Historical Perspective of Democracy in Pakistan: An Analysis of Benazir Bhutto's Role in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy

Berkeley Journal of Social Science
Vol.3, Spring 2013

Historical Perspective of Democracy in Pakistan: An Analysis of Benazir Bhutto’s
            Role in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy
                                          
                                           Dr. Ahmed Hussain Shah

Abstract:

Since the independence,Pakistan has experienced so many problems, in starting days it was
striving for a constitution and after a long time of nine years the first constitution was given to
the people of Pakistan in 1956 but unfortunately the constitution was abrogated after just two
years, after that second constitution and third constitution were also given and suspended, in
the result the democratic governments were also overthrown. This research paper aims at
analyzing the politics of Benazir and her efforts for democracy in Pakistan. During her whole life
she struggled for the peoples of Pakistan, for providing them rights, health, education as well as
providing them such opportunities where they can improve their living standards, she also
played a vital role in Movement for the Restoration of Democracy common known as MRD, and
struggled against the military rule of General Zia, she was also the first lady who became the
Prime Minister of Islamic country, she served the country as Prime Minister during 1988-90 and
1993-96.She also achieved the required country’s goals through her active politics and
formulation of foreign policy.

Keywords:Politics, Foreign Policy, Movement, Democracy, Pakistan, Government

Introduction:

Pakistan was established in1947, before this It was under the British rule, after independence
till yet Pakistan is suffering from so many problems, Democracy is also one of those major
problems, Historically, after the independence of Pakistan it had to face the problem of
constituting a new constitution for a new born state, on 3rd June 1947,the India’s Last Viceroy

Prof. Department of International Relations, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur
Cell:0300-9318354                  E-mail: profdrsahmedhussainshah@yahoo.com

Berkeley Journal of Social Science
Vol.3, Spring 2013

LordMountbatten, called the leaders in which he expressed the government’s plan.After that “a
notification was issued in the Gazette of India, published on 26 th July 1947in which the first
Constituent Assembly of Pakistan was given shape with 69 Members (Later on the membership
was increased to 79). Including one female Member” (Dogar 2005), but unfortunately, it could
not gave constitution to the country and finally Governor General Ghulam Muhammad
dissolved the assemblyon 24th October 1954, after that second constituent assembly was
created which gave first constitution to Pakistan, the constitution was enforced on 23rd March
1956 but unfortunatelyon 7th October 1958 Iskandar Mirza suspended the constitution and
imposed the martial law in the country.Moreover, two other constitutions were also enforced
in Pakistan in 1962 and 1973 respectively but suspended and the country faced two other
martial laws.

Ahmed Ejaz writes about martial law in these words: “the military rule not only destroys the
political institutions within the country but also annihilates the country’s image on world
level.Zia-ul-Haq regime was a true reflection of an authoritarian rule. Its narrow-based foreign
policy isolated the country from the rest of the democratic world”(Eiaz 1994). Though the
whole world has become a global village, in this way neither any isolated country can fulfill his
needs nor achieve his required goals without foreign relations because they are the part of this
global world, whose Economic, Political, Strategic and Commercial interests are inter-related to
each other. For the purpose of development, wellbeing of citizens, trade, peace and stability, it
is essential for the one country to take friendly relations with others countries, so it is essential
that the“Head of government or state, not only be aware of the contemporary economic and
strategic conceptions but also must be knowledgeable about county’s history, cultural tradition
and the currents and cross-currents of its thoughts and philosophy” (Eiaz 1994).

Furthermore, there should be strong public policy keeping in the view basic requirements and
need of individual citizens as well as society.Thomas R. Dye defines public policy that “Public
Policy is whatever governments choose to do or not do to.Thus public policies may regulate
behavior, organize bureaucracies, distribute benefits, or extract taxes- or all these things at
once”(Dye 2004), so, public policy is not only essential for the wellbeing of the citizens but also

Berkeley Journal of Social Science
Vol.3, Spring 2013

for the development of the country, but in real Pakistan has spent its much time under the
military rule and the first priority of every military ruler is to prolog its ruling tenure, the
historical example of General Muhammad Ayoub Khan is before us that He introduced the Basic
Democracies System,according to this system 80,000 Basic Democrats were elected, 40,000
from East Pakistan and 40,000 from West Pakistan,which He used in Presidential elections and
became the President of Pakistan.

About Benazir Bhutto:
Benazir Bhutto was the daughter of Zulifquar Ali Bhutto, “she was born on Sunday, June 21st,
1953, at Dr. Pinto’s clinic at Karachi. She was theelder child among her father’s four children”(D.
A. Khuhro 2009),Her nick name was `Pinki` and now she is also known as the Daughter of the
East.Bhutto’s family was such a family where there was no any discrimination or gender
inequality, there were same responsibilities, opportunities and obligation for the male and
female, Zulifquar Ali Bhutto had four children and they all were given equal possible best
education in the world’s top universities. She writes that “when the time came to pick up my
father’s mantle and legacy and lead the Pakistan People’s Party, I, as his eldest child present in
Pakistan, led the struggle for democracy”(Bhutto 2008)
After getting early education from Pakistan, she went to Harvard University where from she
graduated, after that she attended Oxford Universityand did Diploma in Foreign
Affairs.Basically, she wanted to join foreign services of Pakistan, she writes, “…I had no
intention of becoming a politician, having seen first-hand the pressures and strains of life in
politics. I was aiming for a career in Pakistan’s Foreign Services. Nevertheless, I joined the
Oxford union to please my father” (Bhutto 1988).
Another chapter of her life was started when she got married on 29th July 1987 with Mr. Asif Ali
Zardari son of well-known politician Hakim Ali Zardari, at that time the rumors werethat if she
got married then she will become a mere house wife and will unable to participate in politics
buther husband also supported her in politics, they had three children, Bilawal, Bakhtawar and
Asifa. Benazir “Bhutto was the first democratically elected female prime minister in any modern
Islamic country” (Benazir 2008).

Berkeley Journal of Social Science
Vol.3, Spring 2013

Role of Benazir Bhutto in the Movement for the restoration of Democracy (MRD):

On5th July 1977Army Chief, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haqimposed martial law in the
country;it was the third martial law in Pakistan’s history, Zia promised that the elections would
be held in 90 days but on 15th September 1977 he addressed to the nation in which he
announced the postponement of General Elections by saying that: “if we hold elections before
completing the process of accountability, it will be a great injustice to the 70 million people of
this country and if we accept that accountability should be completed first then the elections
have necessarily to be postponed”(Saqib 2009-10).

“Z.A Bhutto's trial began on October 24 on charges of conspiracy to murder Ahmed Raza
Kasuri” (Khan 2008) and in this case He was hanged on 4th April 1979, which was sudden shock
for Z. A Bhutto’s family and for the whole nation, after execution His family along with Benazir
Bhutto and Begum Nusrat Bhutto remained under house arrest, after that Begum Nusrat
Bhutto was made Chairperson along with Benazir Bhutto as a co-chairperson of Pakistan
People’s Party, It was tough time for Benazir because at that time Her mother was in shock and
was unable to concentrate on politics.According to Islam if Husband dies then it is necessary for
his widow to remain four months and ten days in Iddat, due to this reason Begum Nusrat
Bhutto was also unable to take a part in Politics. So, Benazir had to face these problems and
handle PPP. “She spent five years in detention, including ten months in solitary confinement”
(Khuhro and Choudhry 2009). Now, she wanted to continue her father’s politics and for this she
started to struggle against the martial law regime of General Ziaand for restoration of
democracy from jail.

During this martial law a political alliance was made in 1981 in the name of Movement for the
Restoration of Democracy, this movement was also known as MRD.For this purpose the leaders
met first time on 6th February 1981 at Karachi and agreed on formation of alliance. The main
purpose of alliance was, Restoration of 1973 constitution, Parliamentary elections, transfer of
power to public representative and the end of martial law.

Berkeley Journal of Social Science
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“The following political parties formed the alliance.

       Pakistan People’s Party
       Pakistan Muslim League (Khawaja Khair Uddin Group)
       Pakistan Democratic Party
       Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party
       Pakistan National Party
       National Awami Party
       Quomi Mahaz-e-Azadi
       Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI)
       Tahrik-i-Istiqlal (TI)
       National Democratic Party”(Chandio, Naseem and Ahmed 2011).

After few yearsMRD launched a new movement on 14th August 1983, at that time Benazir was
in jail and she participated in this movement from jail, in this movement not only the peoples of
cities but also villages took part, especially this movement was strong in Sindh Province than
other Provinces.“The greatest threat to Zia came in 1983, when the PPP led the Movement for
the Restoration of democracy (MRD) that was launched to topple him”(Lamb 1991).Zia’s
military government tried its best to crush the movement, “the government admitted that in
the first week of the movement, about two thousandpeoples were arrested, 189 were killed
and 126 were injured” (Khuhro and Choudhry 2009), under the pressure of MRD and
international pressure Benazir was released in 1984 anduntil 1986 she went into exile to UK.Zia
wanted to keep Benazir away from politics because he knows that the PPP will win majority
seats. The New York Times narrated Zia’s opinion, he said: “It is Miss Bhutto’s unnecessary
impractical ambition and her attitude towards acquiring power which is objectionable” (New
York Time 1986).

Berkeley Journal of Social Science
Vol.3, Spring 2013

“In late 1985 he reinstated civilian government and extended his presidency for another five
years” (Muhammad 2008).After a long struggle Zia announced that the election would be held
on November 16, 1988, this news was the happiest moment for the peoples of Pakistan, but he
declared that the election would be on non-party basis, “Zia preferred the non- party elections
because he was well-aware of the fact that nonpolitical and non-committed people are easy to
control as compare to political and affiliated peoples. So he wanted that elected member of the
assemblies had no political association as well as membership of any political party or loyalty to
any political leader” (Chandio, Naseem and Ahmed 2011).Benazir challenged the Zia’s non-
party based elections and filed the case in courts for justice, she was sure that the justice will be
done and democracy will be recovered in the country.

“However, the rule of Zia-ul-Haq ended abruptly on 17th August 1988, when his C-130 Aircraft
exploded shortly after taking off from the Bahawalpur Airport. This disaster also claimed the
lives of five generals, five brigadiers, one squadron leader, American Ambassador and fourteen
members of crew” (Saqib 2009-10).After the sudden death of Zia, Ghulam Ishaq Khan became
the seventh President of Pakistan on 17th August 1988, as he committed the general elections
to the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies were held on 16th November 1988 and 19th
November 1988 respectively and in this way long 11 years of military regime was ended and
Benazir succeeded in his task of restoration of Democratic government.It was the historical
movement when military regime was ended and democracy was restored, it was the first time
in the history of muslim countries that a young lady aged only 35 years became the Prime
Minister of an Islamic country.“Benazir Bhutto struggled whole her life against dictatorship,
despotism, tyranny and injustice. She became PPP chairperson in early 80s, she struggled with
her companions and party men against Zia regime and brought it to an end and restored
democracy by winning general elections in 1988” (Kalhora 2011).

Benazirhas sacrificed for the stability and democratic government in Pakistan, in 1979 her
father was assassinated, her two brother were killed and she was also assassinated on 27th
December 2007 on returning from Liaquat Bagh, where she addressed the public gathering for

Berkeley Journal of Social Science
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upcoming elections campaign. “Goher Jamal, said no ideology could succeed without sacrifices
and Bhutto family had given historic sacrifices for democracy and they all would be long
remembered” (Times 2008), she had dedicated her life fighting for the country and
countrymen.

Conclusion:

Democracy is such a form of government in which the rights of citizen are secured, it is also a
key towards good government but on other hand dictatorship not only suspends the rights of
common peoplebut also suspends theconstitution, unfortunately Pakistan has also faced such
problems and spent much time under military regime, especially, the Zia’s regime is considered
as longest military regime, it was started from 1977 and continued till his death in air crash.In
1977 Zia overthrown the elected government of Zulifquar Ali Bhutto after that Bhutto was
hanged in murder case on 4th April 1977 and Benazir was under house arrest, Benazir
haddecided that she will struggle her level best against the military rule of Zia and restore the
democracy in Pakistan, for this purpose she worked hard and made an alliance along with some
other parties in 1981 aiming at four points agenda, the alliance was named Movement for the
Restoration of Democracy, the movement launched a strong movement in 1983 under the
leadership of Benazir Bhutto, even when she was in jail she stated struggle for democracy from
jail and this movement achieved its required goals, in this way general elections were held in
1988 and Benazir became the first female and youngest Prime Minister of Pakistan.She has
proved that the role of women is also important and they should be encouraged to participate
in politics. She dedicated her whole life struggling for the people of Pakistan.

Berkeley Journal of Social Science
Vol.3, Spring 2013

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