Latif Khosa

Sardar Muhammad Latif Khosa (Punjabi, Urdu: محمد لطیف کھوسہ; born 25 July 1946) is a Pakistani lawyer and politician who is a senior advocate in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He served as the 37th Governor of Punjab from 2011 to 2013. He was a senator from 2003 to 2009, the attorney general of Pakistan from 2008 to 2009 and the Federal advisor of Information Technology & Telecommunication from 2009 to 2010.[1][2] Khosa also remained a member of the Pakistan Bar Council and served as its Executive Committee's chairman.[3] He co-authored an electoral fraud report with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto shortly before her assassination in December 2007. Khosa had been one of Bhutto's top aides.[4]

Latif Khosa
لطیف کھوسہ
37th Governor of Punjab
In office
13 January 2011  2 January 2013
PresidentAsif Ali Zardari
Prime MinisterYousaf Raza Gillani
Preceded bySalmaan Taseer
Succeeded byMakhdoom Ahmed Mehmood
26th Attorney General of Pakistan
In office
19 August 2008  10 October 2009
PresidentAsif Ali Zardari
Prime MinisterYousaf Raza Gillani
Preceded byMalik Mohammad Qayyum
Succeeded byAnwar Mansoor Khan
Member of the Senate of Pakistan
In office
March 2003  March 2009
PresidentPervaiz Musharraf
Prime MinisterShaukat Aziz
ConstituencyGeneral seat from Punjab
Secretary General of Pakistan Peoples Party
In office
March 2013  July 2017
ChairmanBilawal Bhutto Zardari
Co-ChairmanAsif Ali Zardari
Preceded byJahangir Badar
Succeeded byNayyar Bukhari
Federal Advisor of Information Technology & Telecommunication
In office
November 2009  July 2010
PresidentAsif Zardari
Prime MinisterYousaf Raza Gillani
Preceded byFarooq H. Naek
Succeeded byHumayun Khan
Chairman Pakistan Bar Council
In office
2008–2009
Preceded byMalik Mohammad Qayyum
Succeeded byAnwar Mansoor Khan
Personal details
Born
Muhammad Latif Khosa

25 July 1946
Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
Political partyPakistan People's Party (until 2023)
Spouse(s)Jamila Khosa
Musarrat Khosa
RelationsAsif Saeed Khosa (Cousin)
Nasir Mahmood Khosa (Cousin)
Tariq Masood Khosa (Cousin)
Zulfiqar Ali Khosa (Cousin)
Dost Muhammad Khosa (Nephew)
Muhammad Saif-ud-Din Khosa (Nephew)
Children7 (4 sons, 3 daughters), including Khuram Latif Khosa
Residence(s)Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Alma materGovernment College Lahore/University of Punjab
ProfessionLawyer/Politician
Notable AwardsKrishan Kishore Grover Goodwill Gold Medal
Hilal-e-Imtiaz

He belongs to a Punjabi-speaking family of the Khosa Baloch tribe.[5] Latif Khosa is the founder of Khosa Law Chambers (KLC), one of the top law firm in Pakistan based in Lahore. KLC has also offices in Karachi and Islamabad.

Education

After receiving his early education from Dera Ghazi Khan Punjab, he joined Government College, Lahore from where he did his graduation. During his stay at Government College, he showed excellent results in debate, sports and academics.

After graduation, he joined the Punjab University Law College at Lahore, where he became President of the Punjab University Law College Students Union, and the editor of Law college's official magazine, "Al-Meezan". He was declared the best English debater of 1967 in the Punjab University after winning the "Krishan Kishore Grover Goodwill Gold Medal Declamation Contest". Later, he was selected ad the president of PULC debating society. He did his LL.B in 1967 with a top honours for best all round activities in academics, sports and debates.

Professional career

Latif Khosa joined the legal profession at Lahore and enrolled as an advocate of the subordinate Courts in 1968. In 1970, he became an advocate of the High Court and in 1980 as an advocate of the Supreme Court.

During the years 1981; 1983 & 1985, Latif Khosa was selected as the President of High Court Bar Association Multan. In 1990, Khosa was selected as Member Pakistan Bar Council for the first time and subsequently for 2 more terms in 1995 & 2000.

Political career

He has held the portfolios of a Senator (2003-2009), Attorney General (2008-2009) in the Government of Pakistan, Advisor (2010) and also remained Governor of Punjab (2011-2013).

Khosa was also instrumental in the 2007 lawyer's movement for the restoration of dozens of senior judges including Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry sacked by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2007.

Khosa has been invited to lecture on the subject of Politics, Diplomacy, Foreign Relations and International Law at universities across the globe.

Senator Khosa appeared before the acting Chief Justice Javaid Iqbal in a hearing over the handling of the Iftikhar Chaudry sacking issue.

Governor Punjab

He was selected as Governor of Punjab in January 2011. The choice of his selection as Governor came after the PPP acquiesced to the PML-N's 10-point agenda to improve relationship between PML(N)'s Punjab Government and that of the PPP federal government.[6]

Khosa has been the key instrument in smooth running of the Punjab Government during his governorship 2011-2013 in spite of issues between the two mainstream political parties PPP (Pakistan People's Party) and PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz)

Secretary General PPP

Khosa was selected as the Secretary General of Pakistan Peoples Party in 2013 and he remained on that post until 2017. He is also the Member of CEC Pakistan People's Party. He is the Central Chairman of the party's Lawyer Wing Peoples Lawyers Forum (PLF) and Election Monitoring Cell of Pakistan Peoples Party.

Attorney general

Soon after the PPP came to power after the 2008 elections; Khosa was selected Attorney-General for Pakistan until 2009. Being attorney general, he represented Pakistan on different International Forums & Judicial Conferences.

Federal Advisor of Information Technology & Communication

He has also been selected as Advisor of Information Technology/Minister Incharge in the cabinet of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. On 20 July 2010, Advisor to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Information Technology/Minister Incharge Sardar Latif Khosa sent his resignation to the president after developing disagreements with the premier.

Senator

Khosa was selected as Senator from Punjab Province in 2003. His name was nominated by late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. His senatorship remained in function until 2009.

He has been member of senate Committees for Foreign Affairs, Law Justice and Human Rights, Government Assurances, Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges, Senate House Committee, Devolution Process

Bar politics

Khosa has been very active in bar politics and his group has won important Supreme Court Bar Association and Pakistan Bar Council elections over the last 40 years. He has been selected as the president of High Court Bar thrice (1981; 1983; 1985) and as member Pakistan Bar Council three times 1990-2005 (15 years).

Family

Khosa's Family include former Governor Punjab Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa; former Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa; former Inspector General Police Tariq Khosa; former Chief Secretary Punjab Nasir Khosa and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa.[7]

Khosa has 4 sons and 3 daughters. Three of his sons including Sardar Khurram Latif Khosa, Balakh Sher Khosa & Shahbaz Khosa are Advocates Supreme Court of Pakistan. One of his son Dr Faisal Khosa [8] is a renowned Medical Specialist; based in USA.

References

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