1977 Pakistani military coup
The 1977 Pakistani military coup (codenamed Operation Fair Play) was the second military coup in Pakistan that took place on 5 July 1977. It was carried out by Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the chief of army staff, overthrowing the government of prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Operation Fair Play
Strategic and tactical
Relief of Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto from the Prime Minister Secretariat
5 July 1977
Success of coup d'etat led by General Zia-ul-Haq
- Execution of elected prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
- Closer ties with United States
- Growth of Islamism
The coup itself was bloodless, and was preceded by social unrest and political conflict between the ruling leftist Pakistan Peoples Party government of Bhutto, and the right-wing Islamist opposition Pakistan National Alliance which accused Bhutto of rigging the 1977 general elections. In announcing the coup, Zia promised "free and fair elections" within 90 days, but these were repeatedly postponed on the excuse of accountability and it was not until 1985 that "party-less" general elections were held. Zia himself stayed in power for 11 years until his death in a plane crash.
The coup was a watershed event in the Cold War and in the history of the country. The coup took place nearly six years after the 1971 war with India which ended with the surrender of Pakistan and the secession of East-Pakistan, which became Bangladesh. The period following the coup saw the "Islamisation of Pakistan" and Pakistan's involvement with the Afghan mujahideen (funded by the US and Saudi Arabia) in the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
International reactions[edit]
International reactions to the coup were largely muted, and two of Pakistan's neighbors, India and China, did not issue any statements. Only two countries issued statements over this issue.[6] The Soviet Union harshly criticised the coup and Leonid Brezhnev condemned Bhutto's execution out of "purely humane motives".[13]
The US played an ambiguous role instead with many charging that the martial law was imposed with the willingness and "tacit"[14] approval of the US and the CIA's involvement.[14]
When allegations were leveled against the US by Pakistani historians and scholars, American officials reacted angrily and held Bhutto responsible for his act.[6] Despite US denial, many authors, and the PPP's intellectuals themselves,[15] held the US responsible and suspected the US of playing a "hidden noble role" behind the coup.[15]
In 1998, Benazir Bhutto and the PPP publicly announced their belief in the electronic media that Zulfikar Bhutto was "sent to the gallows at the instance of the superpower for pursuing the nuclear capability [of Pakistan]."[16]
Aftermath[edit]
Before the third martial law in 1977, Pakistan had been under martial law for nearly 13 years and saw the wars with India which led to the secession of East Pakistan. It was marked by numerous human rights violations.[6] A weak insurgent movement against Zia's government was maintained inside the country by elements sympathetic to the former Bhutto government, but was met with great hostility from the United States and Zia.[6]
The martial regime ended in 1988 with the death of President Zia and many other key military administrators in the government in a plane crash. Following this event, the country returned to democracy and the PPP again came in power. In 1999, military rule was again imposed against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by the armed forces, resulting in General Pervez Musharraf coming to power for nine years.