Mian Muhammad Azhar, a Member of the National Assembly from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Punjab governor, passed away in Lahore on Tuesday after a prolonged illness.
میرے عظیم اور پیارے والد، میاں محمد اظہر، قضائے الٰہی سے انتقال فرما گئے ہیں۔ إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون۔
ان کا جنازہ، بروز بدھ، 23 جولائی، دوپہر 1:30 بجے، قذافی اسٹیڈیم لاہور کے باہر پڑھایا جائے گا۔ pic.twitter.com/RbiFiha7je— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) July 22, 2025
He was the father of PTI leader Hammad Azhar and had been critically ill for several months. Throughout his extensive political career, Mian Azhar held several key positions, including serving as Punjab governor during Nawaz Sharif’s first tenure as prime minister in the early 1990s, and later as the federal commerce minister. Following the 1999 military coup, he played a key role in forming the Pakistan Muslim League–Quaid (PML-Q).
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Earlier this year, he returned to active politics and secured a seat in the National Assembly from NA-129 (Lahore), a constituency previously represented by his son. Contesting as a PTI-backed independent candidate, he defeated PML-N’s Hafiz Nauman with a significant lead.
Unofficial results showed that Mian Azhar secured 103,718 votes, while Nauman received 71,540. In comparison, Hammad Azhar had won the same seat in 2018 with 105,734 votes.
Following the news of his passing, former Sindh governor and ex-PTI leader Imran Ismail expressed his condolences on X, writing: “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Mian Muhammad Azhar… a distinguished political figure. My heartfelt condolences to my dear friend @Hammad_Azhar and his family during this difficult time. May Allah grant him the highest place in Jannah. Ameen.”
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Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan also paid tribute, stating: “Deeply saddened by the demise of Mian Muhammad Azhar, a dignified and noble personality. His political and national contributions will be remembered for a long time. May Allah grant him a high place in His mercy. Ameen.”