Post-Independence History of Pakistan

As a result, the post-independence history of Pakistan has been characterized by periods of military rule and political instability. On October 7, 1958, Iskander Mirza enforced the first Martial Law in Pakistan with the help of Ayub Khan. Ayub Khan was designated as the Chief Martial Law Administrator. Ayub Khan snatched away Mirza’s powers and assumed charge as the President of Pakistan, in addition to his role as Chief Martial Law Administrator. Later on he gave himself the rank of Field Marshal.

After defeating Fatima Jinnah in the controversial presidential elections of 1965, Ayub’s standing began to slide amid allegations of widespread vote rigging. The turning point in his rule was the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Many Pakistanis considered the signing of a peace agreement with India to end the war an embarrassing compromise and demonstrations across the country over rising prices, including those led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, increased dramatically from 1967 onwards. Bhutto founded the PPP in 1967.  In 1969, Ayub resigned and handed over power to General Yahya Khan, who declared martial law for the second time.

The general elections were held on Dec.7, 1970. However, Sheikh Mujib’s Awami League won an absolute majority in the legislature, receiving more than twice as many votes as Bhutto’s PPP. The leftist and Bhutto’s party won a large number of seats from constituencies in West-Pakistan.  Bhutto refused to accept an Awami League government and famously promised to “break the legs” of any elected PPP member who dared to attend the inaugural session of the National Assembly. In fact, Bhutto suggested that Sheikh Mujib can be the leader of East Pakistan while Bhutto should govern West Pakistan – such an idea was definitely against Pakistani unity. Ultimately, the two-nation theory led to the secession of East Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh. Yahya resigned on December 20, 1971, and transferred power to Bhutto who became president, commander-in-chief and the first civilian chief martial law administrator.

Democracy resumed from 1972 to 1977 under leftist PPP led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as prime minister. Corruption and several social problems in the country grew, turning the masses against PPP. Bhutto was vanquished by General Zia-ul-Haq, who became the country’s third military president. With the death of President Zia-ul-Haq in 1988, the new general elections announced the victory of PPP led by Benazir Bhutto who was elevated as the country's first female Prime Minister of Pakistan.  Yet, on August 6,1990, Benazir Bhutto's government was dismissed on charges of incompetence and corruption.

In the 1990s, Pakistan saw a shaky succession of governments, and the country’s political and economic situation became worse. Benazir Bhutto was prime minister twice and deposed twice and Nawaz Sharif three times, until he was deposed in a coup on Oct. 12, 1999, by Gen. Pervez Musharraf; thus military came to power again. In April, 2002, Gen. Musharraf won another five years in office in a referendum criticized as unconstitutional and fraught with irregularities. The unpopular war in Afghanistan, suspension of chief justice, and state emergency had weakened Musharraf.

The left oriented PPP and conservative PML won majority of seats together in the election 2008 and formed a coalition government. A massive left-wing alliance led by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani ousted Pervez Musharraf. Asif Zardari, the husband of Benazir Bhutto, succeeded Musharraf after his resignation on August 18, 2008 as President. No doubt, Zardari was elected based on the fact that Benazir Bhutto had been assassinated on Dec. 27, 2007.

The general elections held on May 11, 2013, were noted for the usual rigging and bogus voting. Many citizens witnessed the corruption and reported it widely on social media, some with video evidence. Nonetheless, this election marked the return of PML(N) Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister.

“A cursory review of the first 17 months of the PML-N government only throws up stories of back-breaking inflation, unprecedented increase in electricity and gas prices, and shrinking employment opportunities,” said an official summarizing the performance of his party’s government. On the popularity side, the party has already hit rock bottom.

The massacre of a number people by the Punjab police in June, 2014, caused a furor, leading to the civil disobedience protests (“dharnas”) of Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri. Despite the revolution they promised, little happened in terms of actual change.