Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, the former governor of Punjab and a prominent political leader, died in Lahore at the age of 90. He had been receiving medical treatment in a Lahore hospital for some time before his passing.
Khosa was a senior political figure from Dera Ghazi Khan who maintained a long-standing presence in mainstream politics. Throughout his career, he held several important positions and was primarily affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Born on October 20, 1935, Khosa was the son of Sardar Dost Muhammad Khan Khosa. His early education took place at Queen Mary’s College, Lahore from 1941 to 1946, followed by studies at Chief’s (Aitchison) College, Lahore from 1946 to 1954. He was recognized as the 21st chief of the Khosa tribe, a Baloch tribe with settlements across Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh.
At just 26 years old, Khosa was elected to the West Pakistan Assembly in 1962, becoming the youngest member at that time. He also served an unprecedented nine consecutive terms as a member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, a record in itself.
During his tenure, Khosa held various ministerial portfolios including Education, Irrigation and Power, Communications and Works, Finance, Planning and Development, Local Government and Rural Development. He also served as a senior minister and senior advisor to the provincial government.
In a significant development ahead of the 2018 general elections, Khosa parted ways with the PML-N due to internal disagreements. Subsequently, he joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), marking a notable shift in his political alignment.
