Early life and education
Jamali was born in 1944 to a political, religious and landlord family in Rowjhan 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. 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.
Jamali was a sportsman during his student days and was a member of his school and then university’s hockey team.
Political career
Jamali began his political career in 1970 and joined PPP. Jamali took part in Pakistani general election, 1970 for the first time, but lost it.
He was elected to the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan for the first time in Pakistani general election, 1977 on a PPP ticket.
He was appointed a provincial minister in the provincial cabinet of Balochistan. As part of the new government in 1972, Jamali was appointed provincial home minister and Minister of Food, Information and Parliamentary Affairs in the Balochistan provisional cabinet.
In Pakistani general elections, 1977 Jamali was re-elected as the member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan for the second time. He briefly held portfolios for the departments of Food, Information, Law and Parliamentary Affairs.
Jamali left the PPP in 1977.
After the imposition of martial law in Pakistan by General Zia-ul-Haq, he allied with 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 Pakistani general election, 1985 from Naseerabad constituency and was inducted into the federal cabinet of Junejo and given the portfolio of Federal Minister of water and power.
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 Pakistani general election, 1988 and became the chief minister of Balochistan.
He was elected as the member of the Senate of Pakistan in 1994 and again in 1997.
Jamali ran for the seat of National Assembly in the Pakistani general elections, 1990, but was defeated by a PPP candidate.
He was re-elected as the member of the Provincial Assembly in Pakistani general elections, 1993 on the PML ticket and defeated a PPP nominee. Jamali was re-appointed caretaker as the chief minister of Balochistan in 1997.
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister Jamali shaking hands with President George W. Bush, 2003
In July 2002, Jamali joined the Pakistan Muslim League’s breakaway Q Group as senior executive president.
He was re-elected as the member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in Pakistani general election, 2002.
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.