Pakistan

Leghari receives cold commemoration

NA mourns loss of former president but runs out of words, time before giving befitting memorial.

Zia Khan November 02, 2010

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Monday cut short proceedings to mourn the death of former president Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, but both words and time ran out before a befitting memorial could be given to the former head of state.

Unlike the usual responses, there were hardly any emotional speeches by lawmakers to remember the departed member of the house.

Leghari, who once dissolved the PPP government as president in the early ‘90s and was a sitting member of the National Assembly, passed away last month. A loyalist of PPP founding father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Leghari’s ‘betrayal’ to the PPP earned him the wrath of workers and leaders of the party and has since been living in low profile.

The PPP leadership’s grudge against Leghari was apparent in the house as no one from the party spoke even a word to recall the time they spent with the former president. Riaz Pirzada of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) was the only lawmaker to speak about the former president before offering a prayer for him. And the only ‘affectionate’ aspect of Leghari’s personality Pirzada was able to recall was his habit to take the lawmaker along with him on foreign trips. “He was nice…he used to take me and some other fellow members with him on his presidential tours abroad,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2010.

COMMENTS (5)

Humanity | 14 years ago | Reply @Asmat Jamal "Laghari failed to register himself as a statesman. He succumbed to the pressure of establishment not once not twice but thrice when it came to show his moral fiber. He ultimately remained a self serving bureaucrat till end." After Jinnah passed away and his associates were marginalized or murdered, the vision of Pakistan was mauled by the mullah/political alliance for self promotion. The disingenuous hypocrites derailed the country from its original ideals towards a mega disaster in the name of religion. There have been many politicians, all seeking to preserve their own interests, and each one more corrupt than the previous one. However, over 63 years, Pakistan has failed to produce a single a leader who would look to the future of country and put national interest ahead of his/her own. The nation is cursed because it is ungrateful for the blessing of a free homeland. Genuine leaders are granted to nations who are grateful to those who struggled and scarified to create the homeland. Statesmen are born in nations that have integrity and character to stay steadfast to the vision. By mangling the Quaid's vision into this nightmare of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the nation invoked a curse of itself and become unworthy of a statesman. The corrupt, shameless, mullah lovers at the helm can deliver nothing but disgrace and misery. Ignorance, ingratitude, and arrogance are the undoings of a nation. Allah ki lathi bai'aawaz hai.

SK | 14 years ago | Reply "cold commemoration"? do you really believe he or any other politician of this country deserves to be remembered at all? as much as I should avoid to bad mouth a dead person, none of these people deserve even slightest of respect there can be. What needs to be remembered by all these politicians (and every other muslim at large) that one has to go into grave after all and has to answer for his/her deeds. May be that will change our perspective of things

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

mehsud | 14 years ago | Reply Former President sitting in the house was not good in my view because after retiring as the head of the state its not good for a person to be in house with other lawmakers; however, human being wants for lust and power compel a person to do anything if not suited with his profession. After stepping down from the president-ship its not suitable to sit in the house rather its better to work for Islam by joining the Tablighee Jamat and this will help you in the grave which is eternal life.

Asmat Jamal | 14 years ago | Reply Laghari failed to register himself as a statesman. He succumbed to the pressure of establishment not once not twice but thrice when it came to show his moral fiber. He ultimately remained a self serving bureaucrat till end.

Ammar | 14 years ago | Reply I don't think it was early 90s when he backstabbed the PPP. Although he ended up his political career by this terrible act, but his arrogance remained even few months before his death. It is sad and most unfortunate that he listed himself as the villain of history.

Replying to X