Causes of the failures of Benazir’s and Sharif’s Governments

i. Their failure to address the issue of party institutionalization.

ii. Differences between the centre-state relations.

iii. Military entrenchment

iv. Relations with India.

v. Worsening tide of sectarian and ethnic violence; rise of militant’s challenges as the effects of
using Islamic proxies.

vi. Political infightings

vii. Financial scandals

viii. Limited legislative enactment

ix. Economic failure

x. Increasing poverty

xi. Democratic consolidation stalled

Benazir’s First Tenure

She fall from office due to many reasons including

 Opposition by Nawaz Sharif

 Clash of Benazir with Ghulam Ishaq Khan- particularly the disagreements over appointments
of judicial and military positions. Ghulam Ishaq thought that such appointments were
president’s right not of Prime Minister
 Accusations on Asif Ali Zardari
 Problems with MQM

Benazir was eager to reinstate the constitution of 1973, voiding the 1985 Zia amendments that
allowed the president to dismiss the government and dissolve legislative assemblies, and to return
the country to a parliamentary form of government. It would also assure she could not be dismissed
from office. Failing to gain sufficient support, she soon dropped the effort. On August 6, 1990,
President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, invoking the Eighth Amendment of 1985 and Article 58 2(b), dismissed
the Bhutto government, alleging corruption and incompetence; dissolved the National Assembly;
and declared a state of emergency.

Nawaz Sharif First Tenure

 Government faced financial pressure and shortage of funds due to loss of US aid. USA put
pressure on Pakistan to end nuclear program.
 Investors lost huge sums of money due to closure of BCCI
 Lost support because of Cooperative Societies Scandal, accepted deposits from members
and could also makes loans to members. However, these societies collapsed become
 bankrupt and millions of Pakistanis lost their money. It was later discovered that these
societies had granted millions of loans to Mr Sharif family business, the Itefaq group
 The government was also not successful in dealing with crime and terrorism. Kidnappings,
bombing and murders become common
 Due to afghan support Kalashnikov culture spread and drug addiction spiralled
 In 1991, Shariat Bill was passed the bill that Zia had tried but was not successful and faed to
push through National Assembly.

Benazir’s Second Tenure

Internal feuds-Benazir faced problems within her family, particularly over the control of PPP, as after
ZA Bhutto, there was dispute between her mother, Nusrat Bhutto as she favoured her only survival
son, Mir Murtaza (1954–96), as heir to the Bhutto political mantle. Murtaza also strongly opposed
Benazir’s husband Asif Ali Zardari’s involvement with the PPP, due to concerns about corruption.
Murtaza’s supporters had been implicated in violence, including the hijacking of a Pakistan
International Airline aircraft as a display of protest against the Zia regime, responsible for executing
his father and their political leader. In the 1993 election Mir Murtaza had won a seat as an anti-
Benazir Bhutto candidate. When he returned from Damascus after years of exile, he was jailed on
the longstanding terrorism charge. Benazir Bhutto also removed her mother from leadership in the
PPP. In September 1996 Mir Murtaza Bhutto was killed in a police ambush in Karachi with six
companions. Benazir Bhutto had become stuck responding to accusations of corruption and
extortion, while the government foundered. Nationwide, chaos reigned

Political unrest begins- Nextly, Benazir’s government found it difficult to act effectively in the face of
opposition from Nawaz Sharif In the fall of 1994 Nawaz Sharif embarked on a “train march,”
traveling by rail from Karachi to Peshawar to dramatize their opposition to the Bhutto government.
Several strikes were organized throughout Pakistan by Nawaz Sharif in September and October
1994. Benazir Bhutto arrested several opposition leaders who took part in the protests, drawing
widespread condemnation. Bhutto no longer saw eye to eye with President Leghari. When he
ignored her advice in dealing with the army high command and with changes in the Supreme Court,
their relationship reached the breaking point. Leghari, uncomfortable with the constant intrigue,
was ready to take direct action against Bhutto and her husband

Increasing poverty- During the second tenure of Benazir Bhutto, inflation arose and people were
deprived, as Pakistan was about to become nuclear power but USE imposed financial and military
terms as a result US aid was stopped. The economy of Pakistan declined.

On 4th November 1996, Leghari dismissed Bhutto’s government.