Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari ( ur, ; 29 May 194020 October 2010), was a
Pakistani politician who served as the eighth
president of Pakistan
The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.[Baloch
Baloch, also spelled Baloch, Beluch and in other ways, may refer to:
* Baloch people, an ethnic group of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan
* Baluch, a small itinerant community of Afghanistan
* Balouch, Azad Kashmir, a town in Pakistan
* Baloch (s ...]
to have been elected as president.
Born into a
Baloch tribal and influential
feudal family, Leghari was educated at
Aitchison College, the
Forman Christian College
Forman Christian College is an private liberal arts university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was founded in 1864 and is administered by the Presbyterian Church. The university follows an American-style curriculum.
Founded in 1864 by Ameri ...
in Pakistan, and
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College (colloquially called St Catz or Catz) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and is the newest college admitting both undergraduate and graduate students. Tracing its roots back to 1868 (although t ...
in United Kingdom. Upon return from the UK, he sat for the Civil Services Exam in 1964 and started his career as a
civil servant
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
, remained commissioner sargodha division, prior to getting in to
politics
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...
in 1973 and tenured as
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
representing the
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
on the
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...
(PPP) platform from 1975 to 1977. He contested the 1977 he won the National Assembly Elections on Pakistan People's Party ticket and was appointed Minister for Industries. In 1980s, he led
demonstrations aimed against President
Zia-ul-Haq's
administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, administ ...
and successfully ran in
general elections held in 1988. From 1990 to 1993, he worked under
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto ( ur, بینظیر بُھٹو; sd, بينظير ڀُٽو; Urdu ; 21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 11th and 13th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 ...
as her deputy
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
and participated in the
1993 Pakistani general elections
General elections were held in Pakistan on 6 October 1993 to elect the members of National Assembly. The elections took place after both the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan resigned to resolve a power struggle.
Prior ...
.
His credential and reputation eventually led him to secure a nomination for the
presidency
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by ...
by Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto ( ur, بینظیر بُھٹو; sd, بينظير ڀُٽو; Urdu ; 21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 11th and 13th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 ...
and was elected as
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...
in 1993. However, he began receiving criticism over the controversial appointments of
Senior Justices of the
Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Supreme Court of Pakistan ( ur, ; ''Adālat-e-Uzma Pākistān'') is the apex court in the judicial hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Established in accordance to thePart VIIof the Constitution of Pakistan, it has ultimate ...
and was implicated in
Mehran Bank scandal. Differences began to emerge with Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto ( ur, بینظیر بُھٹو; sd, بينظير ڀُٽو; Urdu ; 21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 11th and 13th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 ...
on policy issues in 1995 and he surprisingly
dismissed his leader's government in 1996. His political ambitions later clashed with Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime minister of Pak ...
and his intervention to retain
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
Sajjad Ali Shah
Sajjad Ali Shah (born 14 August 1957) is a Pakistani jurist who has been serving as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan since 15 March 2017. Previously, he served as the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court
The High Court of Sindh ( ur ...
as
Chief Justice finally led to his resignation in 1997. He remained active in politics starting his own Political Party "Millat Party" which was party of the "National Alliance" in the 2002 General Elections, the party merged into the
PML(Q) in 2004. He was returned to the National Assembly in 2008 Elections. Leghari died from a long heart illness at the
Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi on 20 October 2010.
Biography
Farooq Leghari was born on 2 May 1940 in
Choti Zareen, a village located in
Dera Ghazi Khan District
Dera Ghazi Khan (Urdu and pnb, , Saraiki: , bal, ڈیرہ غازی خان) is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Its capital is the town of Dera Ghazi Khan. Most of its inhabitants are Saraikis and Baloch.
The district lies t ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
,
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
.
The
prefix
A prefix is an affix which is placed before the stem of a word. Adding it to the beginning of one word changes it into another word. For example, when the prefix ''un-'' is added to the word ''happy'', it creates the word ''unhappy''. Particu ...
''
Sardar
Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been u ...
'', a title of nobility, added before his name that indicated the ''
Tumandar'' (Chief) of his
Leghari Tribe.
Leghari's family was a
Baloch of Punjab and known for its wealth that has served as
hereditary chiefs and has been remain active in politics since the times of
British Rule of India
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himse ...
. His mother was a pashtun from mardan district one of his sisters married allahyar who was the son of the
Nawab of Kalabagh
Malik Amir Mohammad Khan (; 20 June 1910 – 26 November 1967) was the Nawab of Kalabagh and a prominent feudal lord, politician, the chief or sardar of the Awan tribe, and of his tribal estate Kalabagh, in Mianwali District of north western Pu ...
. Leghari was 185 cm tall.t
His father, ''
Nawabzada
Nawab (Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian,
Punjabi ,
Sindhi,
Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
'' Muhammad Khan Leghari and his grandfather ''
Khan Bahadur Nawab
Nawab (Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian,
Punjabi ,
Sindhi,
Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
'' Sir Muhammad Jamal Khan Leghari, both were progressive leaders who introduced their
Tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...
to
modern ideas. His father took prominent part in the
Pakistan Movement
The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the p ...
and was confined as a
political prisoner
A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their politics, political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention.
There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, al ...
in 1946. After the
partition of India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...
, his father served as minister in the
provincial government of
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
from 1949 until 1955.
Farooq Leghari was initially schooled at the famed
Aitchison College in Lahore where he was the "College Prefect" and "Head Boy" and graduated at top of his class winning the coveted "Rivaz Gold Medal" for the "Best Graduating Student" in 1957.
He went onto attend the
Forman Christian College University where he gained
BA with
Honours
Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...
in Economics in 1960.
He went to United Kingdom to attend the
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College (colloquially called St Catz or Catz) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and is the newest college admitting both undergraduate and graduate students. Tracing its roots back to 1868 (although t ...
where he received master's degree in
Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE).
Leghari was an avid and competitive sportsman and played
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball c ...
, captaining the Aitchison College Tennis team and became a regular on the
polo field.
In 1974, he represented Pakistan as
shooter in
7th Asian Games held in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the Capital city, capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is th ...
, Iran.
Farooq Leghari was the major landowner in the country and owned approximately of land.
After the death of Farooq Khan Leghari his son Jamal Khan Leghari became the 23rd Chief of Leghari tribe.
Civil service and politics
Upon returning to Pakistan, he joined the
Central Superior Services
The Central Superior Services (CSS; or Civil Service) is a permanent elite civil service authority, and the civil service that is responsible for running the bureaucratic operations and government secretariats and directorates of the Cabinet of ...
(CSS) in 1964 and worked as civil servant in
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...
before posting back to Pakistan.
In 1973, he resigned from the civil service and joined the
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...
(PPP) on the invitation of Prime Minister
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and Politician, statesman who served as ...
.
In 1975, he was elected as
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
that represented
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
on PPP platform and participated in
general elections held in 1977 on
DG Khan constituency.
He was appointed as
Minister of Defence Production
The Ministry of Defence Production ( ur, ), is a Cabinet-level ministry of Pakistan government concerned with the development and production of the full range of equipment and stores for the Pakistan Armed Forces
The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ...
and was appointed
Secretary-General
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derive ...
of the PPP in 1978.
In 1980s, he became known as a leading figure of presiding
mass demonstrations against President
Zia-ul-Haq's
administration
Administration may refer to:
Management of organizations
* Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal
** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, administ ...
and was
imprisonment
Imprisonment is the restraint of a person's liberty, for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is "false imprisonment". Imprisonment does not necessari ...
several times by
Police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest a ...
.
Leghari participated well in
general elections held in 1988 on
DG Khan's constituency.
He was appointed as
Minister for Water and Power under Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto ( ur, بینظیر بُھٹو; sd, بينظير ڀُٽو; Urdu ; 21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 11th and 13th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 ...
.
His term was abruptly ended by President
Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Ghulam Ishaq Khan ( ur, غلام اسحاق خان; 20 January 1915 – 27 October 2006), was a Pakistani bureaucrat who served as the seventh president of Pakistan, elected in 1988 following Zia's death until his resignation in 1993. He wa ...
he dismissed Prime Minister Bhutto and successfully defended his constituency in
general elections held in 1990.
He served as Deputy
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
under Benazir Bhutto, serving in opposition against Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime minister of Pak ...
.
In 1993, he witnessed the resignations of President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and joined the
caretaker cabinet of caretaker Prime Minister
Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi
Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi (Urdu: معین الدین احمد قریشی; 26 June 1930 – 22 November 2016) was a Pakistani American economist and civil servant who served as caretaker prime minister of Pakistan from July to October 1993. ...
as
Finance Minister
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
.
During this period, he presided over the 21st
Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers held in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former ...
from 25 to 29 April 1993.
He successfully participated well in
general elections held in 1993 and retained his seat in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
as he was the only PPP member from
Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan (), abbreviated as D.G. Khan, is a city in the southwestern part of Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 19th largest city of Pakistan by population. Lying west of the Indus River, it is the headquarters of Dera Ghazi Khan District and ...
.
Leghari was named and appointed as
Foreign Minister by Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on 13 November 1993 but soon win the nomination for presidency by Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
President of Pakistan
His credentials and "clean reputation" as opposed to politicians accused of
mass corruption and
white collar crimes
The term "white-collar crime" refers to financially motivated, nonviolent or non-directly violent crime committed by individuals, businesses and government professionals. It was first defined by the sociologist Edwin Sutherland in 1939 as " ...
won him the support from Prime Minister Bhutto and
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...
(PPP).
He accepted the nomination and ran in the presidential elections against
Wasim Sajjad
Wasim Sajjad ( ur, ; born 30 March 1941) is a Pakistani conservative politician and lawyer who served as the acting president of Pakistan for two non-consecutive terms and as the Chairman of the Senate between 1988 and 1999.
Born in Jala ...
, the
Acting President
An acting president is a person who temporarily fills the role of a country's president when the incumbent president is unavailable (such as by illness or a vacation) or when the post is vacant (such as for death, injury, resignation, dismissal ...
and
PML(N)
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) ( ur, , translit=Pākistān Muslim Līg (Nūn) PML(N) or PML-N) is a centre-right and liberal conservative political party in Pakistan. Alongside the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party ...
nominee by
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime minister of Pak ...
.
As a result of
indirect voting, Leghari received 274 votes in his favour against 168 votes for Wasim Sajjad.
On 13 November 1993, Sardar Farooq Leghari was appointed as the President of Pakistan for a term of five years.
He vowed to repeal the
Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan and expressed his support for Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. However, no bill was ever presented to repeal the
Eighth Amendment to the Constitution.
The
law and order
In modern politics, law and order is the approach focusing on harsher enforcement and penalties as ways to reduce crime. Penalties for perpetrators of disorder may include longer terms of imprisonment, mandatory sentencing, three-strikes laws a ...
situation in the country worsen, especially in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former ...
where the
police operation resulted in various and unaccountable deaths.
In 1994–95, a major scandal was revealed by the sting operation led by the
FIA that gained national attention.
Known as the
Mehrangate
The Mehrangate, also known as the Mehran bank scandal, was a major political scandal that took place in the first administration of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1990.
The active-duty army officers and ISI agents engaged in conspiring again ...
, Leghari's and Bhutto's name was implicated in the corruption scandal in
news media
The news media or news industry are forms of mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public. These include news agencies, print media (newspapers, news magazines), broadcast news (radio and television), an ...
.
However, the PPP forcefully suppressed the FIA's investigations and judicial inquires as well as media coverage.
Leghari supported the
Bhutto administration's internal and foreign policies and staunchly backed Prime Minister Bhutto's initiatives at the national level.
Leghari met with Indian Prime Minister
Narasimha Rao and
Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to:
Queens regnant
* Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland
* Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022 ...
when she paid a state visit to Pakistan during his tenure as president.
His political relations with Benazir Bhutto drifted apart over on policy issues concerning the internal politics and judicial nominations for the
Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Supreme Court of Pakistan ( ur, ; ''Adālat-e-Uzma Pākistān'') is the apex court in the judicial hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Established in accordance to thePart VIIof the Constitution of Pakistan, it has ultimate ...
in 1996.
In 1993, Leghari confirmed the nomination of Justice
Sajjad Ali Shah
Sajjad Ali Shah (born 14 August 1957) is a Pakistani jurist who has been serving as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan since 15 March 2017. Previously, he served as the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court
The High Court of Sindh ( ur ...
as
Chief Justice of Pakistan
}
The Chief Justice of Pakistan (Urdu: ) ( initials as CJP) is head of the court system of Pakistan (the judicature branch of government) and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The officeholder is the senior most of 17 senior ...
who was known to be closer to the PPP's ideology.
In 1994, Prime Minister Bhutto nominated 20 senior judges for the appointment to the Supreme Court; of which, 13 had political relations with the PPP. Some of the nominated judges had not been practised judges and controversial reputations in the law circles.
The PPP government began pressuring
Chief Justice Shah to dissuade him from taking up to appeals against the nominations. President Leghari backed Chief Justice Shah over the appointment and confirmations that created problems with the Prime Minister Bhutto who saw this as a conspiracy being hatch by the Chief Justice Shah.
Notoriety over the confirmations of additional judges in the
High Courts
High may refer to:
Science and technology
* Height
* High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area
* High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory
* High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift to ...
further maligned Leghari's image as the appointments were seen as "inappropriate."
The situation with Prime Minister Bhutto further escalated when President Leghari raised issue of senior ministers' involvement in corruption and
Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari ( ur, ; sd, ; born 26 July 1955) is a Pakistani politician who is the president of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians and was the co-chairperson of Pakistan People's Party. He served as the 11th president of Pakist ...
's appointment as
Investment Minister. Leghari also suspected Benazir Bhutto and
Asif Zardari involvement in controversial murder of
Murtaza Bhutto
Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto (; 18 September 1954 – 20 September 1996) was a Pakistani politician and leader of al-Zulfiqar, a Pakistani left-wing militant organization. The son of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, he ear ...
that occurred in 1996, despite Prime Minister Bhutto hinted Leghari's involvement.
On October–November 1996, there were several meetings between President Leghari and Prime Minister Bhutto to resolve the issue but the two sides used the
intelligence community against each other.
The
economic recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by variou ...
further escalated the situation and President Leghari surprisingly dismissed the
Benazir's administration using the
Eighth Amendment to the Constitution on charges of corruption, economic recession, lawlessness and extra judicial killings.
Resignation and post-presidency
A
caretaker set-up was formed under Acting Prime Minister
Malik Meraj Khalid and
general elections were held in 1997 that witnessed the return of Nawaz Sharif with a
heavy mandate in all over the country. Prime Minister Sharif decisively removed the
Eighth Amendment by approving the
Thirteenth Amendment and oversaw its complete effect that ultimately made President Leghari as
figurehead
In politics, a figurehead is a person who ''de jure'' (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet ''de facto'' (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. This usually means that they ...
.
Leghari seek the nomination for the second term but the chances of his re-election were diminished due to PPP's dilution in the
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. ...
.
Problems between Chief Justice Shah and Prime Minister Sharif further escalated when Chief Justice Shah decided to listen to appeals against the
Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendment bills and the
PML(N)
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) ( ur, , translit=Pākistān Muslim Līg (Nūn) PML(N) or PML-N) is a centre-right and liberal conservative political party in Pakistan. Alongside the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party ...
partisan attacked the Shah's court in 1997.
President Leghari tried intervened in the matter in support of Chief Justice Shah but this only made it worse for Leghari when Prime Minister Sharif decided to bring the impeachment movement against President Leghari.
On 2 December 1997, President Leghari resigned from the presidency to avoid the possible impeachment which also resulted in the resignation of the Chief Justice Shah, also the same year.
His post-presidency marked with his active involvement in politics when he found the
Millat Party
The Millat Party (Urdu: ملت پارٹی) was a political party in Pakistan, formed by Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari, former president of Pakistan, once he was no longer the president, and needed a platform to survive politically. He had the ...
which entered into a coalition of seven parties, known as the
National Alliance, to participate in the
general elections held in 2002.
The National Alliance won enough seats in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
to form government as a coalition with the
PML(Q) that was supported by President
Pervez Musharraf
General Pervez Musharraf ( ur, , Parvez Muśharraf; born 11 August 1943) is a former Pakistani politician and four-star general of the Pakistan Army who became the tenth president of Pakistan after the successful military takeover of t ...
.
In 2004, he left his own party and joined the PML(Q) and supported his son,
Awais Leghari
Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari (Urdu: اویس احمد خان لغاری; born 22 March 1971) is a Pakistani politician who is currently an Minister of Finance Department & Revenue Punjab & MPA in Punjab Assembly as well as Secretary Gener ...
, becoming the cabinet member. His elder son,
Jamal Leghari
Sardar Muhammad Jamal Khan Leghari is a Pakistani politician who was a Member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, from May 2013 to May 2018 and is the son of former president of Pakistan Farooq Leghari.
Early life and family
He was born on ...
, was elected as member of
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
on PML(Q) platform.
In 2003, Leghari reportedly marked that he dismissed the Prime Minister Bhutto once the rules of conducts were violated while responding to the criticism by the PPP.
Family Political History/Legacy
''Grandfather: Khan Bahadur Nawab Sir (Tumandar) Muhammad Jamal Khan Leghari''
Punjab Legislative Council 1921, 1923,
1927,
1930
Punjab Legislative Assembly 1937 Minister Public Works, 1946, 1947
“The first sitting was held on January 5, 1948. Sir Robert Francis Mudie, Governor of West Punjab appointed Mr Muhammad Jamal Khan Leghari to perform the duties of Speaker till new Speaker was elected.”
Punjab Legislative Assembly 1951,
First Sitting Presided by Sardar Jamal Muhammad Khan Leghari
''Father: Nawabzada Sardar Muhammad Khan Leghari, B.A.''
Punjab Legislative Assembly 1951
Minister Public Works, Buildings and Roads, Electricity and Transport, Irrigation, Revenue, Excise and Taxation, Resettlements and Colonies.
Provincial Assembly of West Pakistan 1956
''Uncle: Nawabzada Sardar Atta Muhammad Khan Leghari''
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1972
''Uncle: Nawabzada Sardar Mahmood Khan Leghari''
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1972
''Cousin: Sardar Muhammmad Omer Khan Leghari''
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1985
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1988
''Cousin: Sardar
Jaffar Khan Leghari
Muhammad Jaffar Khan Leghari (; 23 June 1945 – 31 December 2022) was a Pakistani politician who was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, since August 2018 until his death in December 2022. Previously, he was a member of the National ...
''
District Council Chairman Rajanpur
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1985
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1988
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1993
National Assembly of Pakistan 1997
National Assembly of Pakistan 2002
National Assembly of Pakistan 2008
National Assembly of Pakistan 2013
National Assembly of Pakistan 2018
''Cousin: Sardar Maqsood Ahmed Khan Leghari''
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1977
Chairman District Council Dera Ghazi Khan
National Assembly of Pakistan 1985, Minister for Overseas Pakistanis
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1985
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1988
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1990, Minister
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1993, Minister Irrigation
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1997
Zila Nazim Dera Ghazi Khan 2005
''Cousin: Sardar Mansoor Ahmed Khan Leghari''
Chairman District Council Dera Ghazi Khan
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1990
National Assembly of Pakistan 1993
Senate of Pakistan 1997-2000
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1985
''Son:
Jamal Leghari
Sardar Muhammad Jamal Khan Leghari is a Pakistani politician who was a Member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, from May 2013 to May 2018 and is the son of former president of Pakistan Farooq Leghari.
Early life and family
He was born on ...
''
District Nazim Dera Ghazi Khan 2000
Senate of Pakistan 2016-20012
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 2013
''Son:
Awais Leghari
Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari (Urdu: اویس احمد خان لغاری; born 22 March 1971) is a Pakistani politician who is currently an Minister of Finance Department & Revenue Punjab & MPA in Punjab Assembly as well as Secretary Gener ...
''
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1997
National Assembly of Pakistan 2002, Minister Information Technology and Telecommunication
National Assembly of Pakistan 2010
National Assembly of Pakistan 2013, Minister Power
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 2018, (Deputy Leader of Opposition)
Death
Farooq Leghari briefly fought a heart illness since 2000s and initial reports claimed that he was ill for some time, owing to complications with his heart. Farooq Leghari died on 20 October 2010 in
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...
due to a heart related illness and he was undergoing surgery at the
Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi at the time of his death.
Residents of
Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan (), abbreviated as D.G. Khan, is a city in the southwestern part of Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 19th largest city of Pakistan by population. Lying west of the Indus River, it is the headquarters of Dera Ghazi Khan District and ...
and political dignitaries had attended his funeral services and he was laid to rest in
Choti Zareen,
DG Khan District,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
, Pakistan on 21 October 2010.
Further reading
*
See also
*
1993 in Pakistan
*
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...
*
Parliamentary history of Pakistan
References
External links
Former President Laghari Passes Away
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leghari, Farooq
1940 births
2010 deaths
1996 controversies
Alumni of St Catherine's College, Oxford
Aitchison College alumni
Baloch politicians
Farooq
Farooq (also transliterated as Farouk, Faruqi, Farook, Faruk, Faroeq, Faruq, or Farouq, Farooqi, Faruque or Farooqui; ar, فاروق, Fārūq) is a common Arabic given and family name. ''Al-Fārūq'' literally means "the one who distinguishes b ...
Foreign Ministers of Pakistan
Forman Christian College alumni
Members of the Senate of Pakistan
Pakistan People's Party politicians
Pakistani civil servants
Pakistani landowners
Pakistani male sport shooters
People from Dera Ghazi Khan District
Presidents of Pakistan
Shooters at the 1974 Asian Games
Tumandars
Water and Power Ministers of Pakistan
Pakistani MNAs 2008–2013
Pakistani MNAs 2002–2007
Asian Games competitors for Pakistan