When we glance through our history after quaid e azam the person who made some impact was Bhutto. Although I have never been a fan of him or peoples party and I will not discuss his role in the division of Pakistan. It’s a fact that people of west Pakistan gave him a roaring support in all provinces, across the divide during 1970 elections partly because of his speeches in the united nations.
He contributed positively in a number of things:
lifted the morale of the nation after the humiliating defeat
constitution of the country
started the atomic program
forged a close alliance with Islamic countries and maybe some more positives
I personally think that if that guy had used his potential positively he could have turned the country around.
I think some of the blunders that he made were:
Military Operation in balochistan
Making a person like khar the governor/chief minister of punjab
The way he dealt with opposition/dissent (dictatorial tendencies)
Rigging in the elections although I believe he could have won those elections even without rigging them
Nationalization of industries
Making zia as the chief of army staff disregarding merit
Maybe the political wing in intelligence agencies also began in his time, what things do you guys were the worst things done by Bhutto which are still haunting us?
Those were not mistakes. Those were calculated maneuvers designed to grab more power and stay in power for as long as possible. The biggest one was supporting military action in East Pakistan after he saw that he could not get premiership considering the election results.
I agree with you that most of these points can be covered in getting power at all costs and then use all resources to hang onto that. That person did have the calibre to move the country ahead but alas!
this topic has been discussed at length many times
some of his other achievements which often go unnoticed
brought back 90 thousands prisoners of war after the 1971 war without the threat of war trials
got us back our 5000 square miles land
lifted the quota system previous govt had put on .. on the number of Pakistanis permitted to travel to Mecca
created the first ministry of religious affairs
made Islamiyat subject compulsary in school education
Pak- China friendship
modernised Pak Air forces
he made many mistakes, appointing Zia as army chief was one of the biggest, nationalisation of industries was another but there were lot of positives as well. Rangoli has listed some of them above, another one which comes to mind is giving the poor labour class a voice and power which had been denied to them by the lootera landlords and industrialists.
Regarding the point of bringing the 90,000 army and 5000 square of land back from India I remember reading an interview of Mrs Gandhi in Newsweek after the Simla conference. The interviewee was asking her impression of Bhutto. She said the guy was extremely intelligent and very quick on his feet. She than narrated an incident. The Simla conference had come to an end and Bhutto was to return to Pakistan the next day. Overall the conference at that stage had been a failure as both sides could not come to any agreement. Mrs Gandhi said Bhutto rang her at around 2 am and requested a meeting. She agreed and hurriedly called her colleagues. She said Bhutto came alone without any aides and accompanied just with Benazir only. During the meeting Bhutto said to Gandhi that if I return to Pakistan empty handed it would look bad and there might be another military coup and surely you dont want to deal with another military govt, therfore you have to give me something in order that I can show to my people that I have got some concessions form India. Mrs. Gandhi consulted her aides and they came back and said to Bhutto that we can offer you one of two things, either you take your 90,000 man back or your lands. She said we were all expecting Bhutto to jump up and say return the prisoners as it would be a great morale boost for him and the nation. She said Bhutto paced up and down the room for a few minutes and than turned around and said give me my lands back. she agreed and Bhutto left. at the time they all thought he had made a blunder in not asking for the prisoners. She said that it was only later on we realised what a brilliant guy he was because we had to return the prisoners one day in any case, cant keep them on for ever, and there would be international pressure to release them as well. However we could have kept the lands as Israel had done. That was the genius of the man according to Mrs. Gandhi to think so quickly on his feet.
anyhow, If I will find where I read about the entire story behind the prisoners and land, Ill def share, right now I cant seem to recall what actually happenend on his vist to India.
However, I do remember how Mrs.Gandhi decieved US president in their meeting right before 1971 war. President Richard nixon spoke about her hypocrisy in his memoirs ... but lets keep it for some other day! :)
he made many mistakes, appointing Zia as army chief was one of the biggest, nationalisation of industries was another but there were lot of positives as well. Rangoli has listed some of them above, another one which comes to mind is giving the poor labour class a voice and power which had been denied to them by the lootera landlords and industrialists.
Regarding the point of bringing the 90,000 army and 5000 square of land back from India I remember reading an interview of Mrs Gandhi in Newsweek after the Simla conference. The interviewee was asking her impression of Bhutto. She said the guy was extremely intelligent and very quick on his feet. She than narrated an incident. The Simla conference had come to an end and Bhutto was to return to Pakistan the next day. Overall the conference at that stage had been a failure as both sides could not come to any agreement. Mrs Gandhi said Bhutto rang her at around 2 am and requested a meeting. She agreed and hurriedly called her colleagues. She said Bhutto came alone without any aides and accompanied just with Benazir only. During the meeting Bhutto said to Gandhi that if I return to Pakistan empty handed it would look bad and there might be another military coup and surely you dont want to deal with another military govt, therfore you have to give me something in order that I can show to my people that I have got some concessions form India. Mrs. Gandhi consulted her aides and they came back and said to Bhutto that we can offer you one of two things, either you take your 90,000 man back or your lands. She said we were all expecting Bhutto to jump up and say return the prisoners as it would be a great morale boost for him and the nation. She said Bhutto paced up and down the room for a few minutes and than turned around and said give me my lands back. she agreed and Bhutto left. at the time they all thought he had made a blunder in not asking for the prisoners. She said that it was only later on we realised what a brilliant guy he was because we had to return the prisoners one day in any case, cant keep them on for ever, and there would be international pressure to release them as well. However we could have kept the lands as Israel had done. That was the genius of the man according to Mrs. Gandhi to think so quickly on his feet.
Nehru di kuri knew how to exploit the situation and was expert at making propaganda against Pakistan. Don't we remember her words about 'two nations theory' after fall of Dhaka.
Btw, my take on Bhutto is that he was a brilliant politician no doubt, but I think it was his over confidence in himself that eventually led to his downfall. Also, he wasn't democrat, but a feudal lord who was trying to play populist politics, but in reality he was no better than many dictators we had in last 60 years.
Thanks rangoli and Ehsan bhai, the 1971 war proved to be a disaster on both Eastern and western fronts. We lost almost 350 sq miles on the Sialkot sector (500 villages of shakargarh tehsil) and over 5000 sq miles on the rann of kucch sector and there was danger that India could break the link between Hyderabad and Karachi. If that was to happen that would have cut off our link to the port. So this was a big achievement of Bhutto indeed to get that land as well the 90000 prisoners of war.
anyhow, If I will find where I read about the entire story behind the prisoners and land, Ill def share, right now I cant seem to recall what actually happenend on his vist to India.
However, I do remember how Mrs.Gandhi decieved US president in their meeting right before 1971 war. President Richard nixon spoke about her hypocrisy in his memoirs ... but lets keep it for some other day! :)
There is no reason to doubt it as she was just giving her opinion of Bhutto.
As for Nixon we should be grateful to him because Mrs gandhi had her eyes set on west Pak as well and it was not China but Nixon who threatend India and moved his fleet closer that forced India to declare cease fire.
There is no reason to doubt it as she was just giving her opinion of Bhutto.
As for Nixon we should be grateful to him because Mrs gandhi had her eyes set on west Pak as well and it was not China but Nixon who threatend India and moved his fleet closer that forced India to declare cease fire.
If they had managed to cut Hyderabad from Karachi that could well have meant bye bye Pakistan. The army was also in danger of losing Sialkot as well.
Thanks rangoli and Ehsan bhai, the 1971 war proved to be a disaster on both Eastern and western fronts. We lost almost 350 sq miles on the Sialkot sector (500 villages of shakargarh tehsil) and over 5000 sq miles on the rann of kucch sector and there was danger that India could break the link between Hyderabad and Karachi. If that was to happen that would have cut off our link to the port. So this was a big achievement of Bhutto indeed to get that land as well the 90000 prisoners of war.
Ali_Syed - you will not get some people to admit the truth:
That ZAB saved Pakistan, and without him, all these teenagers on the forum would only know Pakistan from the history books.