LAHORE Legharis of Dera Ghazi Khan are the only political family who hold a unique record of having four generations representing in the Punjab Assembly. Jamal Leghari, son of former president of Pakistan Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, on Thursday took oath as an MPA in the Punjab Assembly. It was 42nd time in the history of the PA that a member of Leghari family had taken oath in this House since 1921. The other noted families whose more than two generations have got representation in the Punjab Assembly include: Makhdoom Hassan Mehmood, Begum Abida Hussein and Sardar Badshah Khan Qaisrani. Makhdoom Hassan Mehmood served as the Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly in 1985, his son Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood remained an MPA in 1985, 88, 90, 2008 terms whereas his grandsons Makhdoom Mustafa and Murtaza Mehmood also got elected in 2012 by elections and 2013 general elections. Both Col (retd) Abdi Hussein and his daughter Syeda Abida Hussein served as an MPAs in different terms. Sughra Imam, the daughter of Syed Abida Hussein, also served as an MPA in 2002 term after getting elected from her native district, Jhang. Mir Badshah Khan Qaisrani, the MPA elected from Dera Ghazi Khan, who has recently been convicted on the charges of fake degree is also the member of a family which has got representation for more than two terms. His father Zahoor Qaisrani and grandfather Manzoor Qaisrani also served as MPAs in different terms. Besides, Tiwanas, Daultans, Gilanis, Khosas, Abbasis are also some known clan whose two generations have got representations in the Punjab Assembly. However, the Leghari family which hails from the district of Dera Ghazi Khan has got the record of having representations for the largest number of representations in the PA. Nawab Sir Jamal Khan Leghari, grandfather of former President Farooq Ahmed Leghari served as an MPA in 1921, 1924, 1927, 1930, 1937, 1946 1947 terms. He also presided over the first session of the 1947 and 1951
inaugural sessions of the first and second Punjab Legislative Assemblies in post Independence period. The second generation of Legharis starts from Mohammed Khan Leghari who was the member of 1951 and 1956 Punjab Assembly. Other members of that generation include: Atta Mohammed Khan (1972), Begum Afifa Mamdot in 1985 terms. Third generation of Legharis starts from Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari, a former bureaucrat who got elected in 1988 on PPP ticket and served as the leader of the Opposition for a brief period. It also includes Omer Khan Leghari 1985, 1988 terms Jafar Khan Leghari 1985, 1988, 1993, Maqsud Ahmad Khan Leghari 1977, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997, his brother Mansoor Ahmad Khan Leghari 1993 and Dr Asma Mamdot 2008. Fourth generations of Legharis include both sons of Farooq, including Awais and Jamal Leghari. Awais Leghari got elected to the PA in 1997 elections and his brother Jamal, who also served as a Senator for a six year-terms, is now an MPA. Other members of the same clan include: Yusuf Leghari 2002, 2008, Mohammed Khan Leghari 2002, 2012, Col (Retd) Rafiq Ahmed Leghari 1993, 1997, his son Senator Mohammed Mohsin Leghari, 2002, 2008, Azhar Leghari 1988, 1990, 1993, Rafiq Haider Leghari 1997, Mahmood Qadir Leghari 2013. Mohsin Leghari, son of Col (retd) Rafique Leghari and one of the most vocal MPAs of PML-Q also created a huge upset by winning the Senate seat in 2012 elections as an independent candidate at a time, when three mainstream parties of the House including PML-N, PPP and PML-Q had decided not to pitch candidate against each other.
