Gen Ziaul Haq promised elections within 90 days; they actually exceeded 1000 days. He put Bhutto to the gallows on trumped charges of conspiracy to murder. In a split decision of the Supreme Court, 4-3 verdict, he was still hanged. Zia knew Bhutto alive would be a danger to him, little did he know, that the ghost of Bhutto would continue to prevail over the politics of Pakistan. Gen Zia irrevocably damaged Pakistan.

Gen Zia moved quickly to install himself as President while still donning the uniform of COAS. The decade of 1978-88 can best be described as the “dark ages”. He ruthlessly ruled for 11 long years, destroying every single state institution. Fate and destiny removed him in August, 1988. The air crash was fatal. The Soviets had earlier invaded Afghanistan in 1979. We chose to become a frontline state. The consequences we continue to face. The social fabric of Pakistan was badly affected. We saw the rise of drugs and gun culture.

The decade of 1988-98 gave to Pakistan a taste of sham democracy. Elections held regularly were engineered and stage managed. For the first time a female in Pakistan and the Islamic countries became the prime minister. Benazir Bhutto was a promise, a hope and an assurance. She fell victim to palace intrigues. During the entire decade Article 58-2B was liberally used by the President to dismiss elected government.

The president seemed to be playing Russian roulette. Benazir and Nawaz Sharif alternated as prime minister with as many caretakers. All governments were dismissed on unproven charges of corruption.

Pakistan: retrospect and prospect—I

In October, 1999, in a suicidal move, the COAS was dismissed, by the Prime minister, while he was airborne on a flight from Colombo. The armed forces on ground in reaction enforced a military takeover, without the declaration of martial law. The Constitution was held in abeyance.

The decade until 2008 was........

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