Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Zia-ul-Haq, 1971 to 1988

Last time

Before we start: last time, in Yahya Khan and the creation of Bangladesh, you learned these points. Here they are again on one card. Keep them in mind, because today builds on them.

Two very different leaders

After 1971, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto rebuilt a broken country with sweeping reforms. In 1977 he was overthrown by General Zia-ul-Haq, who ruled for eleven years and set out to make Pakistan more Islamic. This lesson covers both.

Bhutto: the constitution

Bhutto's government passed the 1973 Constitution, agreed by all parties. It is still the basis of Pakistan's constitution. It set up a parliamentary system, with a Prime Minister as head of government, and two houses: the National Assembly and the Senate. It declared Islam the state religion. Bhutto became Prime Minister in 1973.

Bhutto: the Simla Agreement

In July 1972 Bhutto and Indira Gandhi signed the Simla Agreement. India returned the territory it had captured in the west, and later the prisoners of war came home. Both sides agreed to settle disputes peacefully and bilaterally, and to respect the Line of Control in Kashmir.

Bhutto: economic reforms

He nationalised many key industries, banks and insurance companies, to reduce the power of a few rich families. Land reforms reduced the maximum size of land holdings. But nationalisation discouraged private investment, and the economy suffered.

Bhutto: abroad and his fall

He hosted the Islamic Summit in Lahore in 1974, recognised Bangladesh, and started Pakistan's nuclear programme. In 1977 his party won the election, but the opposition, the Pakistan National Alliance, accused him of rigging, and mass protests followed. On 5 July 1977 General Zia-ul-Haq declared martial law. Bhutto was tried for murder and executed in 1979.

Zia: Islamisation

Zia aimed to make Pakistan's laws and society more Islamic. The Hudood Ordinances of 1979 introduced Islamic punishments for certain crimes. The Zakat and Ushr Ordinance of 1980 collected zakat from bank accounts. A Federal Shariat Court was set up to check that laws agreed with Islam.

Zia: politics

Zia promised elections within ninety days, but postponed them repeatedly. In 1985 he held non-party elections, and Muhammad Khan Junejo became Prime Minister. The Eighth Amendment gave the President power to dismiss the government. Zia dismissed Junejo in 1988.

Zia: Afghanistan

In December 1979 the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Pakistan supported the Afghan resistance, the mujahideen. Pakistan received large amounts of aid from the USA, and became important to the West. But it also took in millions of refugees, and weapons and drugs spread in Pakistan.

Zia's challenges and death

He faced opposition from the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy, and criticism of his Islamic laws, especially from women's groups. Sectarian tensions and the Afghan war's effects grew. Zia died in an air crash on 17 August 1988.

Bhutto and Zia compared

The two leaders side by side.

Mistakes that lose marks

Mistake one: saying Zia wrote the 1973 Constitution. Bhutto's government did; Zia amended it. Mistake two: listing Zia's Islamic laws without explaining their effect or the reaction. Mistake three: muddling the Simla Agreement, 1972, with the Simla Conference, 1945. The fix: correct dates, and the effect of each policy.

The full-marks tip

The full-marks tip: for each leader, sort policies into political, economic, social and foreign. For challenges, explain why each made governing harder.

On one card

So, on one card: Bhutto and Zia. Keep it for revision.