APROPOS the article ‘Today, 30 years ago’ (Aug 7).The writer vividly recalled the anniversary of the dismissal of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s first government by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan on Aug 1990 and presented notable insights. However, perhaps unintentionally, the article reinforces inaccuracies and misperceptions about the nature and performance of that government.

While certain negative views about that period are soundly based , as about corruption by some members, other sweeping allegations are incorrect . Yet, because of sheer repetition as with many other mis-assumptions, what is incorrect also comes to be accepted as true. The article states: “She (Benazir Bhutto) was asked to opt for experienced men and new ideas (for her cabinet) . She embraced novices and chose to pedal outdated ideas.”

Her first cabinet comprised, among others, the following 12 individuals, each with substantive experience of public and professional affairs. V.A. Jafarey , Adviser to the PM on Finance and Economic Affairs and former Governor State Bank of Pakistan; Sahabzada Yaqub Ali Khan, Foreign Minister; Iqbal Akhund, Adviser to the PM on National Security and former senior eminent diplomat.;Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Minister for Education, former Vice Chancellor University of Sindh; Farooq Leghari, Minister for Water and Power; former Minister for Production with Z.A.Bhutto. Rao Rashid, Adviser to the PM on Establishment; former senior police officer with Z.A. Bhutto. Aitzaz Ahsan, Minister for Interior; former MPA and prominent barrister; Major Gen (r) Naseerullah Babar, Special Assistant to the PM and former governor of then NWFP (now KP).;Yahya Bakhtiar, Attorney General, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court; Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Minister for Communications; senior party leader. Yusuf Raza Gilani, Minister for Railways and former minister with the same portfolio and Syed Iftikhar HussainGillani, Minister for Justice; and others.

There were also novices such as the undersigned who, while already a member of the Senate since March 1985, served initially as Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting from Dec 4, 1988 up to Sept1989 — during which unprecedented coverage of opposition speeches and leaders was immediately introduced by mid-December 1988 for the first time on PTV and PBC, among other major reforms in the information sector.

Overall, where corruption by some and other mis-steps marred that government’s tenure, using the vast experience of several members and the enthusiasm of novices, that first government of PM Benazir Bhutto made some constructive contributions to the country’s progress. It is regrettable that neither media nor academia have conducted comprehensive study of those tumultuous 20 months.

Misportrayal, partly deliberate, partly due to negligence, has come to be accepted as the whole truth. A forthcoming book (InshaAllah within the next six months) by this writer about that phase of history may help rectify some misperceptions.

Senator (r) Javed Jabbar
Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2020