Islamabad: Former Chief Minister of Punjab and senior Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo has passed away on Tuesday. He was born on 14th August, 1939 in Fazilka, India. He served as CM Punjab twice, speaker Punjab Assembly thrice and also served as federal minister.
Mian Manzoor Wattoo had been suffering from a prolonged illness. The funeral prayers of Manzoor Wattoo will be offered today (Wednesday) at 2:00 PM at Haveli Wasawiwala in Okara.
Mian Manzoor Wattoo belonged to Haveli Lakha and had a long political career.
The Wattoo family remained politically influential after 1985 and continued to be part of power circles in various forms. However, in the 2018 general elections, Mian Manzoor Wattoo contested from Okara as an independent candidate, while his son Khuram Jahangir Wattoo and daughter Rubina Shaheen Wattoo contested provincial assembly seats on PTI tickets but were unsuccessful.
While his son and daughter are currently associated with PTI, Mian Manzoor Wattoo himself remained keen on playing an active role in the Pakistan People's Party. He had previously served as Punjab Chief Minister with PPP's support and also held the position of the party's provincial president.
Born on August 14, 1939, Wattoo began his political career in 1983 after being elected chairman of the Okara District Council. Two years later, in 1985, he entered the Punjab Assembly as a member and was chosen as its speaker.
Wattoo returned to the Punjab Assembly in 1988 as an independent legislator and subsequently aligned himself with Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, which was part of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI). He was reelected speaker of the assembly.
In the 1993 elections, he secured seats in both the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly on the IJI ticket. However, he chose to serve in the provincial legislature and was elected speaker for the third consecutive term.
Later that year, Wattoo successfully led a no-confidence motion that removed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government of Ghulam Haider Wyne. With the backing of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Wattoo assumed office as Punjab's chief minister, despite having the support of only a small group of dissenting lawmakers.
His alliance with the PPP ended in 1995, after which the then prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, appointed Arif Nakai as the new chief minister of Punjab. That same year, Wattoo established the Pakistan Muslim League-Jinnah following differences with his cousin, Hamid Nasir Chattha, who sought leadership of PML-Junejo.
In 1996, Wattoo won a seat in the National Assembly under the PML-Jinnah banner. He later faced corruption charges, resulting in a conviction and brief imprisonment.
After being cleared of the charges, Wattoo joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid during General Pervez Musharraf's rule. Known to be close to Musharraf, he merged his PML-Jinnah faction into PML-Q on the former president's advice.
Following the 2008 general elections, which he contested as an independent and won from two National Assembly constituencies in Okara, he rejoined the PPP. He retained one seat, while his son Khurram Jehangir later won the other in a by-election on a PPP ticket.
In October 2012, Wattoo was appointed president of the PPP in central Punjab. He also served as federal minister for Kashmir affairs during the PPP-led government from 2008 to 2013.
Meanwhile President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have expressed profound sorrow over the passing of senior politician Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo.
In their separate statements on Tuesday, they offered prayers for the departed soul and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.
The President and the Prime Minister also paid tribute to Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo's lifelong services and valuable contributions toward strengthening democracy in the country.