Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan: A Traditional Rightist Democrat and Alliance Maker

Abstract

In a democracy, the opposition always has a pivotal role in uplifting the quality of democracy. Further, it keeps a strict eye on the legislative business and policies of the government. The present study is about Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, one of the most prominent opposition leaders in the political history of Pakistan. The article examines the political journey of Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, which expanded over six decades. Khan is significant in Pakistan's political history because he also set a notable trend: the politics of opposition. He always preferred to be a part of the opposition in his political life. Primarily, the article focuses on Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan's role in forming opposition alliances in 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s lastly, formation of ARD (Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy). During his entire political career, Khan always stood for democracy and was firmly against the country's military rule. On the contrary, he had strongly criticized the civilian government. In Pakistan's political arena, Khan was considered as one of the key figures of the oppositional alliances. The political history of Pakistan is incomplete without discussing Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan.