Class 14: Decade of Progress and 20 Years Aheasd

1.0 Lesson Objectives

1.1 Army control

• Removed 29 most important army leaders in first 4 months
• Including head of air force and commander in chief
• General Tikka Khan made chief of Army Staff
• FSF – Federal Security Force in October 1972
  • Government controlled military

1.2 Simla Agreement

• 2 July 1972
• Bhutto and Indira Gandhi
• Prisoners of war returned
• Kashmir issue shall never be taken to international forums
• Army dependence reduced
• International reputation improved
• Increased popularity by bringing back prisoners

1.3 Constitution

• April 1972
  • Martial Law ended
• Assembly based on 1970 voting
• April 1973
  • Constitution decided
• 14 August 1973
  • New constitution based much on 1956 constitution became law

• 2 houses

  • Senate and assembly
  • Assembly elected for 5 years
  • Senate equal members from all 4 provinces
  • Leader of majority party shall become prime minister
  • Prime minister shall select cabinet
  • President became ceremonial post
  • Presidential orders had to be approved by prime minister
  • Pakistan became Islamic Republic
  • Both president and prime minister must be Muslims
  • Pakistan became a federal state
  • Provinces had their assembly
  • Universal adult suffrage introduced
  • Provincial leadership an be changed only by 75 percent or more majority vote in national assembly
  • Basic human rights guaranteed
• Bhutto became prime minister
• Chaudhry Fazal Elahi became president

1.4 Party Politics

• PPP largest in Punjab, Sindh and National Assembly
• NWFP and Balochistan under National Awami Party and Jamia e Ulema e Islam

• 27 April 1972

  • Coalition signed
    • Provincial governors appointed after agreement of provincial assembly
    • NAP/JUI will support PPP in National assembly
    • Can have free hand in provinces
      • Did not work out much as after 1 year the governors of NWFP and Balochistan dismissed – along with the Balochistan government
      • Army involvement required to put down an uprising that took 5 years
    • April 1974
      • Government could limit press freedom
      • Ban threatening political parties

• Laws passed in 1975

  • Security forces can detain suspects
  • No right to bail for FSF prisoners
  • Political opponents beaten by FSF
  • J.A. Rahim seriously beaten by FSF

1.5 Reforms

• Industrial Reforms

  • Inflation needed to be reduced from 25 percent
  • Nationalization of industries

  • Federal Ministry for Production took control

    • To help invest in industrialization
    • Raise living standards
    • Worker unions
    • Reduce inequalities in wealth
    • Create money to support other government reforms
    • Increase PPP popularity in urban areas

  • Issues

    • Capable people being replaced by inexperienced civil servants
    • Federal Ministry had a huge burden
    • Problems created by corruption and bureaucracy
    • Global recession
  • Inflation reduced to 6% in 1976

• Agricultural reforms

  • Land Ownership reforms

    • 250 acres of irrigated land
    • 500 acres of unirrigated land
    • Gave people chance to build own farms
    • Landowners transferred land to extended family
    • Transferred to tenants and leased back
    • Bribery and personal influence to avoid the law

  • Security of tenants

    • Tenants given first right to purchase land if landowner sells it
    • Mass eviction of tenants before the reform
    • Tenants could not stand up to landowners
    • Bribery and influence used

• Educational Reforms

  • Made 8 points as their targets

  • Problems

    • Administration not available
    • Only 13% budget for education
    • Rural people saw education of their children as a decline for family income.
    • Nationalized schools could not maintain standard of education
    • Time needed for change

• Health and Social reforms

  • Health Scheme

    • Rural health Centres and Basic Health Units established
    • Doctors and nurses training colleges
    • First year to work as per government direction
    • Branded medicines banned – Medical name selling allowed
      • Cost of medicines decreased
    • Can be taken without prescription from any pharmacy
  • Shortage of doctors
  • Medical companies left Pakistan

• Administrative Reforms

  • Modern CSP needed
  • Unified pay scales and smaller number of levels
  • People could now join at any level
  • Opponents complained that this was a method to give high posts to followers

1.6 Election 1977

• PNA – Pakistan National Alliance – 9 opposition parties combined against PPP
• Wanted Islamic Law implementation
• Government limited public meetings to 5 people to prevent PNA from gaining support
• PPP gained landslide victory
• 154 seats
• PNA got 38 only
• Accusations of rigging
  • One occasion the result was announced before counting started
• PNA organized protests
• FSF used to stop them
• Election reconducted in some areas
• Islamic laws passed like banning gambling, restriction of alcohol and banning Friday as holiday
• 19 April – declared state of emergency
• Martial law imposed
• 10000 political prisoners by June
• 5 July
  • Operation Fairplay
  • Army coup
  • All major politicians arrested at at night
  • COAS General Mohammad Zia Ul Haq took control of Pakistan

1.7 Zia ul Haq

• 5 July 1977 came to power
• Martial Law announced 7 July
• Accused Bhutto of corruption and mismanagement of government
  • Had no evidence

1.8 Bhutto’s fate

• Released him at end of july
• Bhutto wanted to re assert his power
• Re arrested on 3 September
• 4 people including Bhutto accused of killing a politician using FSF
• Zia had become president in September 1978
• Bhutto was trialed for 2 years and then sentenced to death
• Zia did not change it to life imprisonment
• Bhutto was hanged on 4 April 1979
• Zia used this as a show of his strength as a leader
• Created good relations between Balochi leaders and government
• Started development projects in Balochistan
• Disbanded FSF in November 1977
• Accused Bhutto’s government of corruption

1.9 Islamization

• Postponed elections
• Countered Bhutto’s socialistic measures by calling them unislamic
• Got support of Jamaat e Islami which was powerful in politics and military
• Fought Pagan communists in Afghanistan (Russia)

• 1979

  • Federal Shariat Court set up
  • 5 judges
  • 1 chairman
  • 3 ulema
  • Unislamic principles and laws can be repealed
  • The last court as court of appeal

• 1977

  • Hudood Ordinance
    • Islamic punishments for drinking, theft, gambling and adultery
  • Blasphemy laws were introduced
• Interest tried to be replaced with profit
• June 1980 Zakat Ordinance of 2.5% tax on wealth or saving over a certain value
• Shia protested in Islamabad in 1984
  • Were exempted from the Zakat tax
• Ushr ordinance
  • 5 percent tax on agricultural income
• Islamiat and Pakistan Studies made compulsory in schools and colleges
• Hafiz e Quran given extra marks in civil service exams
• Arabic language promoted on radio and television

Discrimination against women

• Hudood ordinance and Qanun e Shahadat  reduced women’s legal status
  • Women Action Forum created

Religious Issues

• Summia Shia conflict increased
• Ahmadis were banned from posing themselves as muslims
• Ahmadi public worship was considered criminal

2.0 Afghanistan Miracle

• 25 December 1979
• Soviet Union attacked Afghanistan
• West started supporting General Zia
• High support to Pakistan
• Pakistan became a leading nation in global politics
• Effective Military established
• Became Second largest supplier of military manpower in the developing word
• 1985
  • 50000 Pakistanis serving in middle east
• Karachi – best naval base in region
• Remittances were huge

Denationalized industries

• Industries could not be nationalized in future
• Nationalized industries were reformed
• Inflation and wages rose in Pakistan
• GNP increased by 6.2 % between 1977-1986
  • Highest in world

Restricted Court powers

• Constitution Amendment Act 1979
• Military courts

March 1980

• Provisional Constitutional Order
  • Courts cant challenge
  • 19 Judges protested
    • Were removed
    • Replaced by those who accepted
• Civil Service brought under military control
• Military men in civil service

1982

• 40 percent ambassadors were from military

2.1 Majlis e Shoora

• Islamic Parliament
• No real legislative power
• Make opponents your friend by appointing them to the Majlis

Elections 1985

• Announcement made on 12 August 1983
• Opposition United in Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD)
  • Demanded Free election
  • Restoration of Political parties
• Amendments in 1973 constitution to ensure more power
  • Article 48 – any decision by president is valid
  • 1977 – present military decision are legal
  • Martial law decision can not be changed if president disagrees
  • Prime Minister appointed by president without consultation
  • Assembly had advisory powers only

2.2 The Referendum Idea

• 1 December 1984
  • People want Islamization to continue or not?
    • If Yes
      • Then Zia will also continue in office
• MRD considered it unfair
• Only 10 percent of voters voted
  • Zia won with a majority
  • In reality people supported MRD on boycotting the referendum

Elections

• February 1985
• No political parties
• Candidates proposed by 50 people who were not party based
• 52 percent turnout
• Land lords and tribal chiefs participated
• 9 Cabinet Ministers lost

Benefits to Zia of Election

• A non PPP dominated assembly
• Elected people loyal to zia
• MRD’s call for boycott was ignored by people
• Even MRD members contested elections
• Muhammad Khan Junejo made prime minister
• Made a new party with Zia’s support called the Muslim league
• Nawaz Sharif – Chief Minister of Punjab helped Junejo in strengthening the MuslimLeague

30 December 1985

• Martial Law ended
• 1973 constitution with amendments restored

Eight Amendment passed

• Martial Law acts became law
  • Cannot be appealed against
• President  to appoint governors, prime minister and provincial ministers
• President can dismiss Prime Minister and the Assembly
• Practically – the president had all the power

2.3 Issues for Zia and Downfall

• Smuggling, Drug Abuse and illegal drugs became common
• Corruption increased

• Provincial aims changed

  • Punjab supported Zia
  • Sindh had much violence and problems
  • Sindh wanted to become separate
  • NEFP was getting less supportive of Zia
    • Especially due to hige Afghan refugees
  • Balochistan had issues with the government due to the uprisings that ended in 1977 and had left strong issues

• 1988

  • Afghan crisis was ending
  • American support to Mujahideen reduced
  • Pakistan had to withdraw support too

2.4 Junejo Called all party conference in March 1988

• Discuss Afghan situation

  • Actually wanted to show that NA had some real power
  • Army was really unhappy on this

10 April 1988

• Ojhri Camp issue
• The camp blew with military equipment etc
• Hundreds  of civilians lost life
• Junejo announced enquiry and resulting action against those responsible
  • Even if army commanders
• Zia could not accept this

Juengo dismissed on 29 May 1988

• Assembly dissolved
• According to constitution elections to be held within 90 days
• He again used the allegation of corruption against Juenjo

2.5 17 August 1988

• Zia flew from South Punjab
• Army base
• Along with American ambassador to Pakistan
• And other military officials
• Plane blew mid flight
• Ghulam ishaq Khan became president

October 1988 elections held

• Benazir Bhutto got majority
  • PPP got majority
• First female prime minister of a muslim country and Pakistan