Former Punjab governor Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa passes away in Lahore

LAHORE: Former Punjab governor Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa has died in Lahore at the age of 90, his family confirmed on Thursday.

According to the family, Khosa had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Lahore for some time before his death.

Khosa was regarded as a senior political figure from Dera Ghazi Khan and remained active in mainstream politics for decades. During his long public career, he held a number of important positions in Punjab.

Political career and public service

Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa was born on October 20, 1935. He was the son of Sardar Dost Muhammad Khan Khosa. He received his primary education at Queen Mary’s College, Lahore, from 1941 to 1946, and later studied at Chief’s (Aitchison) College, Lahore, from 1946 to 1954.

He was the 21st recognised chief of the Khosa tribe, a Baloch tribe with a presence in Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh.

Khosa first entered electoral politics in 1962, when he was elected as a member of the West Pakistan Assembly at the age of 26. He was the youngest member of the house at the time.

He also served as a member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab for nine consecutive terms without defeat, a distinction described in the report as a record in itself.

Over the course of his political career, he served Punjab in several ministerial and senior administrative roles. These included the portfolios of education, irrigation and power, communication and works, finance, planning and development, and local government and rural development. He also served as senior minister and senior adviser.

Long association with Punjab politics

Khosa remained one of the prominent political figures associated with southern Punjab, particularly Dera Ghazi Khan, and was known for his long-standing role in provincial politics.

His death marks the end of a decades-long political career during which he remained associated with mainstream politics and held key offices in the province.

The family confirmed his passing in Lahore on Thursday after a period of medical treatment.