SARDAR FAAROOQ LAGHARI IN HISTORY

Former President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari was born in Choti Zareen a village of District Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab Province on May 29, 1940 during the British rule and died on October 20, 2010 due to cardiac arrest. He belongs to a political family that has been active in politics in this area at that time.His father Sardar Muhammad Khan Leghari and grand father Nawab Muhmammad Jamal Khan Leghari had both been ministers.This family was both financially and politically rich and had great impact in their area.Leghari is the major landowner who owns about 2,500 acres of land.
Mr. Laghari was a very brialliant student and was considered as an extra ordinary student in his educational institutions.After his initial schooling at Aitchison College where he was the head boy and declared the Best Leaving Student of the year1957. He graduated with honours from the Forman Christian College Lahore where again he was amongst the best students.He also studied in Oxford University England where he studied Politics,Economics and Philosophy.
After the completion of his degrees from the Great Britain he returned to Pakistan he joined the Civil Service in1963 and served for some time in East Pakistan.On the death of his father Sardar Muhammad Khan Leghari he resigned from the service in 1973 and came back to his birth pace to look after the tribal affairs of his tribe.He became the head of the Laghari tribe after the death of his father.
As he was head of his tribe so he entered into politics and joined the platform of Pakistan Peoples Party on the invitation of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto President of Pakistan at that time.He also has the honor that he was made leader of the party upon the imprisonment of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.In 1977 he became federal minister. He was very active and senior leader of his party this is the reason that he was put under house-arrest several times during the military regime of President General Zia Ul Haq.
Farooq Leghari was elected member of both National and Punjab Assembly in the 1988 elections, and was appointed Federal Minister for Water and Power from December 1989 upto August 1990. In October 1990 elections, he was re-elected member of the National Assembly and became Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
In the caretaker cabinet in 1993, Farooq Leghari held the portfolio of the Federal Minister for Finance. During this period he presided over the Twenty First Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers held in Karachi from 25-29 April, 1993. In the October 1993 general elections, he won the National Assembly seat and was appointed Federal Foreign Minister.

Farooq Laghari taking oath as President of Pakistan

On November 13,1993 with the support of the Pakistan Peoples Party Farooq Laghari became 8th President of Pakistan he was elected from the platform of Pakistan Peoples Party lead by Benazir Bhutto but in November 1996, utilizing his powers under Article 58 2(b) of the Constitution of Pakistan he dismissed the Peoples Party Government when Benazir Bhutto was Prime Minister of the country.He removed the government on charges of corruption, lawlessness and extra judicial killings.He was the first president in the history of the country who dismissed the government of his own party.

Following the Constitution of the country he held elections for the National Assembly within the time of 90 days in 1997.In the elections Pakistan Muslim League succeeded with majority seats and Mian Nawaz Sharif was elected as Prime Minister of the country. A decisive majority in the lower house of parliament led the Sharif Government to remove the controversial 8th amendment from the constitution of Pakistan. Leghari saw this as a threat to his power and conspired with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Sajjad Ali Shah to sack the Sharif Government. This led to an uprising against him and Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, forcing both to resign.As result both President and Chief Justice resigned fom their designations.He left his office on December 2,1997.


Sardar Farooq Ahmed Laghari with President PML(Q)Ch. Shujaat Hussain and Former Chief Minister Punjab Ch. Pervaiz Ellahi



After the resignation from the seat of President he continued his politics and formed a new political party named as Millat Party.This party later entered into the coalation of seven other political parties and named it as National Allience. The National Allience participated in the General Elections held in the regieme of President General Pervaiz Musharraf in 2002 and won 13 seats in National Assembly.The National Allience of Farooq Laghari was the 3rd largest group in National Assembly.He joined the majority party and entered in a coalition with majority group to form the government after forming the government Farooq Laghari's son Awais Laghari was made federal minister for Telecom and IT.In May 2004 the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League(Q) merged National Alliance into it and formed a united Pakistan Muslim League.This party had a great support of the President of that time General Pervaiz Musharraf and now Farooq Laghari had also gained good position as he was a member of the ruling party and his son Awais Laghari was a minister worthful department.

Farooq Laghari was a great politician and was succesful in the field of politics his daughter Faryal Leghari is an analyst and researcher in Security & Terrorism Studies at the Gulf Research Center in Dubai and son Jamal Laghai is also elected as a member of Senate.He himself was elected as member of the National Assembly in elections held in 2008 but could not attended the assembly sessions due to health problems.
Unfortunately Mr. Farooq Leghari passed away on October 20, 2010 in Rawalpindi he was 70 at the time of death he died due to a heart related illness.Sources of hospital tell he breathed his last at 1:45 AM PST.It is said that he was undergoing surgery at the time of his death. Initial reports claimed that he was ill for sometime owing to complications with his heart.He was burried in his birth place Choti Zareen.We lost a thoughtful and great leader of the country.May his soul rest in peace.AAMIN