Mahmud Ali Kasuri

Who is Mahmud Ali Kasuri?

Mian Mahmud Ali Kasuri was a prominent Pakistani opposition politician, human rights advocate and lawyer. He served in the Indian National Congress Party before Pakistan's creation, as well as the All-India Muslim League and subsequently formed the Azad Pakistan Party before becoming one of the founders of the National Awami Party, briefly serving as the party President. As a leftist lawyer, he was a recipient of the Stalin Peace Prize as well as serving on the Stockholm War Crimes Tribunal created by Bertrand Russell for trying American war crimes in Vietnam. He developed a close associated with Zulfiqar Bhutto following the latters imprisonment in 1968, this in addition to his frustration with the NAP led to his quitting the party.

In 1970, he later joined the Pakistan Peoples Party and was elected in a bye election on one of the seats won by party founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He played a key role in the formation of Pakistan's first unanimous constitution in 1973. He later left the Pakistan Peoples Party after becoming disillusioned with the increasing brutality with which the government targeted the opposition. He then joined the opposition Tehrik-e-Istiqlal of Asghar Khan n 1973, remaining associated with that party until his death.