Israr Ullah Khan Zehri
/ref> ( ur, مير اسراراللہ زہری; born December 15, 1965) is a Pakistani politician. He is currently a senator from

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

. He also serves as Federal Minister for Postal Services. He hails from Jhalawan,

and is president of

Balochistan National Party Awami Balochistan National Party (Awami) is a minor political party in Balochistan, Pakistan with regionalist orientation. Israr Ullah Zehri Israr Ullah Khan Zehri ( ur, مير اسراراللہ زہری; born December 15, 1965) is a Pakistani politi ...

. He was elected to the

Senate of Pakistan Senate of Pakistan or Aiwān-e-Bālā Pākistān ( ur, , , literally "Pakistan upper house"), is the upper legislative chamber of the bicameral legislature of Pakistan, and together with the National Assembly makes up the Parliament of Pakist ...

in March 2006 and then again in 2012.Senate of Pakistan
/ref>

Political career

Israr ullah Khan Zehri became a Senator in March 2006. He started parliamentary politics in 1990 and served as Provincial minister for Agriculture, local government, Home and Health minister from 1990 to 1999.

Support for Baba Kot incident

Zehri is a tribal leader and attracted condemnation both inside and outside Pakistan for openly supporting the traditional tribal practice of '

honor killing An honor killing (American English), honour killing (Commonwealth English), or shame killing is the murder of an individual, either an outsider or a member of a family, by someone seeking to protect what they see as the dignity and honor of ...

'. In August 2008, the

Asian Human Rights Commission The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is an independent, non-governmental body that promotes human rights in Asia and mobilizes Asian and international public opinion to obtain relief and redress for the victims of human rights violations. I ...

reported that five women (including three teenagers) in a remote village in

had been beaten, shot and buried alive in a ditch for the 'crime' of having wished to choose their own husbands. After human rights activists brought the case to national and international attention, Zehri defended the killings in Parliament and asked his fellow legislators not to make a fuss about the incident. He said, "These are centuries-old traditions, and I will continue to defend them. Only those who indulge in immoral acts should be afraid."

References

Baloch people Pakistani senators (14th Parliament) Pakistani landowners Living people 1965 births {{Philately-stub