Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar (born 13 July 1970) is a Pakistani politician who served in the Pakistan Senate from March 2018 to 10 November 2022.
Political Career
Khokhar was elected to the Pakistan Senate in 2018 as a candidate of the Pakistan Peoples Party on the general seat from Sindh. On March 12, 2018, he took his oath as a Senator.
Resignation from Senate
Just two days after disclosing his plan to step down from his role in the Senate of Pakistan, Mustafa publicly declared and submitted his resignation as a senator on November 10, 2022.
Advocacy in Human Rights
Khokhar’s leadership as the head of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights showcased his dedication to addressing human rights issues nationwide. He received multiple notifications concerning human rights violations while chairing the Senate subcommittee.
Standing Up for Rights
In a significant instance involving human rights, he summoned the IG FC Balochistan to testify. Despite being cautioned by a senior military officer against holding a committee meeting on missing persons, Khokhar firmly declined the advice.
Proximity to Party Leadership
Continuing as Bilawal’s spokeswoman, Khokhar remains closely aligned with the party chairman, making him one of the key PPP leaders. Although he expressed his resignation as Bilawal’s spokesperson in December 2020, he reaffirmed his commitment to the party. His discontent stemmed from compromises made by the party leadership on matters concerning civil liberties and the constitution.
Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar Abandons the Idea of Forming a New Political Party
On Do Tok with Kiran Naz, Khokhar stated that he had abandoned the notion of launching a new political party and would contest the upcoming election as an independent candidate.
Earlier this year, former Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail conducted a series of seminars titled “Reimagining Pakistan.” The goal was to highlight the country’s existing difficulties and promote consensus among all stakeholders on future initiatives.
Khokhar stated that he chose to run as an independent as his plans to form a new political party were postponed until after the election.
In addition, Khokhar stated that he would never join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). “PTI’s performance was not good either,” he continued, before going on to say, “All parties in Pakistan run towards electables.”
He also pointed out that the PML-N was contradicting its narrative of “respecting the vote” by employing the methods it intends to use to bring Nawaz Sharif back to power.