From Loyalty to Dismissal: A Study of the Political Rift between Benazir Bhutto and Farooq Leghari (1993–1996)

Abstract

This paper endeavours to explain the relationship between Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and President Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari from 1993 to 1996, when both were in office. Leghari, a close confidant of Benazir Bhutto and a senior member of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was nominated by her for the presidency. With Benazir’s political support, he was elected as the President of Pakistan in 1993, following the resignation of former President Ghulam Ishaq Khan. In the beginning, all went well, but during the final phase of Benazir’s government, their relationship deteriorated, and Leghari began to obstruct the functioning of the government. Ultimately, Leghari, with the support of the opposition and some elements in the establishment, dismissed the government of Benazir in November1996. This study examines the complex nature of the relationship between Benazir and Leghari. Furthermore, the paper critically evaluates the range of factors and key political events that contributed to the deterioration of relations between Benazir Bhutto and Leghari. The study also explores the underlying causes and circumstances that prompted Leghari to distance himself from Benazir Bhutto and ultimately dismiss her elected government. The paper also seeks to assess the impact of these strained relations on Benazir’s politics.