LAHORE – Seasoned politician and former Governor of Punjab, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, has passed away at his residence in Lahore at the age of 90 after a prolonged illness. His death was confirmed by former Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Dost Muhammad Khan Khosa.
His body will be taken to D.G Khan, his ancestral hometown, where his funeral prayers are scheduled to be held today on Friday.
Khosa hailed from Bahadur Garh, Dera Ghazi Khan, and was one of South Punjab’s most influential political figures and remained active in politics for several decades.
He started his political career in 60s, serving as a member of the West Pakistan Assembly from 1962 to 1965. Over the years, he was elected multiple times to the Punjab Assembly, including in 1970, 1977, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2008, and 2013.
He also served briefly as the 31st Governor of Punjab from August 12 to October 12, 1999, during the tenure of President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Khosa was elected to the Senate of Pakistan from Punjab, serving from 2012 to 2018. In the 2018 general elections, he contested a National Assembly seat on a PTI ticket but was defeated.
Throughout his long political career, Khosa remained associated with several political parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, while also serving at times as an independent.
Widely regarded as a senior and influential political leader in Dera Ghazi Khan and South Punjab, he is survived by three sons: Hassamuddin Khosa, Saifuddin Khosa, and Dost Muhammad Khosa.
