GENERAL ZIA-UL-HAQ (1977-1988)

THE MUDDLING NINETIES: Benazir

Bhutto And Nawaz Sharif (1988-1993)

Lecture 7
 GENERAL ZIA-UL-HAQ
• It was the third time in Pakistan's history that martial law was imposed.

• Like Ayub Khan he had been appointed chief of army staff.

• But, unlike Ayub Khan he had a more stringer version of Islamic

orthodox and introduction of Islamic order as his top priority.

• Moreover, Ayub Khan relied on senior civil servants and did not involve
the army in the day to day running of administration.
 GENERAL ZIA-UL-HAQ
• Zia inducted a very large number about 400 military men into
administration, industrial sector and other economic organisations.

• Commanders were appointed as Zonal Martial Law Administrators, some

were made governors and a number of generals were made secretaries.

• In corporations like PIA and WAPDA, military men held top positions.

• From 1980 onwards the regime ensured that the army officers would fill
10% of the vacancies of the Civil Services.
 GENERAL ZIA-UL-HAQ

• Zia’s regime can be divided into 2 phases:

o Before the Soviet Invasion of 1979

o After the Soviet Invasion of 1979

 THE FIRST PHASE
• When Zia took power, he announced elections would be held soon.

• Shortly after Bhutto’s hanging, elections were cancelled and political

parties were banned.

• Disqualification Tribunal was set up.

• Majlis-e- Shoora was set up in 1981.

 THE FIRST PHASE

• The Islamic Ideology Council to prepare an outline of an Islamic state and

announced that Pakistani law will be based on Shariah law.

• He established the Federal Shariat Court.

• The Islamic punishments (whippings and cutting hands) to be carried out in

public and televised.

• Zia also brought Islamization in financial system prohibiting interest and

taxation through the Zakat and Ushr Ordinances in June 1980.
 THE SECOND PHASE
• The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979.

• Within a period of eighteen months more than 2 million refuges had poured
into Pakistan and 1.2 million followed later.

• The Pakistan government put up camps mostly in NWFP and provided food,
clothing and medicine to the refugees.

• Pakistan indulged into war and after that massive aid flowed into Pakistan
(about $3.5 billion, 40 F-16’s and 100 tankers).
 THE SECOND PHASE

• Pakistan's role in the fight against Soviets dramatically changed its

image both domestically and internationally.

• Moreover, the depiction of war helped the Zia to transform Pakistan

into an Islamic state, in turn he gained the support of Middle Eastern
Muslim countries, giving him more international fame.
 THE SECOND PHASE

• At the same time the war had disturbing effects on the Pakistani society.

• The influx of more than 3.2 million refugees into Pakistan overwhelmed the
local economy, stretched the facilities and strained the infrastructure.

• The refugees also brought with them weapons and drugs which created the
Kalashnikov culture and led to a dramatic increase in ethnic and religious
violence.
 THE SECOND PHASE
• At the domestic level, PPP and other parties launched the Movement for
the Restoration of Democracy (MRD)

• After that, Zia promised elections to be held in Feb 1985.

• Local elections were held on a non-party basis in Feb and martial law was
lifted in December 1985.

• The composition of National Assembly showed the dominance of landlords,

and tribal leaders which helped Zia retain his president-ship. However,
Mohammad Khan Jonejo was made the Prime Minister.
 THE SECOND PHASE
• An amended version of the 1973 constitution (8th Amendment) was
reinstated which increased power of the President.

• However, in may 1988 Zia dissolved the National Assembly.

• Which led to the tensions and violence across the Pakistan, the
situation of law and order kept on deteriorating.
 THE SECOND PHASE

• The spread of Kalashnikov culture led to a sharp increase in robberies and

kidnappings.

• At the same time ethnic tensions increased between the Sindhis and
Afghan refugees which escalated to great heights in the late 1980s.

• The Muhajir Quami Mahaz (MQM) was formed to voice their grievances.
 THE SECOND PHASE

• Zia’s death was in a suspicious airplane crash along with several other top
generals on August 17, 1988.

• Ghulam Ishaq Khan became the new president of Pakistan and elections
were announced in November 1988.

• Two rivals came to dominate the political landscape during this period:
Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.
 Elections of 1988

• Elections were held in November 1988.

• In the elections, PPP won a majority and Benazir became the first female
Prime Minister of Pakistan.
 BENAZIR BHUTTO’S FIRST
GOVERNMENT
• In her first address to the nation as prime minister, Bhutto presented
her vision of Pakistan (forward-thinking and democracy but guided by
Islamic principles).

• She announced the release of political prisoners, restoration of press

freedoms and the ban on student unions and trade unions was lifted.
 BHUTTOS FOREIGN POLICY
• She strengthened relations with Muslim countries.

• After taking office, she attempted to strengthen the country’s alliance with
the United States.

• Bhutto tried to ease tensions with India while seeking solutions to the
disputes—primarily Kashmir.

• Bhutto succeeded in gaining readmission to the Commonwealth in 1989.

 BHUTTO’S DOMESTIC POICY
• Bhutto championed a Western secularist and socialist agenda, eschewing
the pro-Islamic policies of the Zia regime.

• Women’s social and health issues were the staples of her campaigns.

• However, her stated policies were rarely translated into action:

o No legislation was proposed to improve welfare services for women.

o Promises to repeal Hudood and Zina ordinances, went unfulfilled.

 DOWNFALL OF BENAZIRS FIRST
GOVERNMENT
• Benazir was often criticised for being autocratic during her first term.

• She appointed her mother, Nusrat Bhutto as senior minister without any
portfolio and her father in-law, the chairman of the Parliamentary Public
Accounts Committee.

• Two major problems her government had to face were:

o Excessive levels of corruption within the PPP and her inability to stop banditry in the
rural Sindh.
o Ethnic violence between Sindhis and Muhajirs in urban Sindh.
 DOWNFALL OF BENAZIRS FIRST
GOVERNMENT
• On 6th August, 1990, President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed the Bhutto
government, alleged corruption and incompetence; he dissolved the
National Assembly and declared a state of emergency.

• A care taker government was made in 1990 and Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi was
named as the caretaker prime minister.

• Ishaq Khan soon dissolved the provincial assemblies as well and scheduled
new elections for October 1990.