O Level P1 History and Culture of Pakistan Topic 31 Benazir Bhutto And Nawaz Sharif 1988 to 1999
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Benazir Bhutto And Nawaz Sharif 1988 to 1999
Benazir Bhutto, the eldest child of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was born on June 21, 1953, at Karachi. She wanted to join the Foreign Service but her father wanted her to contest the Assembly election. Benazir Bhutto also assisted her father as an advisor. In July 1977, General Zia-ul-Haq imposed Martial Law. During the Martial Law, Benazir was allowed to proceed abroad on medical grounds.
She returned on April 10, 1986, one million people welcomed her at the Lahore airport. She attended rallies all over Pakistan and supported the Movement for Restoration of Democracy. On December 18, 1987, Benazir married Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi. She contested the elections, which were held by Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who had taken over as acting President after the death of General Zia in an air crash on August 17, 1988, at Bhawalpur.
PPP won and Benair Bhutto became the first women to serve as Prime Minister in an Islamic country. Minister Benazir Bhutto announced that the ban on Student Unions and Trade Unions would be lifted. The P. P. P. Government hosted the fourth S. A. A. R. C. Summit Conference in December 1988. As a result of the Conference, Pakistan and India finalized three peace agreements.
BB faced a lot of problems since beginning. PPP gained majority in Sindh but not in other provinces.so she had to form a coalition with MQM but she had to face fierce opposition by IJI led by Nawaz Sharif who controlled the provincial government of Punjab. Other political parties also opposed him and within 11 months the opposition parties organised Non Confidence Motion in the National Assembly.
BB also faced resistance from ISI; Army couldn’t support Benazir’s government. Religious community also condemn women rule in Pakistan. Benazir also lost public support as it was unable to deliver on its promised employment and economic development. Education and health schemes couldn’t be launched. Besides that she faced accusations that there was a corruption within her government and her husband Asif Ali Zardari was later arrested on charges of blackmail and was jailed for two years. Her government was also faced to deal with the country’s growing drug abuse problem.
Critical situation created when Sindhis and Mahajirs confrontation became severe. Widespread riots in Karachi ended MQM alliance with PPP in august 1989.BB also had the clashes with President and a major area of disagreements was over appointments to positions in the military and judiciary.
Serious conceptual differences arose between the P. P. P. Government and the Establishment. Less than two years later, on August 6, 1990, her Government was accused of corruption and dismissed by the President, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who exercised his power through the controversial Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.
Her publications include "Daughter of the East" and "Foreign Policy Perspective".
Fresh elections were scheduled on October 24, 1990. President Ghulam Ishaq Khan appointed Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi as the caretaker Prime Minister.
Nawaz Sharif becomes PM 1990:
Elections for the National and Provincial Assemblies were held on October 24 and 27, 1990. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the ex-Chief Minister of Punjab, was elected as the Prime Minister on November 1, 1990.
During his tenure as the Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif made efforts to strengthen the industrial sector with the help of the private sector. National reconstruction programmes were launched. He introduced a policy of privatization of the industries which had been nationalized under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Projects like Ghazi Brotha and the Gwadar miniport were initiated. Land was distributed among landless peasants in Sindh. A massive uplift of Murree and Kahuta was done during his term as Chief Minister of Punjab. Relations with the Central Asian Muslim republics were strengthened and E. C. O. was given a boost. He also opened industries such as shipping, electricity supply , airlines and telecommunication. He imported thousands of yellow cabs to overcome unemployment. Cheap loans were provided. He also started nuclear programme which completed in 1998.
In an attempt to end the Afghan crisis, the "Islamabad Accord" was reached between various Afghan factions. A No Air Attack accord was also signed with India in 1991.His most important contribution was economic progress. The stupendous Motorway project was initiated that was completed during his second tenure.
Nawaz Sharif's Government remained in power till April 18 1993, when President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dissolved the National Assembly, once again exercising his power through the Eighth Amendment.
Reasons for Downfall:
Nawaz Sharif policies were undermined by lack of capital for investment. US support (aid) was also reduced after the soviet-Afghan war.
Pakistan’s nuclear policy was badly criticized by US and other European Nations .reduction in overseas aid, high government spending and a decrease in remittances from overseas workers in Middle East placed severe pressure on Pakistan’s finances.
One of the major banks operating in Pakistan; the Bank of credit and commerce international (BCCI) was also collapsed in 1991. That was the world’s 7th largest bank .Sharif also lost support because of cooperative society’s scandal. These societies had granted billions of rupees in loans to Sharif’s family business, the Ittefaq group.
Karachi’s condition became further deteriorated. Gun carrying became the part of culture. Kidnappings, bombings and murders became common. Refugees from afghan war also created problem and heroin addicts also enhanced.
Most importantly Sharif came into open conflict with, particularly after the death of General Asif Nawaz Janjua in Jan. 1993.Nawa Sharif wanted his own chief of the army staff where as president appointed General Abdul Waheed Kakar. Nawaz Sharif wanted to change the 8TH amendment but president didn’t want to do so. Consequently president dismissed Sharif’s government on 19th April in 1993 alleged corruption and mismanagement.
Moin Qureshi as caretaker PM
On May 26, 1993, the Supreme Court of Pakistan declared the Presidential Order of the Assemblies' dissolution as unconstitutional and ruled for restoring the Nawaz Government and the National Assembly. However, because of the serious differences between the President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, both resigned from their offices on July 18, 1993, along with the dissolution of the Central and Provincial Assemblies.
Moin Qureshi, a top World Bank official, was appointed as the Caretaker Prime Minister and chairman senate Wassem Sajjad was appointed as the caretaker President. Moin Qureshi was totally unknown in Pakistan; it was, however, felt that as he was a political outsider, he would remain neutral.
The only blot on Moin Qureshi's tenure as Prime Minister was that, in his last days, he made a large number of promotions and other administrative decisions in favor of his relatives.
Benazir Bhutto becomes PM 1993
Benazir Bhutto returned to power for the second time in 1993 after the resignation of both President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on July 18, 1993. The resignation led to the announcement of fresh elections for the National and Provincial Assemblies. The elections were held on October 6 and 9, 1993, respectively.
The elections were boycotted by the M. Q. M. No party emerged with an absolute majority in the elections. As a result the P. P. P. formed the new government with the help of alliances. Benazir Bhutto took oath as Prime Minister on October 19, 1993. The Presidential election was held on November 13. Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari, the P. P. P. candidate, won by 274 to 168 votes against the then acting President Wasim Sajjad.
During her second tenure, Benazir again faced trouble from the opposition. In 1994, Nawaz Sharif led a "train march" from Karachi to Peshawar. This was followed by general strike on September 20. Two weeks later Nawaz Sharif called a "wheel jam" strike on October 11.
BB also had to face confrontation with her mother Nusrat Bhutto who preferred Murtaza Bhutto as a leader for PPP. Murtaza also opposed Zardari’s involvement in PPP. Later on Mir Murtaza Bhutto was assassinated under mysterious circumstances in a police ambush on September 20, 1996. The high-profile killing of her brother in her tenure damaged her political career.
Things were not going well between the President and Benazir's Government. Differences soon appeared and the Government felt that there was interference in the political matters of the Government by the President. President Farooq Leghari dismissed Benazir Bhutto's Government on charges of corruption and mismanagement on November 5, 1996, under the Article 58(2) b of the Eighth Amendment.
The second tenure of Benazir Bhutto was, however, highlighted by the visit of the U. S. first Lady Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea in 1995. Hillary's visit considerably changed the world's perceptions about Pakistan and highlighted Pakistan as a liberal, modern and forward-looking country. In April 1994, Benazir visited the U. S., and projected Pakistan's stance on the F-16 fighter planes withheld by the U. S. despite payments. Her visit resulted in the passing of the Brown Amendment by the U. S. Senate on September 21, 1995, easing restrictions on Pakistan. It also helped in attracting foreign investors. On the domestic front she continued facing problems with M. Q. M. In spite of all her political endeavors, a smooth relationship could not be established between the Government and M. Q. M.
Malik Meraj becomes caretaker PM 1996
President Sardar Farooq Leghari, exercising his powers through the Eighth Amendment, dismissed Benazir Bhutto's Government in November 1996, on charges of corruption and extra-judicial killings. After Benazir, Malik Meraj Khalid, Rector of the International Islamic University, was appointed as caretaker Prime Minister. The next elections were scheduled to be held on February 3, 1997.
Malik Meraj Khalid held the office of Prime Minister from November 5, 1996, to February 17, 1997.
Nawaz Sharif as PM 1996
As scheduled, elections were held on February 3, 1997. Pakistan Muslim League won with an overwhelming majority with absolutely light and slight opposition. The Muslim League was able to obtain a two-third majority in the National Assembly and Mian Nawaz Sharif was re-elected as Prime Minister. He obtained a vote of confidence from the National Assembly on February 18, 1997.
A number of very important Constitutional Amendments were introduced during Nawaz Sharif's second term. These include the termination of the Eighth Amendment, passing of the Thirteenth Amendment and the Ehtesab Act, 1997. Nawaz Sharif faced a serious confrontation with the Judiciary and the Executive, which eventually led to the resignation of President Leghari on December 2, 1997.
It was during this term that Pakistan carried out its nuclear tests on May 28, 1998, in response to the Indian experiments of its five nuclear devices. The Nawaz Government had found it imperative for Pakistan to carry out these nuclear tests, in order to provide an effective defense, and to deter Indian adventurism.
Nawaz Sharif also signed an accord with the government of PHILIPPINES for the peaceful use of Atomic energy. On 23rd of March 1997, the summit conference of OIC took place in Islamabad. Government also announced a new trade policy and allowed import of raw materials from India. First Women University was also established in Rawalpindi in January 1999. Bus service also began between India and Pakistan. Motorway project was also completed during the second term of Nawaz Sharif.
The Fifteenth Amendment was presumed to be an effort by Nawaz Sharif to acquire additional powers for himself. Soon a serious conflict and confrontation emerged on the scene between him and the Military Generals. This confrontation led to the resignation of General Jehangir Karamat on October 7, 1998. General Karamat was replaced by General Pervez Musharraf.
The Kargil Operation in its aftermath again led to tense relations between Nawaz Sharif and the armed forces. This tension culminated into the removal of Nawaz Government by General Pervez Musharraf on October 12, 1999, thus bringing to an end the second term of Nawaz Sharif's Government.
