Web Desk(National Times)- 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 long illness. He was the father of PTI leader Hammad Azhar and had been seriously unwell for several months. Mian Azhar held important roles throughout his long political career. He served as Punjab’s governor during Nawaz Sharif’s first term as prime minister in the early 1990s and later became the federal commerce minister. After the 1999 military coup, he helped form the Pakistan Muslim League–Quaid (PML-Q). Earlier this year, he returned to politics and won the NA-129 (Lahore) seat in the general elections — a seat previously held by his son. Running as a PTI-backed independent, he defeated PML-N’s Hafiz Nauman by a wide margin. Unofficial results showed Mian Azhar got 103,718 votes, while Hafiz Nauman received 71,540. In 2018, Hammad Azhar won the same seat with 105,734 votes. Condoling the death of the senior lawmaker, former Sindh governor and ex-PTI leader, Imran Ismail, took to X and wrote: “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.” Expressing his grief over Mian Azhar’s passing, Federal Minister for Communications, Abdul Aleem Khan, posted on X: “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.” Advisor to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah reacted to the news, calling him a kind man and someone who had once been closely associated with Nawaz Sharif. In his statement, Sanaullah said Hammad Azhar should be allowed to attend his father’s funeral, even though he is currently wanted for political reasons. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz mourned the loss of the veteran politician, offering her deep condolences to the family. She acknowledged his lifelong political service and prayed for his soul’s peace.  Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider also paid his respects, saying the late leader’s contributions as Punjab governor would be remembered with honour and gratitude. In his condolence message, former federal minister and ex-PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry termed the loss a big blow to the province. “Very sad and regretful. Mian Azhar Sahib was one of the great scholars of Lahore. The entire Punjab is mourning his demise. May Allah give Hammad Azhar the courage to bear this shock at a time when the problems are already not ending.”