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BB (Benazir Bhutto) as PM (1988-90)

 Zia died in plane crash/GIK became President/elections held in Nov. 1988/PPP got 94 and IJI 55
seats/BB became fist female PM

How successful was Benazir Bhutto as Prime Minister of Pakistan in the years 1988-90?

 Benazir Bhutto became the first woman Prime Minister of Pakistan in December 1988. She
promised to create a Pakistan which was democratic, but guided by Islamic principles. She was
able to take some measures, such as ending a ban on trade unions and releasing political
prisoners. She also restored the student unions. She also took the first step towards spreading
electricity across rural areas of Pakistan. She was more successful in her foreign policy. She took
Pakistan into the Commonwealth and hosted the fourth South Asian Association for Regional
Co-operation (SAARC) Summit Conference in December 1988. As a result, Pakistan and India
were able to sign three separate peace agreements. She made an official visit to the United
States of America in June 1989 and met President Bush; it was successful as it restored good
relations between the two countries. She also secured transfer of already purchased US
weapons.

Problems faced by BB/Reasons of fall from office

1. Political Opposition (Nawaz Sharif)

 PPP largest party in National Assembly/gained majority only in Sindh province/BB became PM/
had to form coalition with MQM/faced strong opposition from IJI (Islami Jamhuri Itehad) led by
Nawaz Sharif CM of Punjab
 Though military dictatorship ended/military and intelligence agencies still had power/BB not
able to challenge them/feared to be overthrown
 Opposition parties organized No-Confidence motion in National Assembly (Oct. 1989)/mustered
107 votes in 237-seat NA/12 short of 119 needed to force BB to step down
2. Differences with President GIK
 Not worked well with GIK/disagreements on appointments in military and judiciary/GIK
considered it his right not of PM/refused to agree appointments and dismissals wanted by BB
3. Policies: Inflation, Unemployment and Drug Trafficking
 BB promised democratic Pak./meant moving away from pro-Islamic policies of Zia/ended ban on
trade, students’ unions/releasing political prisoners
 Opposition dominated Senate/difficult to pass legislation and concentrate on reforms
 High inflation and unemployment/overburdened education and health systems
 Govt. failed to deal with drug abuse problem/number of heroin addicts increased
4. Problems in Sindh
 Sindh a stronghold of ZAB/reserved seats in administration for Sindhis/muhajirs opposed rights
for Sindhis
 BB promised protection of rights of muhajirs/unable to do/tension of Sindhis and muhajirs
continued
 Sindhi militants fired a crowd in Hyderabad/250 casualities/mostly muhajirs/riots in Karachi/
MQM ended alliance (Aug. 1989)

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Pucca Qila massacre:

 In May 1990, Pucca Qila incident in Hyderabad intensified violence throughout Sindh/On 27 May
1990, the Sindh government launched a crackdown in Hyderabad, bastion of the MQM power
 Shoot-on-sight curfew was imposed and a police house-to-house search began/crodws of
Mohajirs emerged from Hyderabad fort, fronted by women and children holding Holy Quran
over their heads/PPP claimed that behind them were snipers who began shooting at the police,
while MQM claimed that police, unprovoked, brutally began firing at women/thirty-one women
and children were killed, sparking off as usual a chain reaction in Karachi/such violence led to
President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissing government of Benazir Bhutto in August 1990

Foreign Policy

 BB took Pak. into Commonwealth/hosted fourth SAARC Summit Conference (Dec. 1988)/Pak.
and India signed three peace agreements/made official visit to USA (June 1989)/restored good
relations

Kashmir

 Uprising of Kashmiri Muslims in disputed region/Pak. sent armed fighters to support local
Muslims

Government Dismissed

 Accused of corruption/BB’s husband AAZ accused of rake-offs on govt. deals/later arrested/

charges of blackmailing/jailed for 2 years
 GIK used 8th amendment/clause 58 (2) b/dismissed BB’s govt. and assenblies/due to corruption,
incompetence and inaction
 Caretaker govt. under Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi/till elections held in Oct. 1990
Nawaz Sharif as PM (1990-1993)
 IJI got 106 and PPP got 45 seats
 Announced national reconstruction programme to industrialize Pak./industrial growth could
solve unemployment/wanted privatization policy/govt.-private sector partnership boost
economy
 Shipping, electricity supply, airlines, telecommunications opened for private sector/introduced
Ghazi Barotha Hydro Power Project and Gwadar Miniport/ attempted to solve
unemployment/cheap loans to buy imported yellow cabs/few loans repaid/burden to economy
 Wanted fast transportation network to Central Asian region/to provide access to sea/First
Motorway (M2) in Nov. 1997

Problems faced/Reasons of fall from office

 Undermined by lack of capital/US economic support during Afghan war/after war support
reduced/dispute over nuclear weapons/support almost died up
 Reduced foreign aid/low remittances/put pressure on finances/BCCI (Bank of Credit and
Commerce International) collapsed in 1991/founded by Agha Hasan Abedi (1992)/engaged in
fraud and manipulation/investors lost money

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 Co-Operative Societies Scandal/accepted deposits from members/make loans to members/

mismanagement led to collapse/millions of people lost money/Societies granted billions of
rupees as loan to Sharif’s family business/repaid loans but reputation damaged
 In tribal lands gun-carrying reinforced during Afghan War/Kalashnikov guns copied and sold
cheaply/kidnapping, bombing, murders common in Sindh/flood of weapons fueled ethnic
rivalries/drug addiction spiraled/established ‘Speedy Trial Courts’/criticism of suppressing
fundamental rights
 Passed Shariat Bill (1991)/making Quran and Sunnah law of land/opposition disliked alliances
with fundamental Muslims/no action taken against payment of interest
 By 1993 President GIK’s support crumbled/conflict with GIK/after death of Army Chief Asif
Nawaz Janjua (Jan. 1993), Nawaz Sharif wanted his candidate for vacant position/wish denied/
conflict on eighth amendment with President/GIK considered it as important check
 Sharif and his govt. dismissed (Apr. 1993)/guilty of corruption, mismanaged economy/SC
reinstated Sharif govt./Sharif and GIK failed to reach an agreement/fear grew of army’s take
over/both resigned
 GIK replaced by Chairman Senate, Wasim Sajjad/Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi as caretaker PM
Second Term of B.B. (Benazir Bhutto) as PM (1993-1996)
 Elections/PPP got 89 and Muslim League 73 seats/BB returned as PM/coalition govt. with
independent parties
 Member of PPP Farooq Leghari elected as President (Nov. 1993)/hoped for smoother
relationship between PM and President/Leghari promised to revoke Eighth Amendment
 PPP campaigned for ‘Agenda of Change’/concerns of women’s social and health issues/BB
planned women’s police stations, courts and banks

How successful was Benazir Bhutto as Prime Minister of Pakistan in the years 1993-96?

 During her second tenure, during 1993-96, she entered into co-operative arrangements with UN
for peace making operations and sent 5000 troops to Somalia for their help. During this period,
there was a great reduction in Pakistan’s trade deficit because the exports of finished goods had
increased and raw material reduced a lot. The import of consumer goods decreased which led to
a slight rise in foreign exchange reserves. She also gained the grants and loans from the World
Bank and IMF.
 In 1993, President Clinton wanted to restore relations between te two countries. He suggested
that the Pressler Amendment had led to unfair treatment and told them to stop the production
of weapon-grade uranium. In 1996, Benazir visited USA; following the visit the Brown
Amendment authorized the US government to reimburse Pakistan for F-16 payments and
provide $388 million in military equipment. The thaw in the relations was further highlighted
when Hillary Clinton visited Pakistan.

Problems faced/Reasons of fall from office

 BB faced opposition of Nawaz Sharif and ML/Nawaz Sharif arranged ‘train march’ from Karachi-
Peshawar/crowds listened to him/NS organized strikes (Sep-Oct 1994)/leaders arrested
 BB not having smooth relations with family/quarreled with mother Nusrat Bhutto over control
of PPP/Nusrat preferred Murtaza Bhutto/Murtaza went to exile, founded al-Zulfiqar
Organization/criticized BB/opposed involvement of Asif Zardari in PPP on accusations of
corruption/Murtaza returned and won a seat in 1993 elections/ arrested on charges of

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terrorism/BB removed her mother from position in PPP/Murtaza killed in Karachi in police
ambush (Sep 1996)/no policeman arrested/govt. involved/undermined BB support
 30% decrease in value of rupee compared with dollar/govt. officials obstructed BB’s
privatization policy/Rs. 40 million raised by privatization/US imposed financial and military
embargo for nuclear programme
 Deteriorated relations with Farooq Leghari/govt. dismissed on charges of corruption and
misgovernment/Asif Zardari accused of receiving paybacks on govt. deals and political murders/
remained in jail from 1997-2004/charges never proved/BB went into voluntary exile
 Malik Meraj Khalid became caretaker PM/elections held in Feb 1997
Second Term of Nawaz Sharif as PM (1997-1999)
 Muslim League got 137 and PPP 18 seats/ML won two-third majority in National Assembly/NS
resume power/introduced Thirteenth Amendment/revoked authority of President to dismiss
PM and National Assembly/President lost power to appoint three chiefs of staff of armed forces
and governors/supported by all parties
 The Anti-Defection Bill (14th Amendment) stopped politicians to change parties

Problems faced/Reasons of fall from office

 Journalists arrested who wrote critical articles about NS/tax inspection of newspaper editors/
govt. critic Najam Sethi kidnapped by police/released after international protest
 Involved in dispute with CJ Sajjad Ali Shah/Sharif defending in SC charges of
corruption/supporters attacked SC building/CJ had to flee/police restored order after baton
charging and tear gassing
 President Leghari gave support to NS/had no power to dismiss govt./asked by govt. to dismiss CJ
Sajjad Ali Shah/resigned on 2 Dec 1997/Rafiq Tarar (PML candidate) elected as President/CJ
Sajjad Ali Shah dismissed/Justice Ajmal Mian replaced him
 In May 1998 Pak. carried out series of nuclear tests in Balochistan/tests popular within Pak./
India carried out test few weeks before/international criticism/economic sanctions by US and
Japan/economy close to collapse/NS raised fuel prices/negotiated bank loans/to avoid
bankruptcy/introduced emergency curtailing civil rights
 Since Zia’s time army a threat to democracy/Army Chief Jehangir Karamat suggested his position
in National Security Council/NS forced him to resign/General Pervez Musharraf replaced him
 NS introduced 15th Amendment/Shria the supreme law/PM to rule by decree in name of Islamic
law
 Pak. supported forces failed in Kargil Conflict/Muslim Kashmiri forces driven back/NS denied
their involvement/lost support of army and people/mass opposition rallies
 NS feared a coup from Army Chief/decided to replace him/Musharraf was returning from a visit
to Sri Lanka on 12 Oct 1999/NS asked Civil Aviation Authority not give permission for plane to
land/appointed head of ISI (General Zia-ud-Din Butt) as army chief/army refused to accept his
appointment/it took over Karachi airport/allowed Musharraf’s plane to land/army took control
of country/govt. of NS dismissed/NS charged and found guilty of attempted murder, hijacking
and kidnapping/’Plane Conspiracy’ case/Saudi Royal Family requested Govt. of Pak/NS exiled to
Saudi Arabia

Why did General Musharraf come to power in 1999?

 Musharraf came to power because he had developed differences with Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif/Nawaz Sharif was giving support for Taliban in Afghanistan and this damaged relations

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with USA, as they refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, suspected of bombing US embassy in
Kenya
 Pakistan also tested the nuclear weapons in May 1998 which angered a number of countries
which then halted aid to Pakistan and brought Nawaz Sharif much criticism/Nawaz Sharif’s
failure in Kargil issue widened gulf between his government and military/he first denied any
involvement in issue, but events following the withdrawal of Muslim Kashmiri forces provided
evidence against his statement
 He lost support of army, and masses too turned against him and protest rallies were taken out
which showed that he had also lost the support of many of the people/Musharraf was observing
everything closely
 Decisive moment came in October 1999/Nawaz Sharif feared a coup led by General Musharraf
and decided to replace him./as Musharraf returned from a visit to Sri Lanka on 12 October 1999,
Sharif ordered Civil Aviation Authority not to give permission for his plane to land/Nawaz Sharif
then appointed General Zia-ud-Din Butt as Army Chief who was a relative to him but army
refused to accept this appointment/it took over Karachi airport and allowed Musharraf’s plane
to land/once he was on the ground, army decided to intervene in government and overthrew
Nawaz Sharif/Nawaz Sharif, his brother and five other government officials were charged and
found guilty on charges of attempted murder, hijacking and kidnapping in ‘Plane Conspiracy’
case

What was the Kargil Conflict?

 In April 1999, Muslim Kashmiri guerrillas crossed Line of Control and captured Indian occupied
towns of Kargil and Drass/Pakistan government denied any involvement, but later admitted that
Pakistani paramilitary forces were involved/in May, India launched counter attack and two of its
aircraft crossed into Pakistani airspaces/one of aircrafts was shot down
 International community was horrified that two countries with nuclear weapons had gone to
war/during May and June 1999, Pakistani forces were pushed back and Nawaz Sharif (Prime
Minister) was eventually persuaded by US President Bill Clinton to withdraw all Pakistan forces
from Indian held territory behind Line of Control/Kargil Conflict was a major blow to Pakistan-
India relations

Muhammad Shakil Anwar

0332-4858610