India and Pakistan started their innings together 60 years ago. But within a quarter century the latter broke into two. Experts say that the very existence of two wings of Pakistan, with a huge nation India in between, was a denial of political science and that it was bound to be separated.
However, objective historians of Pakistan blame the then Pakistani President, General Yahya Khan, and the then Peoples Party of Pakistan chief Zulfikar Ali Bhutto responsible for the dismemberment of that country – Bhutto because he was among the politicians who instigated Yahya and did not allow Mujib-ur-Rahman to become the Prime Minister of the then United Pakistan, even though the latter’s party, Awami League, won maximum number of seats in the rarest unrigged election of December 1970. The credit for this free and fair election certainly goes to now much damned, Yahya Khan. But he certainly lacked political sense and joined hands with Bhutto to deny a chance to a Bengali to become the Prime Minister of the country.
After the dismemberment of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became President – and after the 1973 Constitution Prime Minister. Bhutto simply filled the vacuum as Yahya had to quit after the defeat of Pakistani army at the hands of Indian armed forces and Mukti Bahini, the guerrillas fighting for the liberation of Bangladesh. Bhutto was unchallenged master of that situation because in the western wings of Pakistan he won maximum seats in the election held in December 1970.
Six months after the dismemberment of Pakistan, Father Bhutto, along with his 19-year old daughter, Benazir, travelled to India, for what is now called the famous Shimla Agreement. In that pre-television era, magazines – there were only few on stalls then – carried big photos of the daughter of the east in western dress and hair-style. And they also carried a story which highlighted how Bhutto did not go to offer Juma prayer though the mosque was decked for him.
Benazir’s political grooming started there. After the Agreement, India returned the 93,000 Pakistani Prisoners of War – which included both combatants and non-combatants. Pakistan virtually gave up claim on Kashmir. With the support of all the political parties, Zulfikar managed to get the new Constitution passed in 1973. Benazir went to England to further her study.
In the initial days civilian Zulfikar ruled Pakistan as the martial law administrator too. Most political parties got dismembered or dis-organised as half of the country was no more. Parties like Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan were powerful in the then East Pakistan too. So were some small parties. Wali Khan’s party had close links with the likes of Mujib. Various factions of Muslim League were never a force but some of them had their branches in the eastern wing of that country. The PPP, however, was essentially a typical West Pakistan party, which did not win a single seat in the East.
With little opposition presence Zulfikar got full opportunity to rule Pakistan like a civilian dictator. He antagonised many of his trusted lieutenants and in the 1977 election he had to rely on rigging. The opposition parties, under the banner of Pakistan National Alliance, launched an agitation. Finally on July 5, 1977 army took over.
General Zia-ul-Haq, the man whom Bhutto trusted, promised election within 90 days. Like General Yahya he too honestly went on the election process. All the politicians put behind bars, including Zulfikar, were released and started campaigning. Father Bhutto then made a momentous blunder. Once out of jail he started attacking Zia and threatened to teach him a lesson, once back in power.
Armyman Zia proved too shrewd a politician. He threw Bhutto back into jail, dug out an old murder case, which Bhutto suppressed, and got him hanged on April 4, 1979.
Bhutto’s second wife, Iran-born Nusrat – he had virtually abandoned his first wife – was too weak to take up the leadership of the party. Therefore, Benazir stepped in. The eldest son, Murtaza took to gun to take revenge from Zia. He set up an outfit called Al-Zulfikar, which even hijacked a plane.
Both Murtaza and another son, Shahnawaz, died unusual death. There started a big family quarrel among brothers and sisters after Zulikar’s hanging. Sanam, the second daughter remained aloof from politics.
Those were the heydays of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and Pakistan was the next target. Zia fully capitalised the situation and helped the resistance movement in that country. After eight years of blood-letting the Soviet Union withdrew, but not before installing a figure-head leader, Dr Najibullah. While Yahya and Zulfikar – the Y and Z of nasty Pakistani politics – are blamed for the disintegration of Pakistan, the Zia-backed struggle in Afghanistan led to the dismemberment of the Soviet Union, the second most powerful nation then.
But Zia had to pay the price as the CIA suddenly got into action. Beaten in Vietnam the United States of America, which avoided direct confrontation with the Soviet Union throughout those eight years of Afghan War – it only supplied or sold some arms, especially Stringer missiles – started taking the credit for the defeat of Soviet Union and its subsequent dismemberment. Perhaps this is the greatest lie of the 20th century, still being propagated by many so-called western experts and scholars, even Muslims.
The elimination of Zia left another vacuum in Pakistan. Though Zia managed to groom Nawaz Sharif, it is the in-built characteristics of dictatorship that political parties get weakened.
Post-Zulfikar Benazir understood that in this changed global scenario she cannot lead Pakistan by having western appearance. Unlike other Bhutto women, including mother, Nusrat, she led the party from front as the dupatta-clad real daughter of east; though from within she remained as western as many Pak politicians. She got married to Asif Ali Zardari, originally from Baluchistan.
Like father in 1972 she filled the vacuum after the US-sponsored assassination of Zia-ul-Haq. She won the election held in 1988, but was removed two years later by the then President, Ghulam Ishaq Khan. She mothered Bilawal in the same year. She again won the election in 1993, but was again unseated in 1996, a few weeks after the installation of Taleban government in Afghanistan. In the election held in 1997 Nawaz Sharif swept to power. Benazir and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari – the Mr Ten Per Cent of Pakistani politics – were once again charged with corruption.
Musharraf took over on October 12, 1999 sending Nawaz to exile. This was after the nuclear tests of May 1998 and Kargil in mid-1999. Benazir went on self-exile. It was always presumed that given the choice Musharraf will be soft towards Benazir and not Nawaz, whom he overthrew. This can be confirmed by what happened on September 10 last. Nawaz was sent packing after his plane made a touch-down on Pakistani soil. But Benazir was allowed to return on October 19 after a secret deal. However, Musharraf went to Saudi Arabia and weeks later Nawaz Sharif, perhaps after another deal, too returned, though his party was not allowed to participate in the election.
With Nawaz not in the race and Muttahida Majlis Amal – like smaller parties in 1972 and 1988 crises – got lost in this farcical Pakistani upheaval, the mixed blend of Bhutto and Zardari is likely to prove as another vacuum-filler of Pakistan.
But Bilawal, now suddenly christened as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has a problem. He is exactly of the same age her mother was when she came to India – last year of teen, that is, 19. And he too is getting educated in the same institute in England. Crown Prince Bilawal will be groomed by his father, very much like what Zulfikar did in early 1970s as the Prime Minister of that country. Asif will play the role of Bairam Khan till son becomes eligible for contesting election.
But fathers in Pakistan always had their limitations. Uncle Sam plays a much important role and ‘he’ is still behind Musharraf.