On Jan 11, 1978, British Prime Minister James Callaghan arrived in Pakistan on a three-day visit. He left with the impression that General Ziaul Haq was a supporter of democracy. But it was Callaghan who broke the news that politicians’ ‘accountability’ would begin on Jan 15, through tribunals. Without providing a tentative date, heclaimed that elections would be held during the current year.
It appeared that by now, the General was being pressed from all quarters to hold elections and restore democracy. Mufti Mahmood of the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) met Gen Zia on Jan 28 to seek clarifications regarding the prevailing situation and the future setup. Despite Bhutto’s detention and charges of murder, the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) held a meeting at Karachi on Feb 3, demanding that elections be held within two months.
The next day, on Feb 4, an official announced in Rawalpindi that after the scrutiny of politicians’ declared assets, the cases of 89 had been sent to the tribunals. The accused included Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, Mumtaz Bhutto, Sadiq Hussain Qureshi, Mairaj Khalid, Shaikh Rasheed, Khursheed Hassan Mir, Mukhtar Awan and Begum Ashraf Abbasi.
General Faiz Ali Chishti extends invitation to PNA to join the government
By now, Gen Zia had also found another important excuse to defer elections: Islamisation. On Feb 20, Gen Zia spoke at the Seerat Conference and argued that an “Islamic code of life” was the panacea to all our problems. The CMLA’s legal adviser, A.K. Brohi, said that creating a system according to the teachings of Islam was a difficult task. He attributed this hurdle to the paucity of experts who could draw such laws efficiently.
On Feb 23, the former Sindh chief minister and a central leader of PPP, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, told journalists in Islamabad that although Gen Zia had failed to give an approximate date for holding elections, no one should doubt his intention regarding restoration of democracy. Five days later, on Feb 28, Gen Zia slapped a one-month ban on all political activity — not just in the open but even inside closed premises — through Martial Law Regulation No 33.
With the final hearings in the murder case against Bhutto drawing closer, Gen Zia once again called a meeting of politicians on March 4. During the briefing, Gen Zia told politicians that as soon as circumstances improved, the ban on political activities would be lifted.
With the final hearings in the murder case against Bhutto drawing closer, Gen Zia once again called a meeting of politicians on March 4. During the briefing, Gen Zia told politicians that as soon as circumstances improved, the ban on political activities would be lifted.
On March 8, however, the General told journalists that political activities would not be allowed to resume before March 31; rather, the ban could even be extended. As he spoke of the ban, the Lahore administration arrested PPP leaders Shaikh Rafiq Ahmad and Nusrat Perveen. Another sweep ensued in Peshawar on March 11. Begum Nusrat Bhutto was detained at her Lahore residence for 15 days.
While for the past many months the General had been talking about forming a cabinet, he formed an 18-member Advisory Council on March 14 to help run administrative affairs.
The council comprised of the following: Ghulam Ishaq Khan, chief secretary-general, finance, provincial coordination and planning; A.K. Brohi, law and parliamentary affairs, religious and minority affairs; Lt-Gen F.A. Chishti, establishment, Kashmir affairs and federal inspection commission; Ghulam Mustafa Gokal, shipping, ports and export promotion; retired Lt-Gen Habibullah Khan, industries and production; Air marshal Inamul Haq, interior; A.G.N. Qazi, finance, economic affairs, statistics, water and power; N.A.Qureshi, railways; Mahmood Ali, housing and works, chairman council of social welfare, environment and urban affairs; Maula Bakhsh Soomro, commerce and political affairs; Mohammad Ali Khan of Hoti, education; Dr Amir Mohammad, education; Dr Amir Mohammad, food, agriculture, cooperatives and livestock; Sharifuddin Pirzada, attorney-general; Agha Shahi, foreign affairs; Rear Admiral R.M. Shaikh, petroleum and natural resources. Gul Mohammad Khan Jogezai and Mohiuddin Baloch were nominated at a later stage.
The next day, Gen Zia announced the establishment of 12 special courts headed by judges of high courts to try politicians for corruption and possibly awarding due punishments besides disqualifying the accused from contesting elections ever again.
On March 15, Gen Zia told a select gathering in Kohat that he would make a special announcement regarding introduction of Islamic system. With a few days left for the verdict in the murder trial against Bhutto, Gen Zia said that the priorities had been changed, according to which, his first step would be enforcement of Islamic system, followed by accountability and then elections.
Simultaneously, the Election Cell held a round of meetings with political leaders. On March 16, it met Sardar Sherbaz Mazari, Begum Nasim Wali Khan, Begum Abida Hussain, Mahmood Ali Kasuri, Air Marshal retired Asghar Khan and Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
Two days later, on March 18, when Bhutto’s murder verdict was to be announced, the cell met Mufti Mahmood, Chaudhry Zahoor Illahi, Khwaja Mohammad Safdar, Mian Tufail Mohammad, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, Sardar Abdul Qayyum, Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and Prof Ghafoor Ahmad.
While talking to Gen Chishti the PNA leaders expressed their displeasure on the performance of the martial law administration. In turn, the General narrated the difficulties being faced by the administration and invited the PNA to join the political government. If they joined forces, he said, every PNA member would be considered a minister and not an adviser.
The PNA did not convey its willingness to join the government but Gen Chishti sought an answer by March 23.
Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 17th, 2014
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