Between 1982 and 1986, Zakir obtained an English degree at the
Urumqi Vocational College. During this time he also joined the Chinese Communist Party. He then worked in a series of roles supporting economic growth and trade in the regional government. In March 2001, he was named mayor of
Urumqi. Beginning in December 2005 he worked for the
Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. In 2007, he also earned an
Executive MBA from
Tianjin University. At the
2008 National People's Congress Zakir was selected to become a member of the National Ethnic Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress. In June 2011, he became vice-chair of the
State Ethnic Affairs Commission. In January 2014, he became Chairman of the Xinjiang People's Congress and in December 2014, he was named Chairman of Xinjiang, replacing
Nur Bekri. In March 2019, addressing the issue of the widespread internment of ethnic minorities in
Xinjiang, Zakir said that the camps were "training centers" rather than "
concentration camps" as otherwise claimed and that the freedom of "trainees" was not restricted and that the camps were boarding schools where trainees could go home or ask for leave. On October 23, 2021, he was appointed vice chairperson of the
National People's Congress Ethnic Affairs Committee. On March 10, 2023, during the
14th National People's Congress, he was appointed
Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. == Sanctions ==