Farooq Leghari

Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari was a prominent Pakistani politician who served as the eighth president of Pakistan from 1993 until his resignation in 1997. He held various high-ranking positions, including minister of foreign affairs and minister for water and power. As the first ethnic Baloch elected to the presidency, he remains a notable figure in the nation's political history.

Early life and education

Leghari was born on 29 May 1940 in Choti Zareen, which is a village located in the Dera Ghazi Khan District of Punjab. He belonged to a wealthy Baloch tribal family that has remained active in politics since the British Raj. His father, Nawabzada Muhammad Khan Leghari, was a progressive leader who participated in the Pakistan Movement and served as a provincial minister from 1949 until 1955. His mother was a Pashtun from the Mardan district.

He attended Aitchison College in Lahore, where he served as both College Prefect and Head Boy. In 1957, he graduated at the top of his class and received the Rivaz Gold Medal for being the Best Graduating Student. After completing his schooling, he attended Forman Christian College University to earn a BA with Honours in Economics in 1960. He later moved to the United Kingdom to study at St Catherine's College, Oxford, where he obtained a master's degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

Career

After returning from the UK, Leghari joined the Central Superior Services in 1964 to work as a civil servant in East Pakistan. He eventually became the commissioner of the Sargodha division before resigning from the civil service in 1973 to join the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He was elected as a Senator representing the Punjab from 1975 to 1977. Following the 1977 general elections, he won a seat in the National Assembly and served as the Minister for Industries.

During the 1980s, Leghari led mass demonstrations against the administration of President Zia-ul-Haq. He was imprisoned several times by the police during this period. He successfully ran in the general elections of 1988 and was appointed Minister for Water and Power under Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. From 1990 to 1993, he served as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Leghari entered the presidency after receiving the nomination from Benazir Bhutto. In the 1993 presidential elections, he secured 274 votes against 168 votes for Wasim Sajjad. He held the office of President from 13 November 1993 until his resignation in 1997. His term was marked by the Mehran Bank scandal, which implicated both him and Bhutto in corruption allegations. Although he initially supported Bhutto, political differences emerged regarding judicial appointments in 1996, leading him to dismiss her government.

Following his presidency, he founded the Millat Party. This party joined the National Alliance during the 2002 General Elections and eventually merged into the PML(Q) in 2004. He returned to the National Assembly following the 2008 elections. He died on 20 October 2010 at the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi due to a long-term heart illness.

Personal life

Leghari was an avid sportsman who captained the Aitchison College tennis team and played polo regularly. In 1974, he represented Pakistan as a shooter during the 7th Asian Games in Tehran, Iran. He was a major landowner, possessing approximately 40,500 acres of land. His family holds the title of Sardar, indicating his status as the Tumandar of the Leghari tribe.

He stood 185 cm tall. After his death, his son Jamal Khan Leghari became the 23rd Chief of the Leghari tribe. He is survived by his granddaughter, Maziyah Jamal Leghari.