During his frank discussion with Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) chief Mufti Mahmood, General Ziaul Haq understood for the first time where he had gone wrong. Gen Zia reportedly told the PNA chief that the Alliance had cooperated with the military government and he had no complaint against it. He also clarified that he did not engineer a fissure within the alliance.

At the end of the meeting, it was decided that Mufti Mahmood would speak to his colleagues in the PNA, and convey Gen Zia’s offer that the cabinet would be reshuffled and all PNA members would be added as ministers apart from a small number of military officers and bureaucrats. During the talks, the General also promised that he stood by his pledge of holding general elections a little earlier, perhaps some time in October, if the PNA became one political party.

With the winds now changing, the PNA held a meeting of party heads in Rawalpindi on Aug 3, 1978 to evolve a new strategy. They also discussed the names of leaders to be recommended for induction in the cabinet. This was a big development for the PNA, but its leaders were asked to keep tight-lipped about it till Gen Zia made a move.

Gen Zia bars three high-ranking generals from attending the oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet

Mahmood briefed the participants that the general had agreed on earlier elections if the alliance turned into one political party; else, a schedule for new elections would be announced after the court’s final verdict in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s trial.

The meeting concluded with a two-point agenda: the PNA leaders authorised their chief to hold talks with Gen Zia, along the lines that Nawabzadah Nasrullah Khan had already laid down. They also authorised Mahmood to show “flexibility” wherever he felt necessary. It was also resolved that criticism of each other during meetings between constituent parties was justified, but highlighting such debate in the press was not.

On Aug 4, the General summoned a meeting with the PNA party heads — ostensibly to convey his willingness to include the PNA in government on certain conditions. During the talks, it was agreed that elections would be held before October 1979, the schedule of which could be announced after March 1979.

He was also assured the PNA that during the polls process, electioneering would be allowed. The most important pledge was that no basic change to the constitution would be made, nor would the issue of provincial autonomy be raised.

On Aug 7, newspapers carried a statement issued by the PNA, saying that an agreement had been reached at between the general and the alliance, on the twin pledges of elections at the earliest and expediting the process of implementing an Islamic system.

These four meetings dealt with the dispute within the PNA over the number of ministries and portfolios allocated to each party of the alliance. Every leader of the constituent parties wanted a greater share for their party. Finally, Gen Zia stepped in and told them that he wanted to satisfy all parties according to their strength in the alliance.

Despite the fact that meetings between the Chief Martial Law Administrator and the PNA leaders had taken place to sort out the details, there were four more meetings that were held between Aug 17 and 23. On the military’s team were Gen Zia, General Chishti and General Arif, while PNA was represented by Mufti Mahmood, Pir Pagara and Nawabzadah Nasrullah Khan.

These four meetings dealt with the dispute within the PNA over the number of ministries and portfolios allocated to each party of the alliance. Every leader of the constituent parties wanted a greater share for their party. Finally, Gen Zia stepped in and told them that he wanted to satisfy all parties according to their strength in the alliance.

Meanwhile, on Aug 22, the General had also presided over a meeting of the cabinet he had formed on July 5 and informed them that he had decided to reconstitute the cabinet and add some seven PNA ministers. Gen Zia told his team that instead of any reshuffling of portfolios to accommodate the new ministers, he had decided that the whole cabinet would resign and be reappointed along with the new faces. The ministers complied.

The next day, when all were ready to head to the President’s House for an oath-taking ceremony, Gen Zia made telephone calls to three army generals: Gen Faiz Ali Chishti, General Said Mian and General Gul Hassan. These generals were asked not to come for the ceremony.

The oath was administered by President Chaudhry Fazal Illahi. The 24-member cabinet included 21 ministers and three ministers for state. The cabinet included Ghulam Ishaq Khan, A.K. Brohi, Fida Mohammad Khan, Mustafa Gokal, Mahmood A. Haroon, Haji Faqir Mohammad Khan, Chaudhry Rahmat Illahi, Mohammad Khan Junejo, Mohammadd Ali Hoti, Mohiuddin Baloch, Sharifudin Pirzadah, Khwaja Mohammad Safdar, Mian Zahid Sarfraz, Chaudhry Zahoor Illahi, Iftikhar Ahmad Ansari, Professor Ghafoor Ahmad, Mohammad Khan Achakziai, Ali Ahmad Talpur, Mahmood Azam Farooqi, Mir Subh Sadiq Khoso and Mohammad Arshad Chaudhry. The three ministers for state were Mahmood Ali, Jawed Hashmi and Hamid D. Habib. Prof Khurshid Ahmad was later added as federal minister.

After the oath-taking ceremony, Gen Zia addressed a press conference reiterating that the reshuffled cabinet was a step forward to restoring democracy in the country and hoped that elections would be held by October 1979. However, he reasserted that general elections would be preceded by local bodies elections — a decision regarding these was now to be taken by the new cabinet.

Next week: Zia appoints himself as President shaikhaziz38@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, November 23rd, 2014