All Things Pakistan has an interesting poll going called 'Who Did the Most Harm to Pakistan:
Zia_ul_Haq is the overwhelming winner at the moment.
I grew up in a very pro Zia family, though I’m not sure why exactly they supported him. One of the most disliked leaders in most of my family was Benazir Bhutto.
Personally, I liked her more than other leaders we had after Jinna. All pms and dictators have done some sort of harm to Pakistan, some more than others. Some of them by accident while trying to do what seemed better at the time for the nation, others on purpose since they were mostly interested in their own interests.
Re: Poll from ATP: Which leader did the most harm to Pakistan?
Zia wrongly gets the blame for the Taliban. However, the Taliban policy, and the whole strategic depth nonsense seems to have matured under BB.
Zia was very unpopular amongst PPP types, for obvious reasons. My memory back to the day would suggest that the older generation didn't mind him so much...that perhaps depends on your ethnicity/sect. He was hardly a saint, but if you compare his actions and how he delt with TWO superpowers, vs Zardari/Kiyani and how they deal with ONE, I think people who are taking the polls are either very young and ignorant, or have bad memories, or perhaps simply myopic.
Re: Poll from ATP: Which leader did the most harm to Pakistan?
ZAB, BB and NS were as bad as Zia. Granted that Zia was no angel, but there was relative economic stability and peace during his time. I lived thru that time in Islamabad. Just because ZAB was fluent in english and gave great speeches in the UN or initiated Pakistan's nuclear programe - that is simply a myopic view, I actually do not give him credit for that. It would have happened regardless of Bhutto because that was the peak of the cold war. If not ZAB, then Zia, if not Zia then BB or NS would have done it - do not make him a great leader IMO
Leaders are judged on economic policies and the fact is roti, kapra, aur makan slogan apart ZAB did little to raise the standard of living of the common Pakistani. nor did he do much for the develpment of health or education sector. He was as some people rightly say a Civilian MLA
Re: Poll from ATP: Which leader did the most harm to Pakistan?
Zia for doing the most for creating and enhancing institutions and laws that to this day are used to legally enact the desires of the religious whackjobs, laws and institutions that wouldnt have been formulated except through a dictator.
Ayub and ZAB together for creating the fiasco that led to the partition (lets remember that Mukti Bahini and Bengali grievances went a ways back, and had to do with economic exploitation and military tactics from Ayubs time). Also Ayub rigged his election with Fatima Jinnah, carried out race baiting and ethnic violence in Karachi that has reverberations to this day.
Re: Poll from ATP: Which leader did the most harm to Pakistan?
I think...blaming the leaders right away won't solve much...but blaming the Pakistan folks itself will solve a lot...Pakistan folks...the Final authority of its destiny...should choose the right leading machine...but the ever-present problem persists...how to choose (the awareness or conscience) the right direction/thing or people...hmmmmmmmm
Re: Poll from ATP: Which leader did the most harm to Pakistan?
Zia, ZAB and Takla.
Worst leader was Zia followed by his illegetimate creation of AH and mqm. Former defaced the whole country and later defaced, once most beautiful and clean city of subcontinent, Karachi.