I and others of my generation used to hear as children that  Pakistani politicians were incompetent and General Ayub had to take over to protect the country from a dangerous neighbor bent on destroying us. We were told that the American CIA hated us .  I remember visiting an aunt in Rawalpindi and heard  her  complaining that officials had to vacate their houses because the capital was in the process of being shifted and accommodation had to be made available for the federal bureaucracy. "How can a whole city be shifted", I asked my uncle . He said that General Ayub had decided that Karachi's climate was not suitable for him and he wanted to build a new city next to Rawalpindi (which happened to be near his home town).
 
     I watched Miss Jinah, the sister of the nation's founding father, contesting Presidential election against the military ruler. I remember drawing lantern lamps (miss Jinah's election symbol) on play cards and carrying them to school. I remember a friend of my father asking him how could let his children do that? He thought it was too risky. I wondered why he said so. Was Miss Jinnah also not a genuine candidate? Miss Jinnah lost.  Then the India-Pakistan war of September 1965 began. And promptly, the media and some others said: "thank  God. the old woman lost; what would have happened to the country during that war?"
 
     Once the war was over, the country's young foreign minister Z.A. Bhutto walked out of General Ayub's government. The leader-starved nation welcomd him with open arms. But soon he was imprisoned. Some  East Pakistani leaders were already in prison on charges of conspiracy (in the famous Agartala case). One started seeing stories about Bhutto in the press that he was an Indian, his mother was a Hindu and so was his uncle, and that he had approached a Bombay court to recover his  home. People have short memories. No one recalled that his late father, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, the Chief Minister of the then Junagarh State, had  consciously opted to join Pakistan following the partition of India. As long as Zulfiqar Bhutto served General Ayub, no one questioned his loyalty to the country. 
 
     In the late 1960s, the Bengali students started campaigning against West Pakistan where the campaign should have been against army rule, for West Pakistanis too were oppressed. One East Pakistani student gave a speech in Dhaka. He said: "I went to Islamabad and was so happy to see my beautiful capital. The roads were smooth and shining. I bowed in 'sajda' to thank Allah. But when my forehead touched the beautiful road, I smelled jute."
 
     A number of political leaders and retired Air Force Chief Asghar Khan started the movement for the release of imprisoned leaders and restoration of democracy. Their campaign succeeded in having the "One Unit" abolished, political leaders freed, and an all-party round table convened to debate the provincial autonomy issue and other problems facing the country. While all of this was going on, the people learnt that Gen. Ayub had decided to hand over power to his army Chief of Staff  Gen. Yahya. Once again, martial law was imposed with the new ruler promising general elections in due course. After eleven years of military rule, political parties and leaders had lost a lot of ground. East Pakistanis rallied behind Sheikh Mujeeb supporting his demand for comprehensive autonomy, while in West Pakistan, young Zulfiqar Bhutto had become the favorite of masses. His campaign slogan "food, clothing and shelter" was an instant success with farmers ,labor, students, and women; they all looked up to him in hope of better future.
 
     The elections of December 1970 saw both leaders--Sheikh Mujeeb and Zulfiqar Bhutto--swept to victory in their respective wings of the country. However, Gen. Yahya had no plans to transfer power to civilians. Otherwise, his predecessor could have called national elections and there would have no need for him to take over from Gen. Ayub. Many popular stories even up to now suggest that Yahya had forced Gen. Ayub out of  power, and had Ayub refused to budge, he would have been imprisoned or killed. By March 1971, Yahya had jailed Shiekh Mujeeb and started army action in East Pakistan, ordering the troops to kill any one who resisted or protested. The people were yet again led (or misled) to believe that all this was in the interest of the security and integrity of the country. The result was a civil war in East Pakistan that went on for months. By December with Indian help, East Pakistan became Bangladesh, nearly 100 thousand army personnel and civilians became India's prisoners of war, and a large territory of West Pakistan went under Indian occupation.
 
     All this because of the greed and ill planning of  Gen. Yahya and his colleagues. The disgraced general handed over power of the left over Pakistan to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.  Bhutto immediately freed the jailed East Pakistani leader Sheikh Mujeeb and negotiated with him about POWs' release and especially for 195 prisoners he wanted to try as war criminals.   The country was economically and psychologically shattered, geographically torn apart and militarily demoralized. People were in deep shock and grief. In the midst of all this, he started the dialogue with the Indian P.M. Mrs. Ghandi.
 
     Internally, he started the groundwork to formulate a constitution. It was not easy after 13 years of army rule. Bhutto had won the election on the promise of food, clothing and shelter for the poor. With advice from economists and ministers, he followed the Indian model and nationalized banks, insurance companies and most large businesses controlled by the 22 richest families. In NWFP and Baluchistan, opposition provincial rule was another challenge to him . He negotiated with opposition leaders the formulation of the Constitution  of 1973, and went to India for a critical conference with Indra Gandhi. There he took help of his college friends and signed the 'Simla Agreement' with Mrs. Ghandi, which resulted in freeing of POWs and reversion of captured territory to Pakistan. Bhutto  sent army personnel  to serve Saudi Arabia to help the economy. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of labor and professional  got jobs  in the Gulf and middle east . He arranged a summit of leaders of Muslim countries in Lahore.  A number of opposition leaders were dispatched as ambassadors, which left their political parties in lurch. As a result, most opposition parties broke up and their members joined the ruling PPP. He started working to develop tourism , hunting fields in the desert of Sind, and casino and hotels in Karachi.
 
     While he had won over a majority of politicians from the Punjab and Sind, his differences with  most politicians in NWFP and Bulochistan widened. But he had the people in general behind him. Still, the opposition parties who had lost the December 1970 elections, launched a movement against his government with the excuse that they would not allow a casino in a Muslim country and not let Karachi become a city of night life and gambling like Beirut (as it existed in the 1970s). How amazing that the same Pakistan had night clubs, cabaret, bars in major cities, and alcohol had been served in state banquets since independence. Many of these opposing  politicians were in real life totally westernized. By July 1977, they achieved their hidden goal as General Zia overthrew Bhutto, imposed martial law and suspended the Constitution.  The P.M. was placed under house arrest as were a numberof other political leaders. Yet again, the military ruler promised general elections, and in just 90 days. Within a few months, however, the crony politicians realized that if an election was held at that time, Bhutto's party will win a slide victory. No wonder that they asked Gen. Zia to postpone elections.
 
     After  few months, Gen. Zia took second step of his hidden agenda by putting the imprisoned Mr. Bhutto on trial as a murder suspect. Every one witnessed mockery being made of justice. Some judges resigned, but a kangaroo court awarded P.M. Bhutto the death sentence. Whoever opened his mouth was jailed on one pretext or the other. Mr. Bhutto (or was it his dead body?) was hanged and flown to his home where his wife Ameer Begum arranged the funeral. His children were not able to pay last respects to their father. The nation was informed by radio that Bhutto had been hanged and buried. From Khyber to Karachi people were stunned. In a state of utmost grief, a few PPP workers set themselves on fire . No one had expected that Bhutto would be executed . It is an established tradition that the condemned person's family is informed about the date of hanging, but this was not to be in Bhutto's case. In the aftermath of the execution, thousands of PPP workers were imprisoned and lashed.
 
     And then erupted the Afghan crisis, and refugees flooded Pakistan and Iran . General Zia and his allies welcomed it for their benefit , earned goodwill of the west and were able to extend their dictatorial  rule. Middle class refugees started small and medium businesses in big cities. The upper class took care of millions of dollars of foreign relief funds, living in lavish life styles in big houses. They assigned Afghan commanders to train 'Mujahideen' with Pakistan army's help to fight the Soviets and moved on to Europe and North America, where they settled down in cozy suburban homes and became citizens.
 
     More than 2 million refugees were left behind to survive on relief and barely a meal a day, unless the man of the family was fortunate enough to get a labourer's job. The mugahideen kept fighting, killing Soviets and dying. In Pakistan, a parallel economy of drugs and guns started in full swing. Karachi's Afghan and Urdu speaking populations started a fight over a wagon accident which killed a student who was hit by an Afghan's wagon. Zia used the unfortunate incident to his political advantage with the help of his admirer, the local activist Altaf Hussain who had launched the Zia Support Movement four months earlier . In non-party elections a month earlier, Junejo had become the nominated P.M. with Zia appointing himself as President.
 By the time Soviets left Afghanistan, it had been totally destroyed, and the law and order in Pakistan too had broken down seriously.
 
     In 1988, Gen. Zia dismissed Junejo and the parliament on flimsy grounds. Junejo appealed in court. Eventually, Gen. Zia met his fate and died in an air crash after 11 years rule, and leaving behind a legacy of ethnic hatred, nationalist parties, one sect of Muslim faith hating the other,drug dealers and addicts, gun lords, the newly rich and a mountain of foreign debt.
 
     Soon general elections were held and deceased Mr. Bhutto's party won, and his daughter sworn in as the new P.M.  She was young and inexperienced. Her accompanied baggage to power were of her late father's stooges, many of them not only incompetent but also disloyal to the party. The opposition Chief Minister of the Punjab Mr. Nawaz Sharif and his party hurled every possible corruption charge to torture Miss Bhutto, and her husband and ministers. They tried to pass a no-confidence vote in National Assembly but failed. The then President Ghulam Ishaque dismissed her government and her 20-months roller-coaster rule came to an abrupt end.
 
     Late Mr. Bhutto's former minister Jatoi took oath as caretaker P.M.  Miss Bhutto appealed in court, new elections were held and Mr.harif won. Miss Bhutto and her coalition said the election were rigged . Sharif took oath as the new P.M. By now the Kashmir conflict was in full swing. The new P.M. was accused of corruption and nepotism. His brother Shahbaz was blamed for the sudden death of the then Army Chief. A bomb was planted in the World Trade Center in New York. A suspect Arab national was believed to have taken refuge in Pakistan.  A third P.M. was dismissed and parliament again dissolved by the President. Sharif appealed in court. This time, the Supreme Court Chief Justice was kind enough to restore the P.M. and Parliament. But Sharif could not cope with the President for long, and in July 1993, both of them had to leave. A Pakistani, who was a former World Bank Senior Vice President, became the  caretaker P.M. this time. His regime said that the national treasury was empty and there was hardly few days money left for government expenses.
 
     Then came the third elections in 5 years and Miss Bhutto was again sworn in as P.M. Her only living brother Murtaza Bhutto came from exile after16 years. He faced  court cases pending since General Zia's time. He was elected as a member of Sind Assembly.This time miss Bhutto got her father's loyal Farooq Leghari elected as President in the hope that she will be able to complete her 5-year term. Once again corruption charges were levelled against the "first man". He began to be called as  Mr. 10%, and rumours had it that  his horses were fed on imported milk. Bombs were planted at  public places including Lahore airport. India 's name was linked again in bomb blasts. Murtaza Bhutto had made too many enemies because he was highly and publicly critical of the country's economic policies and defense expenditure. He had also warned the ethnic party MQM, whose literal meaning was "the refugee nation movement", to stop trying to divide the Sind province. Murtaza Bhutto was shot        outside his house by police. A hospital was located almost across the road. One of the wounded policemen was rushed to a first class medical facility, but Murtaza, the only living son of MR. Bhutto, the P.M.'s brother and a member of Provincial Assembly, kept lying  on the ground and bleeding profusely. The police snatched cameras from media men. An NGO ambulance eventually took him to hospital, but als, it was too late. By the time Ms. Bhutto arrived from Islamabad, her brother was gone . She was left in total shock and disbelief. His body was flown to his ancestral home. Some followers tried to hang on to his plane and died. Rumors started spreading quickly that Miss. Bhutto's husband was responsible for her brother's death. Riots started all over Sind.
 
     The differences between Leghari and Ms. Bhutto became public knowledge. The President who belonged to her own party, dissolved her government, levelling all sorts of charges against her. People were led to believe that "first man" Zardari was caught by Customs trying to smuggle gold weighing more than a ton! Was that gold deposited in the State Bank? And is it still there?
 
     The fourth elections in 8 years was Mr. harif start his second rule. After taking oath in the Parliament, he showed a good gesture and walked over to greet Miss Bhutto and her mother. Soon all this nice environment was destroyed as one of the MNAs from the tribal areas used insulting language against women's rule. Two years passed in the midst of all kinds of corruption charges against the Nawz regime, including that in reality, his father was the one ruling the country. Mr.Sharif and his brother's extra martial affairs became public knowledge. The Supreme court Chief Justice  held the P.M in contempt of court, which Sharif denied. This prompted him to call the Parliament session, reverse Gen. Zia's 8th constitutional amendment, and sack President Leghari. A piouss gentleman, retired Supreme Courtjudge Tarrar was sworn in as the new President. Talks with India started, but could not prevent the neighbours to conduct tit-for-tat nuclear tests in May 1998. This resulted in crippling economic sanctions being imposed on Pakistan by the G7. The Indian P.M. Vajpaee's visit to Lahore brought  hope to peace loving people. But the Kargil trouble undid all the goodwill that had been created. By end of summers, Sharif was happy as he thought all his problems had been solved. But life is not the way one hopes. Soon he was stripped of power again . This time there was no caretaker P.M. Instead, a military Chief of Staff took power coup detat, and jailed the P.M. on the charge that he had masterminded the hijacking of General Musharraf's plane. Thus, the country fell under military rule a fourth time as the fifth prime minister was removed from government in 11 years.
 
     Our Holy Book starts with the name of God, the most benevolent and merciful,  and ends with God, the King of people. But Islam is often quoted out of context. Laws that do not exist in Holy Quran are introduced to regulate or influence behaviour of men and women, marriage and divorce, respect for the faith of believers in Holy Books--the Holders Jews and Christians-- as well as for different sects within muslims, and humanity and life, and so on. Whatever wrong happens in the country is blamed on India, USA or Israel. This misinformation and disinformation is so confusing that one does not know what to believe, or who is actually ruling our country, its own  citizen or foreign enemies.
 
     Please guide with your opinions and suggestions as to how we can save this country and protect our children from religious and ethnic divide, hatred and brain washing, how Pakistani politicians, clergy, businessmen, feudal lords, bureaucrats   economists, and milatry should be forced to take responsibility for the problems and tragedies that befall us instead of blaming them on other countries.

Kosar Qureshi
15 October 2001

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