat of National Assembly in the 1990 Pakistani general elections, but was defeated by a PPP candidate.

He appointed a special envoy to improve relations and lessen tensions between the two countries which had arisen during the 1990s and early 2000s.

He was re-elected as the member of the Provincial Assembly in 1993 Pakistani general elections on the PML ticket and defeated a PPP nominee.

He was elected as the member of the Senate of Pakistan in 1994 and again in 1997.

Jamali was re-appointed caretaker as the chief minister of Balochistan in 1997.

Although he was a senior leader in the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and Sharif's confidant, relations between Jamali and Sharif cooled and Jamali joined the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) after the 1999 coup led by General Pervez Musharraf.

In the 2002 general election, Jamali won his bid for the office of Prime Minister after his supporters and colleagues crossed party lines to support him.

On 21 November 2002 Jamali was appointed the 13th Prime Minister of Pakistan-designate.

He took the oath on 23 November 2002, serving until he unexpectedly announced his resignation in 2004.

He is the fifth shortest-serving democratically elected Prime Minister in the history of Pakistan.

In July 2002, Jamali joined the Pakistan Muslim League's breakaway Pakistan Muslim League (Q).

He was re-elected as the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 2002 Pakistani general election.

In November 2002, Jamali became the 13th Prime Minister of Pakistan by a simple majority for five years for the first time after securing 188 votes out of 342 seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan.

He was the first politician from Balochistan to become prime minister of Pakistan.

Since no party had an exclusive mandate, his election as Prime Minister followed weeks of negotiation.

He formed a coalition government with MQM, MMA, PPPP and the splinter group of the Pakistan Muslim League.

He oversaw Pakistan's transition from two-party to multi-party democracy.

In October 2003 Jamali visited the United States, meeting with President George W. Bush and vowing to support the U.S. in the war on terror.

Jamali vowed to improve relations with India immediately after assuming office and procuring a peace agreement and cease-fire in the disputed Kashmir region.

In 2004, Jamali visited Afghanistan, which was the first highest-level visit from Pakistan since the fall of the Taliban government in 2001 which was an ally of Pakistan.

Jamali supported Hamid Karzai as President of Afghanistan and assured him of cooperation between the government of both countries in everything, from trade to terrorism.

Jamali announced donations of 300 buses and trucks, scholarships for Afghan students and aid for improvement of road, railway and hospital projects in Afghanistan.