Tauqir Zia

Tauqir Zia (born 20 January 1950) is a Pakistani retired military officer who served as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) from 1999 to 2003. He was commissioned in the 19th Lancers in 1970, served as Director General Military Operations during the Kargil War in 1999, and was later promoted to lieutenant general and given command of I Corps at Mangla.

Early life and education Zia was born to a Kashmiri family in Jhelum. He received his early education at Government College, Lahore, before joining the Pakistan Army.

Career Military He was commissioned in the 19th Lancers in 1970 and served as a troop leader in his parent regiment.

As a major general, Zia served as Director General Military Operations (DGMO) at General Headquarters and was in the post during the Kargil War of 1999. In late September 1999, he was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed commander of I Corps at Mangla. He was serving as Corps Commander Mangla on 12 October 1999, when General Pervez Musharraf overthrew Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

He subsequently commanded the Army Field Headquarters during the 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff. He first tendered his resignation in October 2002 after Pakistan's defeats to Australia in Sharjah, but the resignation was rejected by President Musharraf. The decision followed criticism over the induction of his son, Junaid Zia, into the Pakistan national cricket team, and a broadcasting row involving PTV and GEO TV during a home series against New Zealand. He was succeeded by Shaharyar Khan.

Politics In December 2007, Zia announced that he was joining the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and filed nomination papers to contest the 2008 general election from the NA-127 Lahore constituency.