Pakistan Military Coup 1977: Today the picture of Pakistan is seen all over the world as a country spreading terror. Every day such reports come about Pakistan, due to which it is condemned internationally. But do you know that something happened in Pakistan on this day, which shook this whole country. Here the army carried out Operation Fair Play on July 5, 1977. On this day there was a coup in Pakistan and its code name was Operation Fair Play.
The then Chief of Army Staff General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq overthrew the government of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Violence was not seen during this period, but there was a political struggle between Bhutto’s ruling left-wing Pakistan People’s Party and the right-wing Pakistan National Alliance. The same coalition had accused Bhutto of rigging the 1977 elections. After the coup, Zia promised “free and fair elections” within 90 days.
Lived a dictator for 11 years
At the same time, the election was not organized till the general elections after 1985. Zia-ul-Haq remained in power for 11 years as a dictator. He later died in a plane crash. This coup was a major event in the history of Pakistan. Which happened six years after the 1971 war between India and Pakistan. After this war, East Pakistan became an independent country named Bangladesh. After the coup, many changes were seen in Pakistan. Islamization increased in Pakistan. Pakistan also participated in the Afghan Mujahideen (funded by the US and Saudi Arabia) in the fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
Power came in the hands of PPP
After the war with India, the PPP got the power of the country (Pakistan Coup History). The government encouraged people with social democracy and leftist ideology and these ideas gradually started to dissolve in the common life of the people. Many writers and historians believe that some influential groups were not happy with the PPP taking power. In 1972–74, the intelligence community thwarted more than one attempt by military officials to overthrow the PPP government.
Promotion of Zia-ul-Haq
All cases were heard by the JAG legal wing of the Pakistan Army. In 1976, Prime Minister Bhutto forcibly retired seven army generals to promote Lieutenant-General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq to the four-star rank. Zia was made army chief. While General Mohammad Sharif was made the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. At the same time, General Zia invited Bhutto to become the first and only civilian colonel commandant of the Armored Corps. When the elections were held, the PPP won by a huge margin. It got 155 seats out of 200.
Riots in Pakistan
Whereas the PNA (a coalition of 9 parties) got only 36 seats. Then there were riots in Pakistan and the opposition accused of rigging. Bhutte deployed the army to suppress the protest. The army tried its best to silence the protesters and opened fire on them. In which more than 200 people died. In April 1977, a military intelligence officer told Bhutto that a coup could take place if he did not compromise with the opposition.
PNA’s words accepted
Talks started in June and the PPP accepted the demands of the PNA. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said in Parliament that he would make such an amendment to the Constitution, which would close all doors to the coup, but before this change the coup took place. In September, Bhutto was arrested and charged with a murder. Zia was laying the foundation of the Islamic country and Bhutto was hanged after five months of trial.
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