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Zulfikar Ali Bhutto



 
 
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Urdu: , Sindhi
Sindhi language

Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan. It is spoken by approximately 41 million people in Pakistan, and is also spoken by a minority 12 million in India; it is the third most spoken language of Pakistan, and the official language of Sindh in Pakistan....
: ???????? ??? ????, ) (January 5, 1928–April 4, 1979) was a Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
i politician
Politician

A politician is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of politics or a person who influences the way a society is governed....
 who served as the President of Pakistan
President of Pakistan

The President of Pakistan is the head of state of the Islamic republic of Pakistan. Pakistan has a parliamentary form of government. According to the Constitution of Pakistan, the President is chosen by the Electoral College of Pakistan to serve a five-year term....
 from 1971 to 1973 and as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, in Urdu language ???? ???? Wazir-e- Azam meaning "Grand Minister", is the Head of Government of Pakistan....
 from 1973 to 1977. He was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party

The Pakistan Peoples Party : is a centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. To date, its leader has always been a member of the Bhutto family....
 (PPP), the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan. His daughter Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who chaired the Pakistan Peoples Party , a centre-left List of political parties in Pakistan. Bhutto was the first woman elected to lead a Muslim world, having twice been Prime Minister of Pakistan ....
 also served twice as prime minister; she was assassinated
Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto occurred on 27 December 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Bhutto, twice Prime Minister of Pakistan and then-leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, had been campaigning ahead of Pakistani general election, 2008....
 on December 27, 2007.

Educated at the University of California at Berkeley in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 and University of Oxford
University of Oxford

The University of Oxford , located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation in the English-speaking world....
 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, Bhutto was noted for his mercurial brilliance and wit.






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Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Urdu: , Sindhi
Sindhi language

Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan. It is spoken by approximately 41 million people in Pakistan, and is also spoken by a minority 12 million in India; it is the third most spoken language of Pakistan, and the official language of Sindh in Pakistan....
: ???????? ??? ????, ) (January 5, 1928–April 4, 1979) was a Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
i politician
Politician

A politician is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of politics or a person who influences the way a society is governed....
 who served as the President of Pakistan
President of Pakistan

The President of Pakistan is the head of state of the Islamic republic of Pakistan. Pakistan has a parliamentary form of government. According to the Constitution of Pakistan, the President is chosen by the Electoral College of Pakistan to serve a five-year term....
 from 1971 to 1973 and as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, in Urdu language ???? ???? Wazir-e- Azam meaning "Grand Minister", is the Head of Government of Pakistan....
 from 1973 to 1977. He was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party

The Pakistan Peoples Party : is a centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. To date, its leader has always been a member of the Bhutto family....
 (PPP), the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan. His daughter Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who chaired the Pakistan Peoples Party , a centre-left List of political parties in Pakistan. Bhutto was the first woman elected to lead a Muslim world, having twice been Prime Minister of Pakistan ....
 also served twice as prime minister; she was assassinated
Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto occurred on 27 December 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Bhutto, twice Prime Minister of Pakistan and then-leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, had been campaigning ahead of Pakistani general election, 2008....
 on December 27, 2007.

Educated at the University of California at Berkeley in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 and University of Oxford
University of Oxford

The University of Oxford , located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation in the English-speaking world....
 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, Bhutto was noted for his mercurial brilliance and wit. He was executed in 1979 for authorizing the murder of a political opponent, in a move that was done under the directives of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq

General officer Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was the president and military ruler of Pakistan from July 1977 to his death in August 1988. Appointed Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army in 1976, General Zia-ul-Haq came to power after he overthrew ruling Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a military coup d'?tat on July 5, 1977 and b...
.

Bhutto was from a Sindhi
Sindhi

Sindhi may refer to more than one article:*the Sindhi people, an ethnic group from the Sindh region in South Asia.*the Sindhi language, an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Sindhi people....
 Muslim
Muslim

:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits "....
 Family. Bhutto's supporters add the honorific title Shaheed, the Urdu word for "martyr", before his name, thus: Shaheed-e-Azam Zulfikar Ali Bhutto ("The Great Martyr"). Another respectful title commonly bestowed upon him by supporters is Quaid-e-Awam, or "Leader of the Masses" as he was indeed a populist statesman.

Early life

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was born to Khursheed Begum née Lakhi Bai and Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto
Shah Nawaz Bhutto

Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto Order of the Indian Empire Order of the British Empire was a politician of a Rajput clan hailing from Larkana in Sindh province of British India, which is now part of Pakistan....
 of a prominent Shia Muslim family ( as written in Benazir's book: Reconciliation). His father Shahnawaz Bhutto was born into a Bhutto
Bhutto

Bhutto is a Sindhi people samat tribe settled in Sindh, Pakistan.Bhutto is a vast tribe that has been settled in Sindh for over two centuries....
 clan.

Bhutto was the son of a prominent political figure in the Indian colonial government. Zulfikar was born in his parent's residence near Larkana
Larkana

Larkana or Larkano is the fourth largest city located in the Northwest of Sindh Province, Pakistan, located in Larkana District. In August 2000 Larkana celebrated its hundred years of existence....
 in what later became the province of Sindh
Sindh

Sindh is one of the four Subdivisions of Pakistan of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. Different cultural and ethnic groups also reside in Sindh including Urdu-speaking Muslim refugees who migrated to Pakistan from India upon independence as well as the people migrated from other provinces after independence....
. He was their third child — their first one, Sikandar Ali, died from pneumonia
Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an Inflammation illness of the lung. Frequently, it is described as lung parenchyma/alveolus inflammation and abnormal alveolar filling with fluid ....
 at age seven in 1914 and the second child, Imdad Ali, died of cirrhosis
Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver Tissue by fibrous scar tissue as well as regenerative Nodule , leading to progressive loss of liver function....
 at the age of 39 in 1953. His father was a wealthy landlord, a zamindar
Zamindar

Zamindar , also kniown as Zemindar, Zamindari, Jomidar or the Zamindari System were employed by the Mughal empire to collect taxes from peasants....
, and a prominent politician in Sindh, who enjoyed an influential relationship with the officials of the British Raj
British Raj

British Raj primarily refers to the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; it can also refer to the period of dominion, and even the region under the rule....
. As a young boy, Bhutto moved to Worli Seaface in Bombay (now Mumbai
Mumbai

Mumbai— formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city proper has approximately 14 million people and, along with the neighbouring suburbs of Navi Mumbai and Thane, Mumbai forms the World's largest urban agglomerations according to the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects report with around 19...
) to study at the Cathedral and John Connon School
Cathedral and John Connon School

The Cathedral & John Connon School is a co-educational, private school located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is recognised as one of the finest schools in India....
. During this period, he also became a student activist in the League's Pakistan Movement
Pakistan Movement

Pakistan Movement or Tehrik-e-Pakistan was the struggle carried out by the Muslims of British India to create a separate homeland in fear of losing their identity, culture and liberty to the dominant indian culture of South Asia and the Hindu majority state....
. In 1943, his marriage was arranged with Shireen Amir Begum (died January 19, 2003 in Karachi). He later left her, however, in order to remarry. In 1947, Bhutto was admitted to the University of Southern California
University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is a private university, nonsectarian, research university located in the University Park, Los Angeles, California neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, California, United States....
.

During this time, Bhutto's father, Sir Shahnawaz, played a controversial role in the affairs of the state of Junagadh
Junagadh

Junagadh is a city and a municipal corporation, the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian States and territories of India of Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar....
 (now in Gujarat
Gujarat

Gujarat is a States and territories of India in western India. Gujarat borders Pakistan to the north west and the state of Rajasthan to the north and northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, Maharashtra and the Union territory of Diu, Daman District, India, Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the south....
). Coming to power in a palace coup as the dewan, he secured the accession of the state to Pakistan, which was ultimately negated by Indian intervention in December, 1947. In 1949, Bhutto transferred to the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley is a public university research university located in Berkeley, California, California, United States. The oldest of the ten major campuses affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley offers some 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines....
, where he earned an honours degree in political science
Political science

Political science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior....
. Here he would become interested in the theories of socialism
Socialism

Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating public or state ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equality for all individuals, with a fair or Egalitarianism method of compensation....
, delivering a series of lectures on the feasibility of socialism in Islamic countries. In June, 1950 Bhutto travelled to England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 to study law at Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church , is one of the largest Colleges of the University of Oxford of the University of Oxford in England. As well as being a college, Christ Church is also the cathedral church of the diocese of Oxford, namely Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford....
, Oxford
Oxford

Oxford is a City status in the United Kingdom, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. It has a population of 151,000. The rivers River Cherwell and River Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre....
. Upon finishing his studies, he was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn

The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are Call to the bar....
 in 1953.

Bhutto married his second wife, the Iranian-Kurdish Begum Nusrat Ispahani
Nusrat Bhutto

Begum Nusrat Bhutto is the former First Lady of Pakistan, who was the wife of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She became her husband's successor as the chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party from 1979-1983....
 who was also a Shi'a Muslim , in Karachi
Karachi

is the largest city, seaport and the International financial centre of Pakistan. It is List of metropolitan areas by population in terms of metropolitan population, and is Pakistan's premier centre of banking, industry, and trade....
 on September 8, 1951. Their first child, his daughter Benazir
Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who chaired the Pakistan Peoples Party , a centre-left List of political parties in Pakistan. Bhutto was the first woman elected to lead a Muslim world, having twice been Prime Minister of Pakistan ....
, was born in 1953. She was followed by Murtaza
Murtaza Bhutto

Mir Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto was a Pakistani politician from the powerful Bhutto family, elder son of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the brother of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto....
 in 1954, a second daughter, Sanam
Sanam Bhutto

File:Sanam Bhutto and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Women's World Awards 2009.jpgSanam Bhutto is the younger sister of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto....
, in 1957, and the youngest child, Shahnawaz Bhutto
Shahnawaz Bhutto

Shahnawaz Bhutto was the son of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Begum Nusrat Bhutto. Shahnawaz Bhutto was the youngest of Bhutto?s four children. Shahnawaz was schooled in Pakistan and later travelled abroad to complete his higher education....
, in 1958. He accepted the post of lecturer
Lecturer

Lecturer is a term of academic rank. In the United Kingdom lecturer is the name given to university teachers in their first permanent university position....
 at the Sindh Muslim College, from where he was also awarded an honorary law degree by the then college President, Mr. Hassanally A. Rahman before establishing himself in a legal practice in Karachi. He also took over the management of his family's estate and business interests after his father's death.

Political career

In 1957, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became the youngest member of Pakistan's delegation to the United Nations
United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, Social change, human rights and achieving world peace....
. He would address the United Nations Sixth Committee on Aggression
United Nations Sixth Committee on Aggression

The United Nations Sixth Committee on Aggression was a committee of the United Nations organised in 1959 to prepare U.N. and international legal and policy doctrine on aggression between nations....
 on October 25, 1957 and lead Pakistan's deputation to the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Seas
United Nations Conference on the Law of the Seas

The United Nations Conference on the Law of the Seas was held in 1958 to prepare international law over maritime activities....
 in 1958. In the same year, Bhutto became the youngest Pakistani cabinet minister when he was given charge of the energy ministry by President Muhammad Ayub Khan
Ayub Khan

Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan , Hilal-i-Jurat, Nishan-e-Pakistan, was a Field Marshal during the mid-1960s, and the President of Pakistan from 1958 to 1969....
, who had seized power and declared martial law
Martial law

Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice.Martial law is sometimes imposed during wars or occupied territory in the absence of any other civil government....
. He was subsequently promoted to head the ministries of commerce, information and industries. Bhutto became a close and trusted advisor to Ayub, rising in influence and power despite his youth and relative inexperience in politics. Bhutto aided Ayub in negotiating the Indus Water Treaty with India in 1960. In 1961, Bhutto negotiated an oil exploration agreement with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
, which also agreed to provide economic and technical aid to Pakistan.

Foreign Minister

In 1962, he was appointed Pakistan's foreign minister. His swift rise to power also brought him national prominence and popularity.

As foreign minister, Bhutto significantly transformed Pakistan's hitherto pro-Western foreign policy. While maintaining a prominent role for Pakistan within the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization , was an international organization for collective defense created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty or the Manila Pact, which was signed on September 8, 1954....
 and the Central Treaty Organization
Central Treaty Organization

The Central Treaty Organization was adopted in 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. It was dissolved in 1979.U.S....
, Bhutto began asserting a foreign policy course for Pakistan that was independent of U.S. influence. Bhutto criticised the U.S. for providing military aid to India during and after the Sino-Indian War
Sino-Indian War

The Sino-Indian War , also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict, was a war between People's Republic of China and India. Although China had been preparing an offensive against India for several years for a variety of motives, the pretext given was a territorial dispute concerning a Himalayas region known in India as Arunachal Prades...
 of 1962, which was seen as an abrogation of Pakistan's alliance with the U.S. Bhutto worked to establish stronger relations with the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
. Bhutto visited Beijing
Beijing

is a metropolis in northern China and the Capital of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the four municipality of China, which are equivalent to province in China's Political divisions of China....
 and helped Ayub negotiate trade and military agreements with the Chinese regime, which agreed to help Pakistan in a large number of military and industrial projects. Bhutto also signed the Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement on March 2, 1963 that transferred 750 square kilometres of territory from Pakistan-administered Kashmir
Pakistan-administered Kashmir

Pakistan-administered Kashmir refers to a Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan in South Asia that is under the de facto administration of Pakistan....
 to Chinese control. Bhutto asserted his belief in non-alignment, making Pakistan an influential member in non-aligned organisations. Believing in pan-Islamic unity
Ummah

Ummah is an Arabic language word meaning "community" or "nation". It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of Islamic state, or the whole Arab world....
, Bhutto developed closer relations with nations such as Indonesia
Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia , is a transcontinental country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Comprising Islands of Indonesia, it is the world's largest Archipelago state....
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south....
 and other Arab states.

Bhutto advocated hardline and confrontational policies against India over the Kashmir conflict
Kashmir conflict

The Kashmir conflict refers to the territorial dispute over Kashmir region, the northwesternmost region of the Indian subcontinent. The parties to the dispute are India, Pakistan, China and the people of Kashmir....
 and other issues. A brief skirmish took place in August 1965 between Indian and Pakistani forces near the international boundary in the Rann of Kutch
Rann of Kutch

The Rann of Kutch is a seasonally marshy region located in the Thar Desert biogeographic province in Gujarat situated 8km away from village KHARAGHODA located in patdi town of surendra nagar districtStates and territories of India of northwestern India and the Sind Subdivisions of Pakistan of Pakistan....
 which Pakistan lost and was resolved by the U.N. Pakistan hoped to support and aid an uprising in Kashmir.

Bhutto joined Ayub in Tashkent
Tashkent

Tashkent is the Capital of Uzbekistan and also of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was 2.18 million....
 to negotiate a peace treaty with the Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri

Lal Bahadur Shastri was the third Prime Minister of India of the India and a significant figure in the Indian independence movement....
. Ayub and Shastri agreed to exchange prisoners of war and withdraw respective forces to pre-war boundaries. This agreement was deeply unpopular in Pakistan, causing major political unrest against Ayub's regime. Bhutto's criticism of the final agreement caused a major rift between him and Ayub Khan. Initially denying the rumours, Bhutto resigned in June, 1967 and expressed strong opposition to Ayub's regime.

Pakistans Peoples Party

Following his resignation, large crowds gathered to listen to Bhutto's speech upon his arrival in Lahore on June 21 1967. Tapping a wave of anger and opposition against Ayub, Bhutto began travelling across the country to deliver political speeches. In a speech in October, 1966 Bhutto declared the PPP's beliefs, "Islam
Islam

Islam is a Monotheism, Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of the Prophets of Islam Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure....
 is our faith, democracy
Democracy

Democracy is a form of government in which power is held directly or indirectly by citizens under a free electoral system. It is derived from the Greek language d?????at?a , "popular government" which was coined from d???? , "people" and ???t?? , "rule, strength" in the middle of the 5th-4th century BC to denote the political syst...
 is our policy, socialism
Socialism

Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating public or state ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equality for all individuals, with a fair or Egalitarianism method of compensation....
 is our economy. All power to the people." On November 30, 1967 Bhutto founded the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Lahore, establishing a strong base of political support in Punjab, Sindh and amongst the Muhajir communities. Bhutto's party became a part of the pro-democracy movement involving diverse political parties from all across Pakistan. PPP activists staged large protests and strikes in different parts of the country, increasing pressure on Ayub to resign. Bhutto's arrest on November 12, 1968 sparked greater political unrest. After his release, Bhutto attended the Round Table Conference called by Ayub in Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi

is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the Subdivisions of Pakistan of Punjab . The area was home to the pre-historic Soanian culture indigenous to this region....
, but refused to accept Ayub's continuation in office and the East Pakistan
East Pakistan

East Pakistan was a former Provinces of Pakistan of Pakistan which existed between 1955 and 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal Province based on a plebiscite in what was then British Raj in 1947....
i politician Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali people politician and the founding leader of Bangladesh, considered the Pater Patriae. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister of Bangladesh....
's Six point movement
Six point movement

The 6 Point Movement was a Bengali people nationalism movement in East Pakistan spearheaded by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which eventually led to the Bangladesh Liberation War of Bangladesh....
 for regional autonomy.

Following Ayub's resignation, the new president Gen. Yahya Khan
Yahya Khan

Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan was the President of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971, following the resignation of Ayub Khan. He has one son, Ali Yahya and one daughter, Yasmeen Khan....
 promised to hold parliamentary elections on December 7, 1970. Bhutto's party won a large number of seats from constituencies in West Pakistan. However, Sheikh Mujib's Awami League won an outright majority from the constituencies located in East Pakistan. Bhutto refused to accept an Awami League government and famously promised to "break the legs" of any elected PPP member who dared to attend the inaugural session of the National Assembly of Pakistan
National Assembly of Pakistan

The National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameralism Parliament of Pakistan....
. Capitalising on West Pakistani fears of East Pakistani separatism, Bhutto demanded that Sheikh Mujib form a coalition with the PPP. Under substantial pressure from Bhutto and other West Pakistani political parties, Yahya postponed the inaugural session of the National Assembly after talks with Sheikh Mujib failed. Amidst popular outrage in East Pakistan, Major Ziaur Rahman
Ziaur Rahman

Lieutenant-General Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, Hilal-i-Jurat was a charismatic Bangladeshi war hero, politician and statesman. He was the President of Bangladesh from 1976 uptill 1981 and founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party , one of the two largest political parties in the country....
, at the direction of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the independence of "Bangladesh
Bangladesh

, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south....
" on March 26, 1971 after Mujibur was arrested by the Pakistani Army, which had been ordered by Yahya to suppress political activities. . While supportive of the army's genocide and working to rally international support, Bhutto distanced himself from the Yahya regime. He refused to accept Yahya's scheme to appoint Bengali politician Nurul Amin
Nurul Amin

Nurul Amin was a prominent Bengali people leader of the Pakistan's Muslim League, and served as Chief Minister of East Pakistan and both Prime Minister of Pakistan and Vice President of Pakistan....
 as prime minister, with Bhutto as deputy prime minister. Indian intervention
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a major military conflict between India and Pakistan. The war is closely associated with the Bangladesh Liberation War ....
 in East Pakistan led to the defeat of Pakistani forces, who surrendered on December 16 1971. Bhutto and others condemned Yahya for failing to protect Pakistan's unity. Isolated, Yahya resigned on December 20 and transferred power to Bhutto, who became the president, army commander-in-chief as well as the first civilian chief martial law administrator.

Leader of Pakistan

As president, Bhutto addressed the nation via radio and television, saying "My dear countrymen, my dear friends, my dear students, labourers, peasants… those who fought for Pakistan… We are facing the worst crisis in our country's life, a deadly crisis. We have to pick up the pieces, very small pieces, but we will make a new Pakistan, a prosperous and progressive Pakistan." He placed Yahya under house arrest, brokered a ceasefire and ordered the release of Sheikh Mujib, who was held prisoner by the army. To implement this, Bhutto reversed the verdict of Mujib's court trial that had taken place earlier, in which the presiding Brigadier Rahimuddin Khan
Rahimuddin Khan

General Rahimuddin Khan was the Martial law administrator and longest-serving Governor of Balochistan of Balochistan, the largest province of the Pakistan, from 1978 to 1984....
 (later General) had sentenced Mujib to death. Appointing a new cabinet, Bhutto appointed Gen. Gul Hasan as Chief of Army Staff
Chief of Army Staff

The Chief of Army Staff or Chief of Staff of the Army is the most senior officer in the command structure of many armies. The title comes from the fact that the officer is the chief army aide to the Commander-in-Chief, who is usually the head of state....
. On January 2, 1972 Bhutto announced the nationalisation of all major industries, including iron and steel, heavy engineering, heavy electricals, petrochemicals, cement and public utilities. A new labour policy was announced increasing workers rights and the power of trade unions. Although he came from a feudal background himself, Bhutto announced reforms limiting land ownership and a government take-over of over a million acres (4,000 km²) to distribute to landless peasants. More than 2,000 civil servants were dismissed on charges of corruption. Bhutto also dismissed the military chiefs on March 3 after they refused orders to suppress a major police strike in Punjab. He appointed Gen. Tikka Khan
Tikka Khan

General Tikka Khan, HJ, HQA, SPk, was Pakistan's Chief of Military of Pakistan Staff from March 1972–March 1976).Raja Tikka Khan was born in a Narma Rajput family in the village of Jochha Mamdot in Kahuta Tehsil near Rawalpindi, in 1915 ....
 as the new Chief of the Army Staff in March 1972 as he felt the General would not interfere in political matters and would concentrate on rehabilitating the Pakistan Army. Bhutto convened the National Assembly on April 14, rescinded martial law on April 21 and charged the legislators with writing a new constitution.

Bhutto visited India to meet Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was the Prime Minister of the Republic of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977and for a fourth term from 1980 until her Assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, a total of fifteen years....
 and negotiated a formal peace agreement and the release of 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war. The two leaders signed the Shimla Agreement, which committed both nations to establish a Line of Control
Line of Control

Specifically, the term Line of Control refers to the military control line between the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of the former princely state of Kashmir and Jammu - a line which, still to this day, does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary but is the de-facto border....
 in Kashmir and obligated them to resolve disputes peacefully through bilateral talks. Bhutto also promised to hold a future summit for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute and pledged to recognise Bangladesh
Bangladesh

, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south....
. Although he secured the release of Pakistani soldiers held by India, Bhutto was criticised by many in Pakistan for allegedly making too many concessions to India. It is theorised that Bhutto feared his downfall if he could not secure the release of Pakistani soldiers, the return of territory occupied by Indian forces. Bhutto established an atomic power development programme and inaugurated the first Pakistani atomic reactor, built in collaboration with Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 in Karachi
Karachi

is the largest city, seaport and the International financial centre of Pakistan. It is List of metropolitan areas by population in terms of metropolitan population, and is Pakistan's premier centre of banking, industry, and trade....
 on November 28. In January 1973, Bhutto ordered the army to suppress a rising insurgency in the province of Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)

Balochistan, or Baluchistan, is a Subdivisions of Pakistan in Pakistan, the largest in the country by geographical area; it is slightly smaller than Norway....
 and dismissed the governments in Balochistan and the Northwest Frontier Province. On March 30, 59 military officers were arrested by army troops for allegedly plotting a coup against Bhutto, who appointed then-Brigadier Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq

General officer Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was the president and military ruler of Pakistan from July 1977 to his death in August 1988. Appointed Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army in 1976, General Zia-ul-Haq came to power after he overthrew ruling Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a military coup d'?tat on July 5, 1977 and b...
 to head a military tribunal to investigate and try the suspects. The National Assembly approved the new constitution, which Bhutto signed into effect on April 12. The constitution proclaimed an "Islamic Republic
Islamic republic

Islamic Republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Mauritania....
" in Pakistan with a parliamentary form of government. On August 10, Bhutto turned over the post of president to Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry
Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry

Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry was President of Pakistan from August 14, 1973 until his resignation on September 16, 1978....
, assuming the office of prime minister instead.

Bhutto officially recognized Bangladesh
Bangladesh

, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south....
 in July. Making an official visit to Bangladesh
Bangladesh

, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south....
, Bhutto was criticized in Pakistan for laying flowers at a memorial for Bangladeshi "freedom fighters
Freedom Fighters

A freedom fighter in politics.Freedom Fighter may also refer to:*High Times Freedom Fighters, a marijuana legalization group created by High Times magazine...
." Bhutto continued to develop closer relations with China as well as Saudi Arabia and other Muslim nations. Bhutto hosted the Second Islamic Summit of Muslim nations in Lahore between February 22 and February 24 in 1974.

However, Bhutto faced considerable pressure from Islamic religious leaders to declare the Ahmadiya communities as non-Muslims. Failing to restrain sectarian violence and rioting, Bhutto and the National Assembly amended the constitution to that effect. Bhutto intensified his nationalisation programme, extending government control over agricultural processing and consumer industries. Bhutto also, with advice from Admiral S.M. Ahsan, inaugurated Port Qasim
Port Qasim

The Port Muhammad Bin Qasim is a port in Karachi, Pakistan on the coastline of the Arabian Sea.It was constructed in the late 1970s to relieve congestion at Karachi Port....
, designed to expand harbour facilities near Karachi. However, the performance of the Pakistani economy declined amidst increasing bureaucracy and a decline in private sector confidence. In a surprise move in 1976, Bhutto appointed Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq

General officer Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was the president and military ruler of Pakistan from July 1977 to his death in August 1988. Appointed Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army in 1976, General Zia-ul-Haq came to power after he overthrew ruling Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a military coup d'?tat on July 5, 1977 and b...
 to replace Gen. Tikka Khan, surpassing five generals senior to Zia.. Some say that Zia did not deserve this pinnacle but Bhutto appointed him so as the two of them were Arain
Arain

The Arain, are an agricultural Indian caste system settled mainly in the Punjab region , with significant numbers also in the Sindh . They are chiefly associated with farming, traditionally being small landowners or zamindars....
. He erred in judging a man not on his merit by dint of effort but merit by birth. As we see later he suffered for the undue support he showed to his Biratheri (Clan).

Nuclear programme

Bhutto was the founder of Pakistan's nuclear programme
Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan began focusing on nuclear development in January 1972 under the leadership of Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto ....
. Its militarisation was initiated in January 1972 and, in its initial years, was implemented by General Tikka Khan. The Karachi Nuclear Power Plant was inaugurated by Bhutto during his role as President of Pakistan at the end of 1972. Long before, as Minister for Fuel, Power and National Resources, he has played a key role in setting up of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission is responsible for nuclear applications development in Pakistan....
. Lietuenant Generals Rahimuddin Khan
Rahimuddin Khan

General Rahimuddin Khan was the Martial law administrator and longest-serving Governor of Balochistan of Balochistan, the largest province of the Pakistan, from 1978 to 1984....
 and Saeed Qadir were consecutively chosen by Prime Minister Bhutto to chair the commission, but both declined. The Kahuta
Kahuta

Kahuta is the main city of Kahuta Tehsil a subdivision of Rawalpindi District, Pakistan.....
 facility was also established by the Bhutto Administration, and brought under nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
Abdul Qadeer Khan

Abdul Qadeer Khan is a Pakistani nuclear scientist and Metallurgy, widely regarded as the founder of Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction. His middle name is occasionally rendered as Quadeer, Qadir or Qadeer, and his given names are usually abbreviated to A.Q.....
 and the Engineer Corps' Lieutenant General Zahid Ali Akbar.

In his book If I am Assassinated, written from his prison cell, Bhutto revealed how Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger

Henry Alfred Kissinger is a Germany-born United States Jewish political scientist, bureaucrat, diplomat, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as United States National Security Advisor and later concurrently as United States Secretary of State in the Nixon administration....
 had said to him in 1976: "we can destabilize your government and make a horrible example out of you". Kissinger had warned Bhutto that if Pakistan continued with its nuclear programe the Prime Minister would have to pay a heavy price.

Popular unrest and military coup

Bhutto began facing considerable criticism and increasing unpopularity as his term progressed. Initially targeting leader of the opposition Abdul Wali Khan and his opposition National Awami Party
National Awami Party

The National Awami Party was leftist political party in Pakistan. The party was founded in Dhaka in erstwhile East Pakistan in July 1957 through the merger of several leftist and progressive groups....
 (NAP). Despite the ideological similarity of the two parties the clash of egos both inside and outside the National Assembly became increasingly fierce and started with the Federal governments decision to oust the NAP provincial government in Balochistan for alleged secessionist activities and culminating in the banning of the party and arrest of much of its leadership after the death of Hayat Khan Sherpao, a close lieutenant of Bhutto, in a bomb blast in the frontier town of Peshawar.

Dissidence also increased within the PPP and the murder of dissident leader Ahmed Raza Kasuri
Ahmed Raza Kasuri

Ahmed Raza Kasuri is a former Pakistani politician and lawyer who was the intended vicitm in the murder case that led to the execution of Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.....
's father led to public outrage and intra-party hostility as Bhutto was accused of masterminding the crime. Powerful PPP leaders such as Ghulam Mustafa Khar
Ghulam Mustafa Khar

Ghulam Mustafa Khar Malik , was a close ally of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his chief minister in Punjab , Pakistan during the 1970s,also Khar was one of the founders of the Pakistan Peoples Party , Khar was also jailed by the Zia ul Haq regime after the 1977 coup....
 openly condemned Bhutto and called for protests against his regime. The political crisis in the NWFP and Balochistan intensified as civil liberties remained suspended and an estimated 100,000 troops deployed there were accused of human rights abuses and killing large numbers of civilians.

On January 8, 1977 many opposition political parties grouped to form the Pakistan National Alliance
Pakistan National Alliance

The Pakistan National Alliance was a nine-political party alliance in Pakistan, formed in 1977 to overthrow the rule of Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the first elected leader of that country....
 (PNA). Bhutto called fresh elections and the PNA participated in those elections with full force and managed to contest the elections jointly even though they had grave differences in their opinions and views. The PNA faced defeat but did not accept the results, accusing their opponents of rigging the election. They first claimed rigging on 14 seats and finally on 40 seats in the national assembly and boycotted provisional elections turn out in national elections was of highest degree. Provincial elections were held amidst low voter turnout and an opposition boycott, violent PNA declare the newly-elected Bhutto government as illegitimate. Muslim leaders such as Maulana Maududi called for the overthrow of Bhutto's regime. Intensifying political and civil disorder prompted Bhutto to hold talks with PNA leaders, which culminated in an agreement for the dissolution of the assemblies and fresh elections under a form of government of national unity. However on July 5, 1977 Bhutto and members of his cabinet were arrested by troops under the order of General Zia.

General Zia announced that martial law had been imposed, the constitution suspended and all assemblies dissolved. Zia also ordered the arrest of senior PPP and PNA leaders but promised elections in October. Bhutto was released on July 29 and was received by a large crowd of supporters in his hometown of Larkana. He immediately began touring across Pakistan, delivering speeches to large crowds and planning his political comeback. Bhutto was arrested again on September 3 before being released on bail on September 13. Fearing yet another arrest, Bhutto named his wife, Nusrat
Nusrat Bhutto

Begum Nusrat Bhutto is the former First Lady of Pakistan, who was the wife of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She became her husband's successor as the chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party from 1979-1983....
, president of the Pakistan People's Party. Bhutto was imprisoned on September 17 and a large number of PPP leaders and activists arrested and disqualified from contesting in elections.

Trial of the Prime Minister

Bhutto's trial began on October 24 on charges of "conspiracy to murder" Ahmed Raza Kasuri
Ahmed Raza Kasuri

Ahmed Raza Kasuri is a former Pakistani politician and lawyer who was the intended vicitm in the murder case that led to the execution of Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.....
. On July 5, 1977 the military, led by General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq

General officer Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was the president and military ruler of Pakistan from July 1977 to his death in August 1988. Appointed Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army in 1976, General Zia-ul-Haq came to power after he overthrew ruling Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a military coup d'?tat on July 5, 1977 and b...
, staged a coup. Zia relieved prime minister
Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of Cabinet in the Executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The position is usually held by, but need not always be held by, a politician....
 Bhutto of power, holding him in detention for a month. Zia pledged that new elections would be held in 90 days. He kept postponing the elections and publicly retorted during successive press conferences that if the elections were held in the presence of Bhutto his party would not return to power again.

Upon his release, Bhutto traveled the country amid adulatory crowds of PPP supporters. He used to take the train traveling from the south to the north and on the way, would address public meetings at different stations. Several of these trains were late, some by days, in reaching their respective destinations and as a result Bhutto was banned from traveling by train. The last visit he made to the city of Multan
Multan

is a city in the Punjab of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province. Multan District has a population of over 3.8 million and the city itself is the sixth largest within the boundaries of Pakistan....
 in the province of Punjab marked the turning point in Bhutto's political career and ultimately, his life. In spite of the administration's efforts to block the gathering, the crowd was so large that it became disorderly, providing an opportunity for the administration to declare that Bhutto had been taken into custody because the people were against him and it had become necessary to protect him from the masses for his own safety.

Re-arrest and fabrication of evidence

On September 3 the Army arrested Bhutto again on charges of authorizing the murder of a political opponent in March 1974. A 35-year-old politician Ahmed Raza Kasuri
Ahmed Raza Kasuri

Ahmed Raza Kasuri is a former Pakistani politician and lawyer who was the intended vicitm in the murder case that led to the execution of Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.....
 tried to run as a PPP candidate in elections, despite having previously left the party. The Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party

The Pakistan Peoples Party : is a centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. To date, its leader has always been a member of the Bhutto family....
 rebuffed him. Three years earlier, Kasuri and his family had been ambushed, leaving Kasuri's father, Nawab Mohammad Ahmad Khan, dead. Kasuri claimed that he was the actual target, accusing Bhutto of being the mastermind. Kasuri later claimed that he had been the victim of 15 assassination attempts.

Bhutto was released 10 days after his arrest after a judge, Justice KMA Samadani, found the evidence "contradictory and incomplete." Justice Samadani had to pay for this; he was immediately removed from the court and placed at the disposal of the law ministry. Three days later Zia arrested Bhutto again on the same charges, this time under "martial law." When the PPP organized demonstrations among Bhutto's supporters, Zia canceled the upcoming elections.

Bhutto was arraigned before the High Court
High Court

High Court usually refers to the superior court of a country or state. In some countries it is the highest court and in others it is lower in the hierarchy of courts ....
 of Lahore
Lahore

is the capital of the Pakistani Subdivisions of Pakistan of Punjab and is the List of most populated metropolitan areas in Pakistan city in Pakistan after Karachi....
 instead of in a lower court, thus automatically depriving him of one level of appeal. The judge who had granted him bail was removed. Five new judges were appointed, headed by Chief Justice
Chief Justice

The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Supreme Court of India, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Supreme Court...
 of Lahore High Court Maulvi Mushtaq Ali, who denied bail. The trial lasted five months, and Bhutto
Bhutto

Bhutto is a Sindhi people samat tribe settled in Sindh, Pakistan.Bhutto is a vast tribe that has been settled in Sindh for over two centuries....
 appeared in court on a dock specially built for the trial.

Proceedings began on October 24, 1977. Masood Mahmood, the director general of the Federal Security Force (since renamed the Federal Investigation Agency
Federal Investigation Agency

The Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan is a national investigative agency with a wide role in anti-terrorism, anti-fagism, anti-corruption, human smuggling and copyright infringement policing, similar in function to the USA's Federal Bureau of Investigation....
), testified against Bhutto. Mahmood had been arrested immediately after Zia's coup and had been imprisoned for two months prior to taking the stand. In his testimony, he claimed Bhutto had ordered Kasuri's assassination and that four members of the Federal Security Force had organized the ambush on Bhutto's orders.

The four alleged assassins were arrested and later confessed. They were brought into court as "co-accused" but one of them recanted his testimony, declaring that it had been extracted from him under torture. The following day, the witness was not present in court; the prosecution claimed that he had suddenly "fallen ill."

Bhutto's defense challenged the prosecution with proof from an army logbook the prosecution had submitted. It showed that the jeep allegedly driven during the attack on Kasuri was not even in Lahore at the time. The prosecution had the logbook disregarded as "incorrect." During the defense's cross-examination of witnesses, the bench often interrupted questioning. The 706-page official transcript contained none of the objections or inconsistencies in the evidence pointed out by the defense. Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark
Ramsey Clark

William Ramsey Clark is a lawyer and former United States Attorney General. He worked for the United States Department of Justice, which included service as the 66th United States Attorney General under President Lyndon B....
, who attended the trial, wrote:

When Bhutto began his testimony on January 25, 1978, Chief Justice Maulvi Mustaq closed the courtroom to all observers. Bhutto responded by refusing to say any more. Bhutto demanded a retrial, accusing the Chief Justice of bias, after Mustaq allegedly insulted Bhutto's home province. The court refused his demand.

Death sentence and appeal

On March 18, 1978, Bhutto was declared guilty of murder and sentenced to death. Bhutto did not seek an appeal. While he was transferred to a cell in Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi

is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the Subdivisions of Pakistan of Punjab . The area was home to the pre-historic Soanian culture indigenous to this region....
 central jail, his family appealed on his behalf, and a hearing before the Supreme Court commenced in May. Bhutto was given one week to prepare. Bhutto issued a thorough rejoinder to the charges, although Zia blocked its publication. Chief Justice S. Anwarul Haq
S. Anwarul Haq

Sheikh Anwarul Haq is a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan [September 23, 1977 - March 25, 1981]. He is often considered 'ill-famed' for giving legitimacy to General Muhammad Zia ul-Haq?s martial law and for uphelding the decision of the Lahore High Court which sentenced Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to death for the authorization o...
 adjourned the court until the end of July 1978, supposedly because five of the nine appeals court judges were willing to overrule the Lahore verdict. One of the pro-Bhutto judges was due to retire in July.

Chief Justice S. Anwarul Haq presided over the trial, despite being close to Zia, even serving as Acting President when Zia was out of the country. Bhutto's lawyers managed to secure Bhutto the right to conduct his own defense before the Supreme Court. On December 18, 1978, Bhutto made his appearance in public before a packed courtroom in Rawalpindi. By this time he had been on death row for 9 months and had gone without fresh water for the previous 25 days. He addressed the court for four days, speaking without notes.

The appeal was completed on December 23, 1978. On February 6, 1979, the Supreme Court issued a guilty verdict, a decision reached by a bare 4-to-3 majority. The Bhutto family had seven days in which to appeal. The court granted a stay of execution while it studied the petition. By February 24, 1979 when the next court hearing began, appeals for clemency arrived from many heads of state. Zia said that the appeals amounted to "trade union activity" among politicians.

On March 24, 1979 the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal. Zia upheld the death sentence. Bhutto was hanged at Central jail, Rawalpindi, on 4 April, 1979, and is buried in Village Cemetery at Garhi Khuda Baksh.

Films on the life of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto


In April 2008, a documentary film on the life of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, made by prominent journalist and media personality, Javed Malik
Javed Malik

Javed Malik is Pakistan's Ambassador at Large. He was appointed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, after the democratically elected government took office in June 2008...
 was released in the presence of Yousaf Raza Gillani
Yousaf Raza Gillani

Makhdoom Sayyid Yousaf Raza Gilani is the 26th and current Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was previously Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan and a Federal Minister ....
 the Prime Minister of Pakistan who was leading the Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party

The Pakistan Peoples Party : is a centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. To date, its leader has always been a member of the Bhutto family....
 government which was founded by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Criticism and legacy

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto remains a controversial figure in Pakistan. While he was hailed for being a nationalist, Bhutto was roundly criticised for opportunism and intimidating his political opponents. He gave Pakistan its third constitution
Constitution

A constitution is a system for government — often codified as a written document — that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity....
, oversaw Pakistan's nuclear programme, held peace talks with neighbour India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
 and was more of an Internationalist
Internationalist

Internationalist may refer to:* Internationalism , a movement to increase cooperation across national borders* The Internationalist Review, an e-journal founded in Maastricht...
 with a secular image. His socialist policies are blamed for slowing down Pakistan's economic progress owing to poor productivity and high costs. Bhutto is also criticised for human rights abuses perpetrated by the army in Balochistan. Many in Pakistan's military, notably the former president Gen. (r) Pervez Musharaf and former martial law administrator of Balochistan General Rahimuddin Khan
Rahimuddin Khan

General Rahimuddin Khan was the Martial law administrator and longest-serving Governor of Balochistan of Balochistan, the largest province of the Pakistan, from 1978 to 1984....
 condemn Bhutto for having caused the crisis that led to the Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War

The Bangladesh Liberation WarBangladesh Liberation War/nomenclature justification was an armed conflict pitting West Pakistan against East Pakistan and India, that resulted in the secession of East Pakistan to become the independent nation of Bangladesh....
. In spite of all the criticism—and subsequent media trials—Bhutto still remains the most popular leader of the country. Bhutto's action against the insurgency in Balochistan
Baloch Insurgency and Rahimuddin's Stabilization

The Baloch Insurgency was a series of secessionist rebellions in Balochistan , the largest province of Pakistan, from 1973 to 1976. Rahimuddin Khan's Stabilization was a series of Public administration reforms and indirect military action aimed at undermining the 1970s insurgency by then-dictator General Rahimuddin Khan from 1977 to 198...
 is blamed for causing widespread civil dissent and calls for secession. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology is named for him; his daughter was chairman of its board of trustees. His family remained active in politics, with first his wife and then his daughter becoming leader of the PPP political party. His daughter, Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who chaired the Pakistan Peoples Party , a centre-left List of political parties in Pakistan. Bhutto was the first woman elected to lead a Muslim world, having twice been Prime Minister of Pakistan ....
, was twice prime minister of Pakistan, and was assassinated on December 27, 2007, while campaigning for upcoming elections.



Works


  • Peace-Keeping by the United Nations, Pakistan Publishing House, Karachi
    Karachi

    is the largest city, seaport and the International financial centre of Pakistan. It is List of metropolitan areas by population in terms of metropolitan population, and is Pakistan's premier centre of banking, industry, and trade....
    , 1967
  • Political Situation in Pakistan, Veshasher Prakashan, New Delhi
    New Delhi

    New Delhi is the capital city of India. With a total area of 42.7 km2, New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi and serves as the seat of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi ....
    , 1968
  • The Myth of Independence, Oxford University Press
    Oxford University Press

    Oxford University Press is a publisher and a department of the University of Oxford in England. It is the largest university press in the world, being larger than all the American university presses combined with Cambridge University Press....
    , Karachi and Lahore
    Lahore

    is the capital of the Pakistani Subdivisions of Pakistan of Punjab and is the List of most populated metropolitan areas in Pakistan city in Pakistan after Karachi....
    , 1969
  • The Great Tragedy, Pakistan People's Party, Karachi, 1971
  • Politics of the People (speeches, statements and articles), 1948-1971
  • The Third World: New Directions, Quartet Books, London, 1977
  • My Pakistan, Biswin Sadi Publications, New Delhi, 1979
  • If I am Assassinated, Vikas, New Delhi, 1979
  • My Execution, Musawaat Weekly International, London, 1980
  • New Directions, Narmara Publishers, London, 1980
  • Marching towards democracy


Books on Bhutto

  • Leopard and the fox, Tariq Ali
    Tariq Ali

    Tariq Ali is a United Kingdom-Pakistani historian, novelist, filmmaker, political campaigner, and commentator. He is a member of the editorial committee of the New Left Review and Sin Permiso, and regularly contributes to The Guardian, CounterPunch , and the London Review of Books....
  • Pakistan Under Bhutto, S. J. Burki (1980)
  • Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan, Stanley Wolpert
    Stanley Wolpert

    Stanley Wolpert is an American historian who specializes in the history of India and Pakistan. He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Pennsylvania....
     (1993)
  • Interview with History, Oriana Fallaci
    Oriana Fallaci

    Oriana Fallaci was an Italy journalist, author, and political interviewer. A former Italian resistance movement during World War II, she had a long and successful journalistic career....
     (1988)
  • Zulfi my friend, Piloo Mody
    Piloo Mody

    Piloo Mody was the founder of the Swatantra Party and an advocate of liberal and free politics of India. He was a member of the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of parliament....
  • The mirage of power, Dr Mubashir Hasan
  • Bhutto, trial and execution, Victoria Schofield
  • The Great Tragedy, Jang Publishers Press (1993)
  • Zulfi my inspiration, Syed Mehdi Raza (2003)
  • The Shia Revival: How Conflicts Within Islam Will Shape the Future, Vali Nasr
    Vali Nasr

    Vali Reza Nasr is an Iranian-American academic and scholar, as well as Professor of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University....
     (2006)
  • Mera Lahoo, Mr. Farrukh Sohail Goindi
  • bhutto key akhri 323 din, colonol rafi


See also

  • Movement for Restoration of Democracy
    Movement for Restoration of Democracy

    The Movement for the Restoration of Democracy formed in February 1981 was a multi-party political alliance in Pakistan. MRD coalition comprisied of Pakistan Peoples Party , National Democratic Party , Tehrik-e-Istiqlal, Pakistan Muslim League, Qaumi Mahaz-e-Azadi, Pakistan Mazdoor Kissan Party, Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam, ; MRD demanded withdra...
  • Ghinwa Bhutto
    Ghinwa Bhutto

    Ghinwa Bhutto is a politician and the widow of Murtaza Bhutto. She is also the sister-in-law of the late Benazir Bhutto. She is Syrian-Lebanese and is the second wife of Murtaza Bhutto and step mother of Fatima Bhutto....
  • Benazir Bhutto
    Benazir Bhutto

    Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who chaired the Pakistan Peoples Party , a centre-left List of political parties in Pakistan. Bhutto was the first woman elected to lead a Muslim world, having twice been Prime Minister of Pakistan ....
  • Murtaza Bhutto
    Murtaza Bhutto

    Mir Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto was a Pakistani politician from the powerful Bhutto family, elder son of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the brother of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto....
  • Hyderabad tribunal
    Hyderabad tribunal

    The Hyderabad tribunal or Hyderabad conspiracy case is the name of a former judicial tribunal used in Pakistan to prosecute opposition politicians of the National Awami Party on the charges of treason and acting against the ideology of Pakistan....
  • Constitution of Pakistan
    Constitution of Pakistan

    The Constitution of Pakistan is the supreme law of Pakistan. There have been several documents known as the Constitution of Pakistan. The Constitution of 1973 is the existing constitution, which provides for a parliamentary system with a President of Pakistan as head of state and popularly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan as head of govern...
  • Asghar Khan
    Asghar Khan

    Asghar Khan is a Pakistani people politician. At the age of 36 he served as the youngest head of the Pakistan Air Force . Later on he was appointed as the head of the National flag carrier PIA ....
  • Mufti Mahmud
    Mufti Mahmud

    Maulana Mufti Mahmud , an ethnic Marwat Pashtoon hailing from Abdul Khel, was born in January 1919 in Paniala, Dera Ismail Khan District, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan....
  • Malik Anwer Ali Noon
    Malik Anwer Ali Noon

    Malik Anwar Ali Noon of Ali Pur Noon, son of Malik Sultan Ali Khan Noon is a popular prominent politician and a famous Landlord of Sargodha in the Noon family....

External links

  • ---History Channel
  • - BBC