As the nation-wide agitation continued, Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto decided to negotiate with the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) leaders to accommodate their point of view in order to resolve the situation. Reports of curfew violations and strife were also reaching the leaders in jails which created additional concern.

In order to hold talks, all the jailed PNA leaders had to be gathered at one place. On April 25, 1977, all leaders were taken to Sihala Police Rest House which was declared as a sub-jail. Bhutto had already spoken to Mufti Mahmood, the PNA chief, and expressed his desire to negotiate with them and promised that if the alliance presented a demand for holding fresh elections, he would agree to it.

As these leaders were huddled at the Sihala Camp, on April 25 Asghar Khan wrote a letter (calling it a message) to the officers of the defence forces urging them not to obey the orders of the superiors if they were illegal. It was addressed to the chiefs of staff and officers of the armed forces and prompted extensive debates on the right of addressing the armed forces. It was also said that it was an attempt to instigate them to deviate from the duties entrusted to them under their oath.

The letter reminded the armed forces of their duties but also advised them to differentiate between a lawful and an unlawful order. Khan wrote, “It is your duty to defend the territorial integrity of Pakistan and obey all lawful commands of superior officers placed over you. To differentiate between a ‘lawful’ and ‘unlawful’ command is the duty of every officer. Everyone of you must ask yourself whether what the army is doing today is ‘lawful’ and if your conscience tells you that it is not and you still carry it out, it means that you lack moral courage and would be guilty of a grave crime against your country and your people.”

Asghar Khan, while recalling past events, tried to justify his claim that the elections of March 1977 were a farce. He further wrote: “… If you have any interest in national affairs, you must also be aware that during the election campaign the nation expressed the strong disapproval of the present regime. Following the people’s rejection of the government, you should have been surprised at the election results in which the ‘Pakistan National Alliance’ which could muster such an overwhelming popular support, could only get eight out of 116 seats in Punjab.

“You must surely know that many people were not even allowed to file their nomination papers. Was it not too much of a co-incidence that no papers were filed against the prime minister and all the chief ministers of the four provinces? That those who dared to try, ended up spending a few nights in police custody? One of them has still not been traced.”

He reiterated the PNA assertion that rigging on mass scale had taken place. “Those of you who were even remotely connected with duties in connection with the March 7 election would also know of the blatant manner in which rigging took place. The hundreds of thousands of ballot papers of the PNA candidates were taken out of ballot boxes and found in the streets and fields after the polls. You would also have seen the deserted polling stations on March 10, the day of the provincial polls, following the call for boycott of provincial elections by the PNA.

“Nevertheless, the state-controlled media announced that an unprecedented number of votes had also been polled in the provincial election and presenting the figure as high as 60 per cent. Then surely you must have also followed the movement which called for Bhutto’s resignation and re-elections in the country.”

He condemned the loss of life and noted down: “… The death of hundreds of our youth and the beating of our mothers and sisters was a scene that may well have stirred you to shame and sorrow.”

Reminding them of the ‘unfair elections’ he stressed: “… My friends, it was not a just and fair election. Bhutto has violated the constitution and is guilty of a grave crime against the citizens. It is not your duty to support his illegal regime nor can you be called upon to kill your own people so that he can continue a little longer in office. Let it not be said that the Pakistan armed forces are a degenerate police force fit only for killing unarmed civilians.”

As a last advice, the retired air force chief counselled them on how they should discharge their constitutional duties to the nation. “… As men of honour, it is your responsibility to do your duty and the call of obligation in these trying conditions is not the blind obedience of unlawful commands. There comes a time in the lives of nations when each man has to ask himself whether he is doing the right thing. For you that time has come. Answer the call honestly and save Pakistan. God be with you. Asghar Khan, (Air Marshal retd).”

In the brief history of the country, it was the first time that such a letter had been addressed to the armed forces.

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Next week: The armed forces chief backs the government, and Bhutto suspects a foreign hand behind the agitations.