DERA GHAZI KHAN: In a historic turn of events, the Leghari and Gorchani families hailing from the Choti Zareen area of Dera Ghazi Khan and Lal Garh area of Rajanpur, respectively, have once again left a mark on the political landscape of their districts.

The latest electoral run has seen fathers and sons clinching victories on both the provincial and national assembly seats in these two districts.

Former federal minister and provincial general secretary of PML-N Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, the son of former president Farooq Ahmed Leghari, clinched the NA-186 and PP-290 in Dera Ghazi Khan, while his son, Ammar Leghari, secured victory in NA-187 Rajanpur.

The success of Ammar Leghari marks the fifth generation of Leghari parliamentarians, with the family’s political involvement dating back to 1921 when Leghari Tumandar tribal chief Jamal Khan Leghari became a member of the Punjab Legislative Council.

The Legharis’ political lineage had reached its epitome when Farooq Leghari became the president. Now the family is the start of Ammar entry into the parliament as the fifth generation of Leghari parliamentary family lineage.

Sher Afgan Gorchani, running on a PML-N ticket, emerged victorious from PP-292 in Rajanpur, while his brother, the former deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Sher Ali Gorchani, secured the PP-293 seat. Their father, Parvez Iqbal Gorchani, was declared a winner in PP-294. Notably, the family had a brief stint as the independents in the 2018 election but returned to the PML-N in 2024.

Speaking to this scribe, Sher Gorchani underscored the family’s political lineage, tracing it back to his grandfather, who was the first from the Gorchani tribe taking part in politics before the Partition. While he himself won elections in 2008 and 2013, he lost the election in 2018.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2024