What's new

Zia ul-Haq's legacy in Pakistan 'enduring and toxic'

Siachin was captured by India during his tenure and Zia gave the famous statement... there doesn't even grows grass... this puts a BIG question mark on him being mard.
If others were Mard then they should have get the Siachin back , We are still on stalemate , And are you forgetting the real status of siachin before 84 . We have seen the Generals who surrendered a whole province with some 90000 soldiers and thousands of Razakars. Thats really put more BIG question mark on other Na-mard generals.
 
Zia ul-Haq's legacy in Pakistan 'enduring and toxic' | Toronto Star

VEv9oLB.jpg


In Mohammed Hanif’s dark and brilliant satire A Case of Exploding Mangoes, Zia ul-Haq is described as “fattened, chubby-cheeked and marinating in his own paranoia,” the military ruler of a nation who consulted the Quran every morning “as if it were not the word of God but his daily horoscope on the back page of the Pakistan Times.”

It is a memorable description of the Sunni fundamentalist general known at home simply as “Zia,” who ruled Pakistan with near absolute power for 11 years until his death in an unsolved plane crash on Aug. 17, 1988.

In the West, Zia is an obscure figure, but as Pakistan marks the 25th anniversary of his death, his influence remains strong — and controversial.

It was under his tutelage that religious radicals became pillars of the regime, shaping policy and forming alliances with the military and intelligence services that endure today.

As Pakistan's prime minister from 1973 to 1977, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto promoted Zia ul-Haq but was rewarded with a military coup.zoom

Zia may not be responsible for all of Pakistan’s ills, but the policies and laws he issued contributed to the troubles that plague the turbulent nation: the blasphemy laws and proliferation of jihadist outfits supported by the state.

His legacy remains “enduring and toxic,” says Abbas Nasir, former head of the BBC Urdu Service and former editor of Dawn newspaper.

“Zia’s ideology, which I say is toxic, dropped roots and took hold,” Nasir says in an interview from his home in London. “Although people used to laugh at him and say he is a mullah.”

It may be hard to remember, considering the shocking levels of religiously motivated violence — 5,872 killed or injured last year, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan — that the country’s founding laws are secular, dating back to British rule.

Zia believed Pakistan’s survival required it to be an Islamic state run by Sharia law, under the guidance of the military and intelligence agencies, wrote Husain Haqqani in Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military.

His views were shaped by personal and national traumas: the violent partition of British India in 1947, which created the state of Pakistan, two agonizing wars with bigger rival India over disputed Kashmir, and the breaking away of its eastern province, now Bangladesh, in 1971. His own hometown, Jallander, was left in India after Partition.

“I will tell you what Islam and Pakistan means to me,” he said in 1983, according to Shahid Javed Burki, author of Pakistan Under Zia. “It is a vision of my mother struggling on, tired, with all her worldly possessions in her hands when she crossed the border into Pakistan.”

His humble origins — his father was a civilian army clerk — and his deep Sunni faith put him at odds with more worldly fellow officers who laughed at him, Burki wrote. They drank and gambled in their spare time and organized partridge shoots, while Zia prayed. That religious devotion increased as he rose through the ranks, Haqqani wrote.

His devoutness, professionalism and seemingly apolitical views appealed to then-Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who did not consider Zia a threat and promoted him over more ambitious senior officers to become his chief of army staff, wrote Burki.

But within a year Zia outmanoeuvred Bhutto, a scion of the landed gentry that ran Pakistan, declared martial law, and in 1979 had Bhutto hanged.

Islamic identity

Continuing Pakistan’s tradition of the army interfering with politics, he became the third military ruler since Pakistan was created, but with a difference. He immediately began shifting the nation toward an Islamic-oriented political identity, says Aisha Ahmad, assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto.

“Pakistan’s fundamental identity according to many Pakistanis and in particular Zia ul-Haq is that Islamic identity is what holds the country together,” says Ahmad.

It began with small measures. Official government letters now began with an invocation of God. His predecessors, including Bhutto, also used religion as a political tool, as Haqqani points out, but Zia took it further.

The constitution was amended to give Zia broad powers, the judiciary’s authority was curtailed and religious parties such as Jamaat e-Islami became “pillars” of his regime, writes Haqqani.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was an opportunity. U.S. President Ronald Reagan described Pakistan’s regime as a “front line” against communism and the Americans gave Zia $3.7 billion in economic aid and military assistance from 1978 to 1988, in addition to $2 billion channelled through the intelligence agency, ISI, to Afghan mujahideen groups.

The head of ISI, Akhtar Abdur Rahman, suggested to Zia the idea of arming Islamists to fight a proxy war in Afghanistan, where the indigenous resistance against Soviet occupation had started as nationalist, even secular. In later years, the flames of jihad stoked by the Soviet war led to the creation of Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other homegrown fanatical groups.

“Undoubtedly Zia went farthest in defining Pakistan as an Islamic state and he nurtured the jihadist ideologues that now threaten to destabilize much of the Islamic world,” Haqqani writes.

But ideology was sometimes conveniently set aside.
Zia accepted weapons from Mossad, Israel’s intelligence, to send to Afghanistan, allegedly joking with the Israelis, “just don’t put any Stars of David on the boxes.”

The strategy was to bolster Pakistan’s standing internationally, says Ahmad.

“This is not the story of an Islamic zealot who changed Pakistan, this is a story of a strategist who had the interest of Pakistan in mind at a time and a place where Islamization was a strategic choice,” Ahmad says.

The notorious Hudood Ordinances restored medieval punishments such as floggings, amputations for theft and demands that a rape victim had to produce four Muslim witnesses or risk being charged with adultery. Zia also expanded the blasphemy laws. Clauses were added to the penal code that made insulting the Prophet Mohammed a crime punishable by death.

The impact a generation later has been chilling.

A Christian mother of five, Asia Bibi was sentenced to death in 2010 for allegedly insulting Mohammed. Two prominent politicians who spoke out against the blasphemy law and Asia’s conviction were assassinated the following year.

“Once you introduce a law that is quote, unquote ‘Islamic’ it is impossible for any government to do the ‘unIslamic’ thing of repealing it,” says Nasir.

Plane explodes

Zia gave religious parties state land on which to build hundreds of religious schools, madrassas, most of which practiced intolerant strains of Islam instead of the Sufi traditions common to Pakistanis, says Nasir.

“If you travel through Pakistan now, the major urban areas are dotted with madrassas on state-given lands, at strategic points like exits, entries, close to residential areas,” he says. “Zia gave them an unimaginable amount of influence in urban, social life.”

He had the support of many officers who shared his religious background and lowly origins, but Zia’s mandate was not popular among most voters. His appointed cabinet members were defeated in the election that was finally held in 1985, writes Haqqani.

To hasten the pace of Islamization, a law was issued in 1988 that stated every judicial decision would have to be based on Sharia and the judges were required to consult theologians.

Several weeks later, on Aug. 17, after watching a tank demonstration in Bahawalpur in Punjab province, Zia boarded a C-130 Hercules to return to the capital Islamabad.

Ten minutes after takeoff, the aircraft exploded. Among the dead was the U.S. ambassador, Arnold Raphel. American investigators at the time concluded the cause was mechanical malfunction but the full truth hasn’t been established.

Benazir Bhutto, daughter of the leader Zia had executed, was elected prime minister soon after. But she was assassinated in 2007 in a suicide bomb attack as Pakistan continues to reap the whirlwind of the Zia era, long after his famously hooded eyes and hard-set mouth faded from public view.

PWFI don't worry Indians have habbit of posting news either related to those 2 % secular traitors who will sell anything for bottle of wine and dollars and wo... just like what Pasha said he said about journalists but this goes for all these traitor seculars people who abuse Zia I searched a lot on them and only came up with one conclusion their problem is not with Zia their problem is with Zia they use some words to indirectly abuse Islam one is Zia second is Molvi and few other words @qamar1990
 
Last edited by a moderator:
i heard jinnah was at one point ready to accept a united india is that true? just asking not sure.



well see whats happens, the generals are the leaders for a reason im sure they thought all the plus and the minus.



what do you mean? what you talking about?

Yes MA Jinnah was advocate of United India, until he found out what was conspiring against muslims of India in the minds of Congress. Only then he demanded for a separate land. I would recommend reading Qudratullah Shahab's Shahbnama and
http://www.defence.pk/forums/social...-pakistan-s-current-situation.html?highlight=
 
[Bregs];4788432 said:
TTP is a scum must be eliminated but what about Taliban role vs Pakistan once us n allies leave Afghanistan

I think US will ultimately let Afghanistan to the Talibans, may be in a sugar coated way. Their forces are demoralised for being used as mercenaries. Govt is under a lot of pressure, US government is so scared that they are not reporting actual fatalities back home and therefore not taking their body bags back. US exodus may not be much different then what happened in Vietnam. At this point in time also, their control is at certain areas. Majority of Afghanistan is with the war lords. It is almost a decade they are fighting with them and yet they have to pay these Talibans for passage of their supplies, which is costing nth times more then the applies itself.

As those Tallibans have nothing to do with Pakistan, Pakistan should maintain good diplomatic relations with neighbouring Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a land locked country and needs support from its neighbours with ports. A friendly Afghanistan is very important to Pakistan. Likewise, Afghan Taliban's want foreigners out of their land. When that has happened, chances are that they would also like to have peaceful and friendly relations with their neighbouring countries.
 
are always this arrogant? i have no problems with non-muslims, just because i follow islam doesn't mean i have to hate non muslims why are you ***** so backwards thinking? living in america wasn't my choice but my fathers choice and it was a good choice who would want to live in pakistan where people like you live there? besides its us pakistanis who are the reason pakistan even exists you pa kis living in pakistan would sell your mothers for cash.

Leave him alone,
he is doing it because of his religious obligations.
 
If others were Mard then they should have get the Siachin back , We are still on stalemate , And are you forgetting the real status of siachin before 84 . We have seen the Generals who surrendered a whole province with some 90000 soldiers and thousands of Razakars. Thats really put more BIG question mark on other Na-mard generals.

i am talking specifically about him being on topic. do you want to justify his stance about siachin based on other generals' stance? FYI, Musharraf did a try at least to capture Kargil and pakistan still holds peak 5353.
 
i am talking specifically about him being on topic. do you want to justify his stance about siachin based on other generals' stance? FYI, Musharraf did a try at least to capture Kargil and pakistan still holds peak 5353.
Specifically? We had given a proper fight for Siachin , FYI our Navy was completely destroyed in 1971 and It was Zia ul haq who recreated our navy and got some frigate on lease to atleast give a bit boost to our Naval wing , Not only that but the credit for F-16s should be given to Zia ul Haq , Otherwise we would still operating F-7s and Mirage III ,V today. Are you giving the reference of same Mushi who were part 1st Armoured division , the same division that lost Asal Utter battle in 1965 and retreated after losing more then 100 tanks?
 
are always this arrogant? i have no problems with non-muslims, just because i follow islam doesn't mean i have to hate non muslims why are you ***** so backwards thinking? living in america wasn't my choice but my fathers choice and it was a good choice who would want to live in pakistan where people like you live there? besides its us pakistanis who are the reason pakistan even exists you pa kis living in pakistan would sell your mothers for cash.

L O L Oh this is original a backward Zia worshiper calling the rest ignorant.

i have no problems with non-muslims

Are you sure cause 100% of Zia worshipers are terrorist that have a problem with every body.

just because i follow Islam doesn't mean i have to hate non Muslims why are you ***** so backwards thinking?

Zia was such a visionary who isn't aware of that. :omghaha:

living in America wasn't my choice but my fathers choice and it was a good choice who would want to live in pakistan

L O L i wonder why your father decided to leave pakistan run by such a visionaries such as Zia:devil:

who would want to live in pakistan where people like you live there?

No worries your brothers are working on purifying pakistan and rest of the Islamic world with one terrorist attack at a time.:victory:

besides its us pakistanis who are the reason pakistan even exists you pa kis living in pakistan would sell your mothers for cash.

well what ever you guys gave to get a green card isn't any of my business but as far as pakistan exsistend cause of people like you now thats really funny.

your contribution to pakistan economy =Zero dollars and zero sense

Jobs created by you in pakistan =Zero

Taxes paid by you = Zero

Oh it must be the support you provide to terrorist in pakistan thats keeping pakistan together one bomb at a time how silly of me.
 
He is one of the main reasons why radical islam and AK culture spread in Pakistan on large scale

Pak is suffering even today due to this

War in Afghanistan may have played some part in encouraging AK culture in Pakistan especially regions near Af-Pak border, but using Islam as political tool, at the extent no one else did, can be largely blamed on Zia.
 
Specifically? We had given a proper fight for Siachin , FYI our Navy was completely destroyed in 1971 and It was Zia ul haq who recreated our navy and got some frigate on lease to atleast give a bit boost to our Naval wing , Not only that but the credit for F-16s should be given to Zia ul Haq , Otherwise we would still operating F-7s and Mirage III ,V today. Are you giving the reference of same Mushi who were part 1st Armoured division , the same division that lost Asal Utter battle in 1965 and retreated after losing more then 100 tanks?

you are again drifting from point. do you want to base your argument on red herring? Zia just because of dollars thrown the whole nation into a fasad in the name of holly war. he brought certain laws in the name of Islam just to prolong his tenure. he did referendum and the question was "if you want Islamic law in Pakistan then vote for Zia".. when he threw the elected govt, he promised to conduct election in 90 days.. which ended in more than 10 years.. with his death.. he conducted non-party based elections which introduced horse trading in the country.. when governments fail to give something concrete in building a nation then eyewash laws like 'Ehtaram e Ramazan Ordinance" and azan, veil on TV etc emerge.. this is what happened during Zia's regime.. he threw Pakistan 50 years back..
 
you are again drifting from point. do you want to base your argument on red herring? Zia just because of dollars thrown the whole nation into a fasad in the name of holly war. he brought certain laws in the name of Islam just to prolong his tenure. he did referendum and the question was "if you want Islamic law in Pakistan then vote for Zia".. when he threw the elected govt, he promised to conduct election in 90 days.. which ended in more than 10 years.. with his death.. he conducted non-party based elections which introduced horse trading in the country.. when governments fail to give something concrete in building a nation then eyewash laws like 'Ehtaram e Ramazan Ordinance" and azan, veil on TV etc emerge.. this is what happened during Zia's regime.. he threw Pakistan 50 years back..
When you used Siachin as a reference then it is on the point and when I used different references then you took it as drift. Just learn to understand others point of view, Its not necessary that a parameter could prove a whole legacy as wrong . The real Fasad was started by Mushi in the name of nationalism which itself don’t exist . Nations are referred as according to regional background , not If few peoples are agreed to some extent could be named a nation , That’s a clear biased philosophy which lead us towards an ethnic Instability and If you combined the different nations in the name of religion then federation should not change its central Idea . The real economical fall started from an unwanted internal war which itself now have no end. Once you try to eliminate the basic Idea on which this nation had been created then it means you are trying to eliminate a nation.
 
L O L Oh this is original a backward Zia worshiper calling the rest ignorant.

i didn't hit a nerve did i?lmao
your arrogant and ignorant clearly your have no idea about anything you saying.



Are you sure cause 100% of Zia worshipers are terrorist that have a problem with every body.

what is there to be sure about? the only one who seems to be having a problem with anybody is you, you seem to hate every conservative muslim. i am an open minded conservative muslim, you on the other hand are a closed minded left wing nu job.



Zia was such a visionary who isn't aware of that. :omghaha:
zia was a 10 times better man then you can ever be in your life and lets leave that right there.


L O L i wonder why your father decided to leave pakistan run by such a visionaries such as Zia:devil:
my father left after zia died, And he left to provide money for his family in pakistan and have a better EDUCATION something a backwards mentality like you clearly lacks.



No worries your brothers are working on purifying pakistan and rest of the Islamic world with one terrorist attack at a time.:victory:
my brothers are here going to colleges becoming professionals, and my muslim pakistani brothers are struggling in pakistan against two evils the terrorists sponsered by india and the asma janghirs like yourself.



well what ever you guys gave to get a green card isn't any of my business but as far as pakistan exsistend cause of people like you now thats really funny.
you don't have to give nothing to get a green card just be a hardworking person with some good luck, FYI I'm a citizen of the great ole usa, something a jealous nut like you can only dream of.

your contribution to pakistan economy =Zero dollars and zero sense

Jobs created by you in pakistan =Zero

Taxes paid by you = Zero

:rofl: i hope your talking about me and not us overseas pakistanis. becuase if your that we overseas pakistanis contribute nothing to pakistan then please do your country a favor and shoot yourself.
and if your talking about me then all i will tell you is one thing, i do and will do more for my country then you can ever do in your whole life time unless your some genius lmao, which im pretty sure your not.
Oh it must be the support you provide to terrorist in pakistan thats keeping pakistan together one bomb at a time how silly of me.

ignorance is a bliss, i feel sad for more than anything.
 
Back
Top Bottom