Zulfiqar Mirza is a Pakistani politician affiliated with Pakistan Peoples Party. Zulfiqar Mirza hails from a Sindhi-speaking political family in Sindh, the Qazis of Sindh.
Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza is married to Dr. Fahmida Mirza who was elected as the first female Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan on March 19, 2008.[1] She is also the first female parliamentary speaker in the Muslim world. Zulfiqar Mirza is currently a member of Provincial Assembly of Sindh and was the Home Minister of Sindh till June 2011. He acquired his secondary education at Cadet College Petaro in the late 1960s. President of Pakistan Asif Zardari also attended Cadet College Petaro in 70s. Later he was assigned the portfolio of Jails and prisons. Now he holds the portfolio of Senior Minister for Works, Services and Forest in Sindh cabinet.
He is also the member of the board of directors of Mirza Sugar Mills located in District Badin, Sindh.[2]
[edit]Allegations against MQM
Zulfiqar Mirza on Sunday, 28 August 2011, announced his resignation from the government during an emotional press briefing at the Karachi Press Club. He added that his earlier ministry post had been changed to Sindh senior minister due to political blackmail.[3]
He stated that parties protected by the United States and United Kingdom had bypassed his ministry and released convicted killers and rapists. He stated "If you free a killer convicted of killing 13 people, he will kill 130 people for you if you free him. I cant stand by and watch this." He said prisoners were being freed on the order of Governor of Sindh and Rehman Malik. He further stated MQM chief Altaf Hussain had told him that America and world powers had decided to break up Pakistan and Altaf Hussain had supported their idea. He added that he had moved 20 men – ten of whom were facing the death penalty and ten facing life imprisonment – out of prisons in Karachi to prevent them from running criminal networks from behind bars, but that this effort was foiled by Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad Khan of the MQM, a party run from the United Kingdom, who brought them back to Karachi. He added that 25 ‘known’ target killers were released from jail.[4]
He also accused the MQM of collecting Rs. 5000 on every container which left the Karachi Port. He also said whoever was a tool in breaking up the country should resign.