Name:Javeria Saeed Department:BS HISTORY

Roll#:169-FSS-BSHIS-S19 Subject: political history of Pak

Submitted To: Ma’am Nasreen kosar

Faculty of social sciences

International Islamic University Islamabad
Conclusion of Bhutto’s time period:
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto appeared on the Pakistan political scene as a meteor and also disappeared in the like
manner. However, the Bhutto phenomenon persists in contemporary Pakistan. The Bhutto phase in
Pakistan represented a shift from military – bureaucratic authoritarianism to parliamentary democracy.
The landslide victory of his popularity of his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) during 1970 general election
enhanced him to take over from the military junta. Both as president and prime minister of Pakistan
Bhutto exerted effective and provincial politics and it was often difficult to discern where his influence
turned into interference. Democratic accountability soon became a causality.

Political Situation between 1971-1977:

Internal politics:

During 1970 elections sheikh mujeeb party wins majority seats in East Pakistan whereas Bhutto wins
majority in west Pakistan. Political deadlock on forming government leads to chaos and then into full-
fledged war of 1971 which resulted in separation of East Pakistan. After the separation of Pakistan on
16th December General Yahiya Khan then President and Chief Martial Law Administrator invited Bhutto
to take charge of the country. On 20thDecember Yahiya made Bhutto the President and Chief Martial
Law Administrator of the country and backed away. After becoming President Bhutto started to work
towards framing the new constitution of Pakistan. He formed the national assembly on the basis of the
results of 1970 elections. Within a year the new constitution was completed and it was implemented in
1973. According to the new constitution the form of government was parliamentary and all the
executive powers were in the hand of Prime Minister. Bhutto became Prime. He also launches Pakistan's
nuclear programme. Bhutto Pakistan peoples party was the leading party at that time and several of his
reforms earn him lots of support from general public. In 1976 Bhutto appoints General Zia-ul-Haq as his
chief of army staff.

External politics:

The era between 1971-77 was important in terms of regional and global politics. After the recent 1971
war, the Indian conducted nuclear tests in 1973 and it alarmed Pakistan and Bhutto ordered the start of
Pakistan nuclear program. Also in neighbouring Afghanistan the king Zahir shah government was
overthrown in afghan revolution of 1973. These events and increasing cold war between US and Soviet
union also played important role in shaping foreign policy of Pakistan. Due to lack of support from US in
wake of 1971 war. Pakistan approached Soviet union much to the anger of US. Bhutto was the architect
of that shift in foreign policy of Pakistan.

Reforms and constitutional developments of Bhutto:

Bhutto’s policies were seen people friendly, but it did not produce long lasting effects as the civil
disorder against Bhutto began to take place in 1977.Amid political distress and intensified law and order
situation had badly shaken his reforms. Following were the reforms introduced by Bhutto:

Constitutional reforms:

One of the major achievement in Bhutto’s life was drafting of Pakistan’s first ever consensus constitution
to the country. Bhutto supervised the promulgation of 1973 constitution that triggered unstoppable
constitutional revolution through his politics wedded to the emancipation of the downtrodden masses
by first giving people a voice in the parliament and introducing radical changes in the economic sphere
for their benefit.

Domestic reforms :

The Bhutto government carried out a number of reforms in the industrial sector. His reforms were
twofold; nationalization and the improvement of workers rights. In first phase in 1972,basic industries
like steel, chemical and cement were nationalized. Further in 1974, he nationalized all banks. The last
step in the series was the most shocking, it was the nationalization of all flour, rice and cotton mills
throughout the country. This nationalization process was not a successful as Bhutto expected.

Land, food and agricultural reforms :

During his period as the prime minister, a number of land reforms were also introduced. The important
land reforms included the reduction of land ceiling and introducing the security of tenancy to tenant
farmers. The land ceiling was fixed to 150 acres of irrigated land and 300 acres of non irrigated land.
Another step that Bhutto took was to democratize Pakistan’s civil service. In Baluchistan the pernicious
practice of shishak and sardari system was abolished. Bhutto later went onto to upgrade numbers of
dams and barrages built in Sindh province.

Economic policy :

Bhutto introduced socialist economics policies while working to prevent any further division of the
country. Major heavy mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering industries were immediately
nationalized by Bhutto and all of the industries came under direct control of government. Bhutto also
established the port Qasim Pakistan steel mill and several cement factories. Bhutto further introduced
banking reforms to provide more opportunities to small factories and business such as forcing banks to
ensure 70% of institutional lending should be for small land holders of 12.5 acres or less which was a
revolutionary idea at a time.

Moreover, Baluchistan military operation, Iraqi intervention, passport reforms, foreign policy etc. These
were the reforms introduced by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in his times.

1977 Elections :

As a result of election of 1977,PPP won the elections but joint opposition blamed a mass rigging in the
election results. They demanded fresh elections. Bhutto initially was but later showed inclination to
compromise but history has taken a u turn as he refused to negotiate the elected majority party in
1971,Now opposition refused to compromise and took the case to the streets. Urban shopkeepers,
businessman, students, women and even the intelligentsia joined hands against the government. The
result was the third martial law and end of democracy.

Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) :

The Pakistan National Alliance ( PNA), was a populist and consolidated right-wing political alliance,
consisting of nine political parties of the country. Formed in 1977, the country's leading right-wing
parties agreed upon to run a political campaign as a single bloc against the left oriented PPP in the 1977
general elections. The alliance was defeated in 1977 elections and accused Bhutto of rigging in elections.