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- November 20, 2023
- Uzair Zubair
- 0
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was an army officer in Pakistan. Zia has also served as chief of the Army staff of Pakistan. Zia remained the President of Pakistan. He remained involved in the Afghan War. Zia remained engaged in politics. In particular, he was the leading promoter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif three times.
Biography
Zia-ul-Haq was born in Jalandhar, India, on August 12, 1924. His father’s name was Akbar Ali. Akbar Ali was working in the Army in Delhi. He died in Bahawalpur in a plane crash on August 17, 1988. , and was buried in Faisal Mosque, Islamabad.
Zia-ul-Haq belongs to a Punjabi family. He left five children; the most prominent is his son Ijaz-ul-Haq. Ijaz-ul-haq has joined politics with the Pakistan Muslim League. He also remained in the cabinet of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
Education and Marriage
Zia-ul-Haq’s father was religious; he taught the Quran to all his children, including the Zia-ul-Haq. Zia started his education in Simla. Later, he joined St. Stephen’s College for further instruction. In 1943, he got his BA degree in history with distinction.
After completing BA, he joined the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun and graduated in May 1945. In 1950, he married his cousin Shafiq Jahan. She died on January 6, 1966.
Military Service
In May 1943, Zia-ul-Haq joined the British India Army. Zia participated in the Burma and Malayan campaigns during the Second World War. He was Captain at the time of partition.
In 1947, at the time of partition, Zia was with the last train of refugees leaving Babina, leading the refugees. The journey remained for seven days, facing a lot of violence that started as a consequence of the partition.
Zia-ul-Haq joined the Guides Cavalry in 1950. In 1962, he got the opportunity to get training in the United States at the United States Army Command and General Staff College. On return, he took charge as Directing Staff at Command and Staff College, Quetta.
In the 1965 Indo-Pak War, Zia was Assistant Quartermaster of the 101st Infantry Brigade. Zia used to offer prayers while others were drinking, gambling, dancing, and listening to music.
Chief of Army Staff
After the 1971 war, Zia got a promotion and became Lieutenant General. In 1976, Zia rose as a three-star rank general. The Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has accepted this promotion.
Bhutto made him Chief of Army Staff by choosing the most junior officer, rejecting the seven more senior officers.
Bhutto has supported Zia in promoting Islam in the Army, and with his permission, Zia has changed the Army’s motto. The new slogan was Iman, Taqwa, Bihar Fi-sabadilla. He started distributing Maulana Mawdudi’s books to army officers as prizes on different occasions.
Chief Martial Law Administrator
Bhutto began losing popularity; even criticism started within the PPP. Bhutto is considered the mastermind of the murder of Muhammad Ahmad Raza Khan Kasuri. PPP’s central leadership, like Ghulam Mustafa Khar, has started protests against Bhutto and stated him as the murderer of Kasuri.
The election result of 1977 resulted in massive strikes throughout the country; specifically, around 200 people were killed during the protests, where security forces were trying to manage the protesters. The chaos was rising, and there felt a need for martial law. The government ordered martial law in major cities of Pakistan. The significant towns include Karachi, Lahore & Hyderabad.
Bhutto was planning a civil war; Zia got the information and ordered the coup “Operation Fair Play” on July 5, 1977, to arrest Bhutto and members of his cabinet. After stopping Bhutto, Zia announced martial law. Further, he became Chief Martial Law Administrator. He remained at this post till September 16, 1978.
President of Pakistan
Zia-ul-Haq dismissed Bhutto and his cabinet, but Fazal Ilahi Chaudhary remained president of Pakistan and completed his tenure. Zia insisted that he take an extension, but he refused. On September 16, 1978, Zia took charge as President of Pakistan.
Death
On August 17, 1988, Zia, with other serious Generals, flew in a C-130B Hercules aircraft. Unfortunately, the plane crashed, resulting in the death of Zia-ul-Haq and 31 others (including General Akhtar Abdur Rahman, Brigadier Siddique Salik and the American ambassador to Pakistan Arnold Lewis Raphel) in the incident.
Funeral
On the death of Zia-ul-Haq, George P. Shultz gave tribute by saying, “Well, he was a great loss. He is a martyr and was a great man.” On August 19, 1988, his funeral was held near Islamabad. Around one million people joined the ceremony, where Zia was given a 21-gun salute of light artillery.
Tribute and Public Image
Zia-ul-Haq played a vital role in defeating the Soviets. An Indian journalist said:
“There will not be another Zia in South Asia. He was unique and multidimensional like all complex characters of South Asian history. I admire Zia’s guts, though not his methods, especially in regards to Islam.”
Zia-ul-Haq was very influential, and besides wars, he played a very active role within the country, especially in politics.