Former Punjab chief minister and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo has passed away, ending a long and eventful political career spanning more than four decades.

Wattoo began his political journey from local government and went on to serve three times as chief minister of Punjab. He was also elected speaker of the Punjab Assembly on three occasions and held key federal portfolios, including Kashmir Affairs and Industries.

Born on August 14, 1949, in Moazzam village of Ferozepur district in pre-partition India, Wattoo migrated to Pakistan with his family, which later settled in Haveli Lakha’s village Wasaway Wala.

He received his early education in Haveli Lakha, completed matriculation there, passed his intermediate examination from Government College Sahiwal, and earned his graduation degree from Government Islamia College, Lahore.

A prominent figure in Pakistani politics, Wattoo contested the 1977 general elections, but his rise began with the 1982 local government polls. He was first elected as a member of the district council and, following the creation of Okara district in 1983, became chairman of the district council.

In the 1985 non-party elections, he was elected to the Punjab Assembly and relinquished his district council post. He was elected speaker of the assembly for the first time during that term. He retained his seat in the 1988 elections and again served as speaker.

In 1990, he was re-elected as an MPA and once more chosen as speaker.

Wattoo assumed office as chief minister in 1993 after a successful no-confidence motion against then chief minister Ghulam Haider Wyne.

Following the dissolution and subsequent restoration of assemblies, he returned to the post.

In the 1993 general elections, he won from Tando Allahyar, after which his Junejo League aligned with the PPP, enabling him to serve again as Punjab chief minister.

In 1995, Wattoo formed his own political party, Muslim League Jinnah.

However, he failed to secure victory in the 1997 elections and later faced corruption cases, spending nearly five years in prison.

He made a political comeback in the 2008 elections by winning a National Assembly seat and joining the PPP.

He was appointed federal minister for industries.

The 2013 elections proved unsuccessful for him, as the PPP failed to win seats in Punjab despite his role as the party’s provincial president.

In the 2018 elections, Wattoo adopted a new political strategy, fielding his son and daughter on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf tickets while contesting himself as an independent candidate, but he was defeated.

With his passing, an important chapter in Pakistan’s political history has come to a close.