Born in Yining (Ghulja), he studied computer science in Hubei Province, and later attended Tianjin University.

His father Abdullah Zakrof was one of the earliest ethnic Uyghurs to join the Xinjiang party organization shortly after the foundation of the People's Republic in 1949.

Prior to the Cultural Revolution, Zakir's father was a member of the regional standing committee and Vice Chairman of Xinjiang.

In March 1978, he left his homeland for Hubei to attend the Jianghan Petroleum College (now Yangtze University) located in Jingzhou to study computer science.

[4] On October 23, 2021, he was appointed vice chairperson of the National People's Congress Ethnic Affairs Committee.

[5] On March 11, 2023, he was elected as the lowest-ranking Vice Chairman of the 14th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.