BENAZIR BHUTTO

(TERM#1)1988-1990
• After the death of Zia, elections were held in October 1988. Benazir, leader of PPP, won 92/215 42.7%
seats.
• Won Majority in Sindh but not other provinces.
• Formed a coalition government with MQM.
• Thus, she became the first female prime minister of Pakistan at the age of 34
1. Some measure of political freedom was restored e.g end of ban on trade unions, release of political
prisoners and the restoration of student unions.
2. A women's bank was opened.
3. Women were appointed as high court judges and CSS officers.
4. After she visited USA in June, 1989, an aid package of $400 million was given to Pakistan.
5. In October 1989 Pakistan re-joined the Commonwealth because it was now a democracy and no longer
a dictatorship ( Pak had left in 1971 in protest of Britain recognizing Bangladesh, and return was being
blocked by India claiming Pakistan is a dictatorship)
6. Steps were taken for rural electrification.
7. Two agreements were signed between India and Pakistan in December 1988.
8. In these, it was agreed that: -
a) India and Pakistan would not bomb each other's nuclear installations
b) Terms of the Shimla Agreement would be upheld.
c) A hotline telephone link was set up between the two Prime Ministers.
9. In December 1988, Pakistan hosted the 4" SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)
Conference.
10. No laws were passed against hudood ordinances.
11. Sindhi compulsory in Sindh schools.
The PROBLEMS:

1.People in the govt and army:

 Ghulam lshaq Khan, elected President (the chosen candidate by Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI)
and PPP)
 He was a retired bureaucrat, known for his honesty and conservative style of government.
 Zia had promoted Ghulam Ishaq Khan, and when Benazir developed differences with him,
she claimed that he was a Zia loyalist.
 Differences over the appointment of judges to Supreme court and high-ranking military
officers.
 Policy on Afghanistan ( continued support to Taliban -military and financial)
 8th Amendment was a constant threat
 The other institution that had to work with was the Army. The latter was also loyal to Zia, and
Benazir complained that such a dysfunctional setup (President + Army + Prime Minister) was
doomed from the start.
2. Nawaz Sharif:
 Leader of Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI).
 Selected and groomed for politics by Zia. He, too, was a Zia loyalist who launched a
fierce opposition in the Punjab. The confrontations between Benazir and Nawaz were
endless, Benazir felt that her ability to govern was undermined by an opposition that
was destabilizing, rather than a constructive critic. For example,
• IJI reacted when Ghulam Mustafa Khan (PPP Secretary) was appointed
Governor of Punjab.
• PPP opposed the establishment of Bank of Punjab by NS in 1989
• The failure or Pakistan railways to provide wagons to move iron scrap from
Karachi to Lahore caused anger in Punjab (it was felt that the Sharif family's
Ittefaq Steel Milts were being targeted)
• NS accused her of complicity with India (Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to Isl in 1989)
• Nov 1989 : 11months after election , BB faced a no-confidence motion in the
assembly (107/237 voted against her while only 12 more votes could have
brought her down)
3. MQM / Sindh:
 PPPs government depended on a coalition because, while it was the largest party in the
assembly, it did not have a majority.
 This created a dependence on MQM.
 However, this unstable and weak coalition broke off when MQM ended its alliance with PPP in
1989. And allied with Nawaz in September 1989, weakening Benazir’s government.
 Although Sindh had been the stronghold of Zulfikar All Bhutto, it was also an area of growing
opposition to the rule of the PPP.
 Bhutto had made the study of Sindhi compulsory in schools and also reserved a number of posts in the
administration for Sindhis.
 But there was also a large number of muhajirs many of whom were well-educated, Urdu speakers who
opposed special rights for Sindhis and supported the MQM.
4. Pucca Qila Massacre: (Violence) -Sindh
 Crackdown in Hyderabad 27 May, 1990
 House-to-house search by police
 40 supporters of MQM (31 women and children) were killed by the police when fighting broke out
between the public and police.
 It is said that the women carried copies of the Quran over their heads pleading to the police to stop
shooting.
 Retaliations of this event in karachi caused 300 deaths.
5.Family:
 Asif Ali Zardari, proved to be a liability
 Reports of foreign bank accounts, corruption, and political persecution were accusations on Zardari that
caused shame.
 He was later arrested on charges of blackmail and jailed for two years
 The PPP believes that these charges were politically motivated and that Zardari was innocent.
 However, the tales of corruption further weakened the government.
 Her mother, Nusrat Bhutto was made a senior minister and her father-in-law chairman of Parliamentary
Public Accounts Committee. (nepotism)
6. Other Problems:

• Unable to deliver on its promised employment and economic development programs. Inflation and
unemployment were high,
• Rapid increase in the country's population meant the already overburdened education and health
systems could not cope.
• The government also failed to deal with the country's growing drug abuse problem.

END OF TERM ONE, 1990: Ghulam Ishaq Khan ended Benazir's government when he invoked the 8th
amendment, citing Benazir's inability to govern, a rise in domestic violence, nepotism, and corruption as the
main reasons. Benazir lashed out at the president, but this had little impact.

• Benazir Bhutto complained that the government had been stolen from her and the fact that it was a
member of the opposition who took power angered her further.
• Mustafa Jatoi (Caretaker PM) was also asked to lead an investigation into the alleged corruption.
• Benazir Bhutto was asked to give evidence and was charged with corruption, but no further action was
taken.
• In the elections, the IJI won a comfortable victory.
• Nawaz Sharif became Prime Minister.
• There were widespread accusations of vote-rigging to ensure the PPP was defeated. Benazir Bhutto
became the leader of the opposition to the Sharif government.