Ever since the verdict in the appeals case was announced, civil administrations throughout the country were put on alert to thwart any possible protests, especially by leftist elements. But these anticipated protests were scattered and thin, much to the surprise of political circles. Occasionally, someone would issue a brief press release, but otherwise, no forceful reaction was observed.
Inside the Bhutto camp, no attempt was made to secure an out-of-court settlement, perhaps due to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s stubbornness and his belief that General Ziaul Haq could not hang him. Every time, he would tell family and friends that the military government was simply staging a drama to intimidate him. A dejected Maulana Kausar Niazi and Hafeez Pirzada sought to find a way out but their efforts were all in vain.
A week after the appeal verdict, on Feb 12, Gen Zia summoned a meeting of the Military Council. Among the participants were the four provincial governors, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff committee, Gen Faiz Ali Chishti, Gen Ghulam Hassan and Gen Mujeebur Rahman. The topic of discussion, of course, was dealing with Bhutto.
While Bhutto was steadfast in his belief that the Zia regime would not execute him, worried PPP leaders begin establishing contact with the government
The Council was briefed about clemency appeals received from various countries and personalities. While some participants supported the idea of softening the punishment, others wanted to uphold the Supreme Court (SC) verdict. Some presented the option of commuting the death sentence into a lesser punishment. Another proposal was that the final verdict on Bhutto’s life be postponed for the next government to implement.
After a detailed discussion, all three options were dropped; Gen Zia parted by saying he would take care of things.
A separate committee was also formed for handling public affairs; it was to be led by Punjab Governor General Sawar Khan. The members included Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Mahmood A Haroon, Chaudhry Zahoor Illahi, Professor Ghafoor Ahmad, Mohammad Arshad Chaudhry and Haji Faqir Mohammad. A joint security committee was also formed, and was led by the federal interior secretary.
General Zia was trying every possible effort to lengthen his rule and bring Bhutto into disrepute; in July 1978, he published a 405-page expose called the White Paper, which comprised all acts which the military government deemed as illegal. Till January 1979, five more White Papers were published, carrying the “misdeeds” of the Bhutto government. A constant campaign titled Zulm Ki Daastan was televised on PTV, where some people would appear and narrate an event that according to these people was illegal and inflicted loss to them.
Till January 1979, five more White Papers were published, carrying the “misdeeds” of the Bhutto government. A constant campaign titled Zulm Ki Daastan was televised on PTV, where some people would appear and narrate an event that according to these people was illegal and inflicted loss to them.
On Feb 24, the hearing of the review petition began in the Supreme Court. Out of court, on March 4, former law minister, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, called on Gen Zia and held two-hour-long talks with him. On March 8, while answering reporters’ questions, Gen Zia said that Pirzada had come with a request that Bhutto’s life be spared; but he had replied that nobody had the power to change the court’s verdict. On March 5, Pirzada also called on General Faiz Ali Chishti and Gen Khalid Mehmud Arif; Pirzada was told that that it was too late to make any effort.
Maulana Kausar Niazi also called on Gen Chishti to express his viewpoint about Bhutto’s life. He said that the nation was worried about Bhutto’s judgment, and if the death sentence was carried out, the incumbent government was likely to fall under pressure. He argued that were the sentence to be confirmed by the SC, the Pakistan People’s Party would disintegrate and join the ‘Progressive’ faction led by him. In that case, the new group could prove a ‘plus’ factor for the government.
Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 4th, 2015
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