Adil Najam
Former President of Pakistan, Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari died in the early hours of Wednesday at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi. He was 70 and a heart patient for some time.
Like Ghulam Ishaq Khan before him (here and here), had the Presidency ‘thrust’ upon him by circumstance and political machinations of others; however, his use of Presidential powers while in office left a deep and lasting impact on Pakistan politics. Impacts that Pakistan is still reeling from.
A one time civil servant, schooled at Aitchison College, Forman Christian College, Punjab University and Oxford University, Mr. Leghari was a Baluch Sardar and reportedly a major land owner with 10 square kilometers of land ownership.
Once a PPP stalwart and close confidant of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, he would later turn against her and prove instrumental in her eventual fall from power. In fact, it was that closeness that elevated him to the Presidency in 1993 as he was considered loyal, dependable and reliable. In the end he proved to be anything but that for Ms. Bhutto and became a central actor in her removal from office as he removed his own party’s government under Article 58 2(b) on charges of corruption, lawlessness and extra judicial killings.
Here is a recent interview with Mr. Leghari:
Later he was himself forced to resign when Nawaz Sharif was Prime Minister. Later still he formed the Millat party, which eventually formed an alliance with PML-Q during Gen. Musharraf’s rule, during which his son Awais Leghari was a high profile Minister. Others from his close circle – including Mahmud Durrani and Sumaira Malik – were also key players in Gen. Musharraf’s government.
All said and done, he was a feudal lord. A feudal lord, who did nothing for his own people despite being high profile federal minister during BB firt govt. and President in her second govt. What can be easily said about DG Khan (his home town) is that this is one of the most backward areas of Pakistan. What a shame on the family of Lagharis taht they remained in power with BB as well as Musharraf but did nothing for their people.
Shame on Legharis
Some comments from the ATP Facebook Page:
– “Inna Lillahe va inna aleihei rajiuoon”
– “Al-fatiha”
– “May his soul rest in eternal peace! A Good Man”
– “Inna Lillahe va inna aleihei rajiuoon.
May his soul rest in eternal peace”
– “Inna Lillahe va inna aleihei rajiuoon”
– “prayers sent to his family♥”
– “INALAHE WA INALHE RAJIOON..may ALLah rest his soul”
– “INALAHE WA INALHE RAJIOON”
– “Inallahe wa inalhe rajioon.”
– “He is in a better place no pain warmth love peace♥”
– “ohh so sad”
– “Allah may his soul in rest Ameen”
– “A good human may his soul rest in peace…”
– “He was very talented, a good human may his soul rest in peace ameen”
– “may his soul rest in peace..AMEEN”
– “Allah jannat main Jaggah day “
I wonder what Leghari would do if he were President today? And what would we WANT him to do?
May Allah rest his soul in peace
He was responsible for packing a government without which he was nothing. The repercussion of his action against BB resulted into the turbulent times for his party PPP.
Farooq Leghari was a great politician. I also belonged to his home city, D.G. Khan.