ZAB: A man, a vision, a struggle

In an interview with the Deputy Editor of the Spectator Mr Bhutto stated his dream for Pakistan, “My vision is that of a Pakistan whose social standards are comparable to some parts of Europe.

This means a war against illiteracy and ignorance. It means fighting prejudice and obscurantism. It involves the equality of men and women. It demands the mobilisation of the people’s selected energies. It dictates the restoration dignity to the human person. The citizen of Pakistan of the dignity which is his due. It requires a check on the growth of population and easy access to education and medical care throughout the country. It contemplates better towns and cities and cleaner villages. It raises 100 challenges. It is a long haul. We have braced ourselves for it.”

Shaheed Bhutto was conscious of the fact that the provinces of Pakistan deferred ethnically, culturally and linguistically, each having its separate dialect. With the recent examples of East Pakistan before him he sought to form the provinces into a federation, in accordance with the dream of the founding father Mr Jinnah.

The 1973 Constitution was the first to be unanimously agreed upon by all the provinces and provided for a comparatively small but necessary degree of autonomy to be surrendered by a centralised government.

In view of the regional and provincial feeling, people felt the adoption of the 1973 Constitution was an achievement. Moreover, all the political parties agreed to stand by it.

Thus, for the first time in Pakistan political history, a unanimous constitution acceptable to the federating units and all political parties present in Parliament was achieved.

Mr Bhutto's primary concern was with the poor people. He broke the monopoly of Pakistan's wealth being with the 22 families, robber baron, industrialists who controlled Pakistan’s economy. He surprised the feudal lords by instituting more land reforms. Industries were nationalised; so, to were the bank.

His socialist policies were opposed by many of the elites because Bhutto knew that there was no other way. He realised that by gaining the support of the masses he would have the people behind him. He visited the far-flung parts of Pakistan and the tribal areas to make sure that the basic amenities of life such as water and electricity reach them. Women were recognised as individuals as opposed to being treated as chattels of men, jobs in the civil and foreign services were opened to them.

Industrial projects like the Karachi Steel Mill, financed and built by the Soviet Union, the rebuilding of the Karakoram Highway with the help of Chinese was an immense boast to Pakistan prestige.

Shaheed Bhutto negotiated with India for the return of Pakistan prisoners of war and captured territory. He brought the resources of the country into play for rebuilding the armed forces and their moral.

Shaheed Bhutto made Pakistan a bridge with the Arab world. He strengthened this link by championing the cause of the Arab and specially the Palestinian. He taught the Arab world how to use oil as a weapon for negotiating with the west. In February, 1974 he was chosen to be the Chairman of the Second Islamic Summit Conference. The Conference was held in Lahore where all the presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers of the time were present.

Mr Bhutto did not want to see his country left behind in any race, especially if it involved India. The negotiations of the Nuclear Reprocessing Plant Agreement with France in August, 1976 was undoubtedly influenced by the fact that India already had nuclear capability. Shaheed Bhutto is the father of Pakistan nuclear deterrent program which gives the degree of stability to the region and forms the basis of Pakistan nuclear deterrent against India.

It will also be recalled that Shaheed Bhutto was the architect of Pakistan deep and friendly relations with China. This strategic relationship which he developed with Chairman Mao and Premier Chouan Lie laid the foundation of Pakistan's strategic relationship with China which last till today.

It will be recalled that during Shaheed Bhutto tenure he promoted the idea that Pakistan should be non alien and make bilateral agreement. He withdrew from the Common Wealth because he wanted to draw Pakistan away for multilateral obligations with could result in her becoming a pawn in the interest of other countries. For similar reason he advocated leaving CENTO.

Mr Bhutto was made a victim of a conspiracy by the international imperialist and the internal reactionary forces who could not fathom the fact that Pakistan was heading to becoming an independent progressive country like Egypt under Nasir or Indonesia under Soekarno.

Therefore, Mr Bhutto himself hinted in the National Assembly on 28th April that "the blood hounds are after my blood," American imperialism had an interest in dislodging his power because of the Nuclear Reprocessing Plant Agreement. According to Mr Bhutto in October, 1976, Dr Henry Kissinger had warned him that if Pakistan did not abandon the Reprocessing Plant Agreement a horrible example would be made of him.

The imperialist powers abated by the internal reactionaries have succeeded in physically eliminate Mr Bhutto but his cause and ideology continues to haunt them till today.