1977 Pakistani military coup

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The 1977 Pakistani military coup (codenamed Operation Fair Play) was the second

In 1976, nine religious and conservative parties formed a common platform, called the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA).^[1] In January 1977, Prime Minister Bhutto immediately started campaigning after called for new general elections.^[1] The PNA was united behind religious slogans and a right-wing political agenda.^[1] The PPP, on the other hand, campaigned on a platform of social justice in agriculture and industry. Despite large turnouts at PNA campaign events and the establishment on PNA's circle, the results of the general elections showed the Pakistan Peoples Party winning 155 out of 200 seats in the National Assembly and the PNA winning only 36. Bhutto therefore gained a supermajority in the Parliament.^[1]

The PNA leadership was astonished when the results were announced by the Election Commission (EC) and refused to accept the results and accused the Government of systematic rigging.^[1] According to "The Story of Pakistan", At many places, particularly where the PNA candidates were strong, the polling was alleged to have been blocked for hours. There were also reports that PPP armed personnel in police uniforms removed ballot boxes. Marked ballot papers were also found on the streets in Karachi and Lahore. Rumors quickly circulated that the results in key constituencies were issued directly from the Prime Minister's office.^[3] According to author Ian Talbot, "The reality seems to be that a certain PPP victory was inflated by malpractice committed by local officials, which may have affected 30–40 seats."^[4]

The PNA immediately called for street boycott and demanded resignation of Prime Minister Bhutto.^[1] The PNA used mosques to agitate the masses and caused severe civil unrests. At least 200 people were killed in the clashes between security forces and demonstrators.^[5]

Zia had already removed Bhutto Loyalists, and had put to military trial one of the biggest names in Pakistan Army history; General Tajammul Hussain Malik war hero 1965 & 1971 to show Bhutto his loyalty. This did, however decrease his support within the army and it is believed several factions of the army that sided with Gen. Tajammul later caused Gen Zia's death.^{[citation needed]}

Bhutto responded with the use of

After the letter reached to the chiefs of staff of armed forces and chairman joint chiefs, there was a fury of meeting of inter-services to discuss the situation.^[6] When Bhutto returned to the country and in spite of the agreement was about to sign with the PNA.^[6] The military staged a coup against Bhutto to end the political crises.

Coup

Operation Fair Play was the code name for the military coup d'état conducted on 5 July 1977 by Zia-ul-Haq. The code name Fair Play was intended to portray the coup as the benign intervention of an impartial referee to uphold respect for the rules and ensure free and fair elections.^[7]

In announcing the coup, Zia promised "free and fair elections" within 90 days.

Bhutto and the PPP was persecuted on the charges of murder of political opponents.[6]^{[page needed]}

Supreme Court

The

International reactions to the coup were largely muted, and two of Pakistan's neighbors, India and China, did not issue any statements. Only two countries issued statements over this issue.^[6] The Soviet Union harshly criticised the coup and Leonid Brezhnev condemned Bhutto's execution out of "purely humane motives".^[13]

The US played an ambiguous role instead with many charging that the martial law was imposed with the willingness and "tacit"^[14] approval of the US and the CIA's involvement.^[14]

When allegations were leveled against the US by Pakistani historians and scholars, American officials reacted angrily and held Bhutto responsible for his act.^[6] Despite US denial, many authors, and the PPP's intellectuals themselves,^[15] held the US responsible and suspected the US of playing a "hidden noble role" behind the coup.^[15]

In 1998,

Before the third martial law in 1977, Pakistan had been under martial law for nearly 13 years and saw the wars with India which led to the secession of East Pakistan. It was marked by numerous human rights violations.[6] A weak insurgent movement against Zia's government was maintained inside the country by elements sympathetic to the former Bhutto government, but was met with great hostility from the United States and Zia.^{[6][page needed]}

The martial regime ended in 1988 with the death of President Zia and many other key military administrators in the government in a plane crash. Following this event, the country returned to democracy and the PPP again came in power. In 1999, military rule was again imposed against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by the armed forces, resulting in General Pervez Musharraf coming to power for nine years.

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