Former Azad Kashmir President Raja Zulqarnain Khan Dies at 93
Former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Raja Muhammad Zulqarnain Khan, passed away on Saturday (Nov 7) at a hospital in Islamabad at the age of 93. Over a distinguished political career, he served as President, member of the legislative assembly, and minister holding various portfolios in Azad Kashmir.
Pakistani news outlets, including Dawn and Business Recorder, reported his death on Sunday (Nov 8), citing family sources confirming he died following a brief illness.
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government declared a day of official mourning on Sunday, lowering the national flag to half-mast across state buildings. Funeral prayers were scheduled for 11:00 AM on Sunday, followed by burial with full state honors in his native village of Thatthi (Kasguma) in the Bhimber district.
Born on March 15, 1933, Raja Zulqarnain Khan entered politics in 1960–61 as a close associate of former Jammu and Kashmir President K. H. Khurshid. In 1962, he became the founding General Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation League, established by Khurshid.
In 1975, he was elected to the assembly from the Samahni constituency as a candidate for the Pakistan Peoples Party in Azad Kashmir’s first parliamentary elections. He later joined the Muslim Conference and was re-elected from Bhimber in 1985, going on to serve as Minister for Finance, Planning and Development, Health, and Revenue in Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan’s cabinet.
He returned to the legislative assembly in 1991 and was elected to the Azad Kashmir Council in 1996. On August 2, 2006, nominated by the Muslim Conference, he was elected President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, serving a full five-year term until August 2011.
During his presidency, he contributed significantly to education and infrastructure development. APP news agency highlighted his key role in establishing the Mirpur University of Science and Technology, including facilitating the acquisition of 5,000 kanals of land for the campus.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep grief over his passing, noting that Raja Zulqarnain Khan’s contributions to politics and public service in Azad Kashmir will always be remembered. Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also expressed condolences and offered sympathies to the bereaved family.
