LAHORE – Senior politician and former Punjab Governor Mian Muhammad Azhar passed away. He was under treatment at a local hospital in Lahore.
Mian Azhar had a long political career. He began his journey as a local political worker and rose to become one of Punjab’s most influential politicians.
He served as the Mayor of Lahore from 1987 to 1990, and later held the office of Governor Punjab from 6 August 1990 to April 1993 during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure as Prime Minister.
In 1988, he was elected to the National Assembly from NA-95 (Lahore-IV) on an Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) ticket. He was re-elected in 1997 from NA-92 (Lahore-I) as a Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) candidate.
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Later, during General Pervez Musharraf’s rule and Nawaz Sharif’s exile, Mian Azhar became the founding president of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) in 1999. However, he was replaced by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as party head in 2003 after electoral losses in 2002.
He formally joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in October 2011, supporting Imran Khan’s political vision.
In the 2024 general elections, Mian Azhar was once again elected to the National Assembly from NA-129 (Lahore-XIII) as an independent candidate backed by PTI, replacing his son Hammad Azhar.
Mian Azhar was respected for his political wisdom and long service to the country. He was the father of PTI leader and former federal minister Hammad Azhar.
Leaders from various political parties expressed sorrow and offered condolences to the family. Funeral arrangements will be shared later by the family.
