ZULFIQAR ALI BHUTTO’S ERA

(1971-1977)

Shafiq Qurban
Introduction
Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in his very first speech on the night of 20
December, 1971, declared that he would introduce various reforms
and would come down with a heavy hand on corruption: his declared
objective being to put the social and economic system right.

The reforms introduced by the People’s Government reflect a

radical change in respect of the organization of the social and
economic systems.
 Political Career
• As his father was politically active, Bhutto had learned
politics and its affairs from very early age.
• Bhutto was a nationalist and socialist.
• In 1957, Bhutto became the youngest member of Pakistan's
delegation to the United Nations.
• In 1958, he became Pakistan's youngest cabinet minister.
• He was assigned ministry of Water and Power.
• He was then given ministry of Commerce, Communication
and Industry.
Political Career
• In 1960, He became trusted ally and advisor of Ayub Khan,
rising in influence and power despite his youth and relative
inexperience.
• He aided his president in negotiating the Indus Water Treaty in
1960 and Oil Exploration Agreement.
• In 1963, Bhutto became Foreign Minister.
• Initiative of friendly relations with China.
• His style of leading the Foreign Ministry and his swift rise
to power brought him national prominence and popularity.
Political Career

• After Tashkent Agreement, he left Ayub Khan and

resigned in 1966.
• Founded Pakistan People’s Party in 1967.
• Contested elections in 1970 and won majority in West
Pakistan
• Took over from Yahiya Khan in 1971, became first
civilian Chief Martial Law Administrator after
Disintegration of Bangladesh
Political Career

• He was Pakistani politician and statesman who

served as the 10th Prime Minister of Pakistan from
1973 to 1977, and prior to that as the 4th President
of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto: Pakistan's Most Divisive Political Leader
 
1. Nationalist and Socialist, Democratic point of view.
2. Aggressive leader Popular in public

3. Friendly relations with China, Germany, Indonesia,
Saudia

Arabia and other countries.
4. Aggressive Geo-strategic and foreign policies towards
India.

Bhutto Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy
1. His vast knowledge, intelligence, and keen awareness of Post-World
War II, and the nuclear history, enabled him to craft the foreign policy
which brought unmatched undivides in Pakistan's foreign policy history
2. Bhutto sought to diversify Pakistan's relations away from the United
States
3. Bhutto developed close and strengthened the Arab relations, and Sino-
Pak Relations.
4. Pakistan and Iran had cemented a special relationship, as Iran had
provided military assistance to Pakistan.
5. Bhutto, had built a strategic relationship with People's Republic of
China.
Foreign Policy
1. Bhutto had been an Anti-SEATO and preferred a Non-Aligned
Policy.
2. Bhutto improved Pakistan's ties with the Arab world, and sided
with the Arab world during the Arab-Israeli conflict.
3. In spite of troubled relations with Israel, Bhutto had made it
clear to Israel that his policy against Israel is not based on Anti-
Semitism.
1. India carried out nuclear test, near Pakistan’s eastern
border.

2. Bhutto’s lobbying for sanctions on India.

3. America’s cold attitude.

4. Bhutto’s determination for making Pakistan an
atomic power
5. Kingfisher’s offer to Bhutto and rejection

6. Exchange of harsh words between Bhutto and
American Secretary of State
 

1. Sour relations
 with America for the first time
2. Bhutto intensified Pakistan's foreign policy towards more onto
Movement of Non-Aligned Countries
3. Sympathetic
 attitude of Bhutto America’s policy of ‘’UNITE AND
RULE’’ 
4. Bhutto’s visit to Soviet Union Collaboration on Pakistan Steel Mill

5. Access to warm water ports for Soviet Union



 

1.Bhutto

hosted the second Organization of the Islamic
Conference

(OIC) in 1974 where he delegated and invited
leaders from the Muslim world to Lahore.
2. Friendly Relations With Saudi Arab, Iran, Palestine And
Other Arab Countries.
3.Second Islamic Summit In 1974.
4.Leader Of Third World Countries.
1. Carter’s

Victory In 1976 Elections

2. Ban On Nuclear Weapons

3. Carter Placed An Embargo On Pakistan

3. Bhutto

And Carter ‘’Rough Relations’’
4. Bhutto’s Efforts
5. Development Of Nuclear Program Without
America’s Will

1. Bhutto’s execution, a big change in Global
Politics

2. Soviet Union’s future without Bhutto’s support

3. Turning point in Cold War

4. Disintegration of Soviet Union

5. Emergence of America as Super Power
Domestic Reforms
1. Pakistan’s
 First Constitution in 1973
2. Strong Democratic Setup.



Economic Reforms
Nationalization
1. Nationalization, Govt. wanted to save people from adverse
impact of galloping prices.
2. Ten basic industries were immediately taken over by the
Government.
3. These include iron and steel, basic metal industries, heavy
engineering, heavy electrical industries, petro-chemical industries,
cement industries, public utilities and power generation, transmission
and distribution, gas and oil refineries.
Economic Reforms
Life Insurance Nationalized
1. By a Presidential Order of 19 March 1972, 32 life Insurance companies
were nationalized.
2. This sweeping move was aimed at removing the interlocking of life
insurance with private ownership of major industrial groups.
3. The life Insurance Corporation established in November 1972 has a
paid up capital of Rs. 10 million. Since then, life insurance has
gained momentum.
Economic Reforms
1. Government raised the wages and salaries which laid tremendous
inflationary stress on the economy.
2. Nationalization program could not arrest inflation and also missed the
corporatist element
3. An Economic Reforms Order promulgated in January 1972 removed the
Boards of Directors and managing Agencies of 20 big industries. A little
later 11 industrial units were added to the list.
 Land Reforms
1st March 1972
1. It was promised of fixing a low ceiling, abolition of absentees,
landlordism and promotion of cooperative farming.
2. Landholdings limited to 150 acres irrigated and 300 acres un-irrigated
in 1972.
3. Landholdings later limited to 100 acres irrigated and 200 un-irrigated
in 1977.
 Land Reforms
1. Rights of pre-emption were granted to the tenants for the area cultivated
by them, to ensure security to the tenancy rights.
2. In 1975, small landholders of 12 acre irrigated and 25 acres un-irrigated
were exempted from land revenue and cesses(e.g. irrigation-cess).
3. Generous tax deductions allowed for the purchase of agricultural
machinery, agriculture credit also channeled into financing
mechanization.
Educational Reforms

1. 1st Phase of Educational policy announced in Oct, 1972.

2. Education made compulsory up to class 8th.
3. In 2nd Phase Education made compulsory and free up to class 10th.
4. Private schools and colleges were placed under the control of
provincial education board.
5. Teachers were paid now equivalent salaries.
 Labor Reforms

1. Labor Law Ordinance 1975, to satisfy the militant labor force.

2. The industrialists and factory owners were made responsible for
bearing the expenditure of education of one child of every worker
or laborer.
3. The labor policy was among one of the most important cornerstone
of Bhutto's government, Shortly after assuming control, the
government imposed some conditions on the dismissal of workers
Banking Reforms
1. The primary aim of the Banking Reforms is to subject the commercial
banks to an elaborate system of social control.
2. Specifically they aim at bringing about equitable distribution of bank
credit and also ensure greater social accountability.
3. To achieve this goal, a National Credit Consultative Committee was
formed which formulated a Rs. 1,560 million bank credit plan for the
private sector in respect of small loans for low cost housing and
advances for agricultural production.
Health Reforms
1. This was the most neglected sector independence.
2. No health scheme could succeed because the common man did not have the
means to meet the cost of drugs.
3. To obviate this, it was necessary as a first step to make medicines available within
the reach of the common man by bringing down the prices and rationalizing their
means.
4. To achieve this goal, an act called the Drug act, 1972, was enacted which prohibited
the manufacture and import of any drugs under brand names after 23 December, 1972
and their sale after 31 March, 1973.
5. Introduction of Rural Health Center and Basic Health Units.
6. Names of medicines were decided to be genetic.
7. Number of Medical Colleges also increased
Law Reforms
1. In a historic declaration bringing to an end the notorious and outdated British
system conferring on District officers the power of both judiciary and executive,
Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto announced the separation of the judiciary from the
executive.
2. Under these reforms the legal procedures have been simplified, rights and duties
have been clearly defined and criminal litigation made more liberal which meet
the long felt needs and cherished desires of the people.
Islamization Process
• Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s populist slogan of “Islam, Democracy
and Socialism” that gave him a landslide win in Pakistan’s
first general election held in 1970 also reflected the eclectic
spirit of Pakistan.
• Bhutto, won a majority in former West Pakistan on a
manifesto promising the imposition of Islamic Socialism.
• PPP's brand of Islamic socialism as tool for elimination
of feudalism and uncontrolled capitalism, greater state
regulation of the economy, nationalization of major banks,
industries and schools, encouraging participatory management
in factories and building democratic institutions.
Islamization Process
Islamic Provisions of 1973 Constitution
• The following are the Islamic provisions of 1973 constitution based
on the principles of Holy Qur'an and Sunnah.
Official Name
• Pakistan shall be Federal Republic to be known as the Islamic
Republic of Pakistan.
State Religion
• Islam shall be the state religion of Pakistan.
A Muslim to be a President and Prime Minister
• A person shall not be qualified for election as President unless he is a Muslim
of not less than forty-five years of age and is qualified to be elected as
member of the National Assembly.
Islamization Process
Definition of a Muslim
• Muslim‖ means a person who believes in the unity and oneness
of Almighty Allah, in the absolute and unqualified finality of the
Prohethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), the last of the
prophets, and does not believe in, or recognize as a prophet or
religious reformer, any person who claimed or claims to be a
prophet, in any sense of the word or of any description
whatsoever, after Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
• Definition of Muslim was incorporated by Second
Amendment in 1973 Constitution
Islamization Process
Definition of Non-Mulim
• Non-Muslim means a person who is not a Muslim and
includes a person belonging to the Christian, Hindu, Sikh,
Buddhist or Parsi community, a person of the Quadiani group
or the Lahori group (who call themselves Ahmadis‘ or by any
other name), or a Bahai, and a person belonging to any of the
scheduled castes.
Islamization Process
Teachings of Holy Qur'an
• The state shall try to make the teaching of the Holy Quran
and Islamiat compulsory, to encourage and facilitate the
learning of Arabic language.
Strengthen Bond with Muslim World
• The State shall endeavor to preserve and strengthen
fraternal relations among Muslim countries based on
Islamic unity
Islamization Process
Narrative of Islamic Bomb
• In fact Bhutto wanted the world to know that he was the man who had
coined the term Islamic bomb‖, and if ever Pakistan exploded a nuclear
device, Bhutto could be remembered for having fathered it.
International Congress on Seerat
• The International Congress on Seerat which travelled to all the
important cities of Pakistan in March 1976 was an occasion of
which we can justly feel proud. The visits to Pakistan of Imam of
Masjid-i-Nabvi and the Imam of Holy Ka‘bah led prayers in which
the congregations were described as decidedly the biggest ever
seen or heard of in the whole history of Islam.
Political Slip-Up
1. Center would not appoint governors.
2. Formation of Federal Security Force
3. Limitation of press freedom and ban on political parties was done through an
amendment.
4. In 1975 national assembly approved a bill by which FSF could detain people for an
indefinite period.
5. By another amendment courts were also not permitted to bail for those people held
detention by FSF.
6. Surveying the political instability, Bhutto's central government sacked two
provincial governments within six months
7. Arrested the two chief ministers, two governors and forty-four MNAs and MPAs.
 Decline Of Government
A. Between the 1974 and 1976, many of Bhutto's original members had
left Bhutto due to political differences.
B. Powerful PPP leaders such as Ghulam Mustafa Khar, former Governor of
Punjab, openly condemned Bhutto and called for protests against his
regime.
C. Amid protest and civil distress felt in Lahore, and People's Party lost the
administrative control over the city.
D. On 3 September the Army arrested Bhutto again on charges of authorizing
the murder of a political opponent in March 1974.
 Death Sentence and Appeal

I. Bhutto was declared not guilty of murder, but was sentenced to death, On 18 March
1978.
II. On 12 March 1978, Bhutto's former Legal Minister, A.H. Per-Zadah petitioned the
Supreme Court for the release of Bhutto's Science Adviser, Mubashir Hassan, and to
review Bhutto's death sentence based on the split decision.
III. The Supreme Court denied Hassan's release because he was held by Military Police,
but the court agreed to hear the arguments.
IV. On 4 April 1979, the day Bhutto was executed.
I did not kill
 that man. My God is aware of it. I am big enough to admit if I had

done it, that admission would have been less of an ordeal and humiliation than
this barbarous trial which no self respecting man can endure.
I am a Muslim. A Muslim's fate is in the hands of God Almighty I can
face Him with a clear conscience and tell Him that I rebuilt His Islamic
State of Pakistan from ashes into a respectable Nation.
I am entirely at peace with my conscience in this black hole of Kot
Lakhpat. I am not afraid of death. You have seen what fires I have
passed through.
The New York Times published its report
after following the entire chronological
events surrounding Bhutto's trial which
stated in part
"The way they did it, (Bhutto) is going
to grow into a legend that will some day
backfire."
 
1. Carter’s unlikeness toward Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

2. PPP seeking help from different states except US A
3. Benazir Bhutto’s statement

4. Bhutto and Soviet Union Alliance

5. Resemblance between Chile’s and Pakistan’s riots

6. America’s denial of any involvement


1. Bhutto’s

independent policy

2. Dream of sovereign Pakistan

3. America’s opposition

4. Determination

of Nuclear Program
5. Friendly

relations with China and Russia
5. America’s role in brining Zia into power
 
1. Bhutto was roundly criticized for intimidating his political opponents

by his critics
2. His political
 rivals had blamed his socialist policies for slowing down
Pakistan's economic progress

3. Bhutto is blamed by some, for division of East Pakistan



4. Bhutto’s stubbornness broke Pakistan, not Mujib’s six points demand

5. Even after his death, he remains a controversial figure