Zulfiqar Jan was born on 10 November 1979 in Charsadda, located in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Before transitioning into his current role as an umpire, he established himself as a capable wicket-keeper and a right-handed batsman within the domestic circuit.
During his playing career, Jan appeared in 162 matches and scored 4,590 runs at an average of 22.83. He reached four centuries and nineteen half-centuries, with a top score of 120 not out. His work behind the stumps was prolific, as he recorded 570 catches and 24 stumpings.
His domestic involvement was extensive, representing teams such as Peshawar, Peshawar Panthers, North West Frontier Province, Khan Research Laboratories, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He made his List A debut in the 1999–00 Tissot Cup against Islamabad and entered the Twenty20 format in 2006 during the ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup.
In April 2009, he earned a spot in the 30-man probable squad for the ICC World Twenty20 after a shake-up involving players from the Indian Cricket League. While he bowled 48 balls in his career, he did not take any wickets.