Pakistan and General Zia

By

Sattar Rind

The twelve point ‘Objectives Resolution’ defines the basic directive of the new state principles presented by the first Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan on March 7, 1949 in the Constituent Assembly. In 1973 it was then made part of the Constitution of Pakistan under Article 2(A).

It demonstrates that the Pakistani governmental system would be a semi Western one but never going away from its Islamic form. Generally it is believed that it had created systemic issues as a whole in society and the government system ever since.

It had in particular given protocol to the Mullahs of Pakistan to interpret any law and if they wish to claim that such law is against the ‘Objectives Resolution’ or, in other words, Islam. Then, no Muslim Law maker could dare go against or even try to argue.

Such a fact had given the Mullahs a cosmic power and when General Zia had overthrown the elected government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, he used the constitutional Article 2(A) for his control, at the same time strengthening his illegal government in the name of Islam that he was implementing Islamic law in the country.

People of the country were simple and conventional Muslims, Islam which people had for a long period of time practised had been destroyed, social harmony replaced by terrorism, sectarian killings and ethnic based politics.

Zia therefore promulgated the Hudood Ordinance (limits or forbidden offences as in limits of acceptable behaviour in Islamic law) of 1979, Law of Evidence 1984 and Blasphemy law in 1980 in which the first two laws was a declaration against women that she is equal to half of a man. Or in a few words that two women would be equal to one man when they will be required as witness before a court of law. This, the same way the Qisas (retribution or equal punishment) and Diyya (blood money) laws were also instituted by Zia.

These laws were all considered the worst ever to have been passed in Pakistan by women and rights activists among the liberal and democratic people of the country. Ten years later Zia’s political followers and existing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif enacted those ordinances into law, in 1997.

It was the ultimate result of the ‘Objectives Resolution’ as it can be interpreted in many ways and at any length. Thus only religious groups and parties had annexed their support to Zia, especially Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), whereas the Pakistan Muslim League has always remained the party of Generals in Pakistan.

JI was though very much against Pakistan and even passed a decree against Pakistan and Jinnah. But most recently they hypocritically changed their political position and became defenders of Islamic ideology and tried to link the Pakistan movement to Muhammad bin Qasim, an Arab general who had attacked and conquered the Sindh in 712 A.D.

The pioneer and first leader of this religious political party was Maulana Maudidi, who it is also claimed that the ‘Objectives Resolution’ was written by.

Zia was a closet member of JI and became the unannounced supreme leader of this party. The parties top to bottom idealised him for making this country an Islamic country to their way of thought or a particular set of beliefs, knowing that the founder was very secular and had a clear image about this newly born country as to what kind of State it should be; firmly announcing in the first constitutional assembly of Pakistan that the State has nothing to do with anyone’s religion.

But this was never accepted by JI. Therefore from the first day they made plans, putting the multi diverse society forcefully into an ideological frame which was close only to them, barely a few people to this day being followers.

The nexus of General Zia and JI had collectively used all the state apparatus to extend their dreadful intensions to realise their idea, the ex-USSR intervention in Afghanistan having given them a great opportunity to fulfil it.

However, the role of the US and Saudi Arabia and other rich Arab countries must not be overlooked in this regard vis-à-vis other US allies of religiously peaceful countries.

Even before Zia’s regime, the JI was supposed to guard the interest of the US in Pakistan, especially in war against the liberals, democrats and socialist people of Pakistan. They were always ready to defend the US and facilitate what they were wishing in this area and, in some cases, for the CIA also.

They were therefore the controlling authority and main player on behalf of the US allies in Afghanistan. They had created and organised the Mujahideen to fight against invaders, in return for US weapons and dollars in Afghanistan.

In this period society had contracted to hold a large number of the weapons and poppy drug businesses. Besides, the student wing of the JI changed the universities into hell for liberal students like the Peoples Party Student wing Peoples Student Federation (PSF) and leftist parties’ students’ wings National Students Federation (NSF) and Democratic Student Federation (DSF) in Pakistan.

It is assumed that existing leaders of the JI fought alongside the Mujahideen in Afghanistan as part of their training. And who are the Mujahideen? They turned out to be the Taliban, who turned out to be Al-Qaeda, who turned out to be ISIS.

These militant organisations all still exist in the same names, with a few differences due to their vested interests over the space of time.  However, no one knows how this will all turn out and how exactly the killings will ever end.

Sattar Rind

Sattar Rind lives in Sindh, Pakistan. and is an Author with four books to his credit. three poetry and one on politics. As a Columnist he has written for a number of newspapers and magazines since 1991. Sattar can be contacted at the following email address: [email protected]