Zafarullah Khan Jamali - Early Life

Early Life

Zafarullah Khan Jamali was born in the "Rojhan Jamali" village of Dera Murad Jamali, in Nasirabad District of Commissariat Baluchistan of British Indian Empire on 1 January 1944. Jamali hails from an educated Baloch family who had been under influence of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. His uncle, Jafar Khan Jamali, was a prominent leader of the Pakistan Movement, and was a close associate of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Founder of Pakistan; his family had been active in politics since 1932. After completing his high school education from Saint Francis Grammar School in Quetta, Jamali attended the elite public colleges, first studying at the Lawrence College at Murree where he did O-level and later proceeded to Aitchison College in Lahore where finally completing the A-levels with high marks in his studies. Jamali applied and inducted in the Government College University where he obtained Bachelor's degree (with honors) in Business Administration in 1963, followed by MA in British history from the Punjab University in 1965. Jamali was a "Blue" holder of Punjab University in university's hockey in 1961-65 and also captained its team. In 1965, Jamali joined the national hockey team of Pakistan represented Pakistan as a hockey player at international level.

Upon returning to his native province, Jamali performed variety of public and social works which motivated him to come in the public life with real commitment and dedication for the service and welfare of the masses. During this time, Jamali began to take interest in national politics and decided to join the centre-left, democratic socialist Pakistan Peoples Party after listening to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's speech during his visit to Balochistan.