Mother's Name:
Lady Khursheed Begum Mother Tongue:
Sindhi
MARRIAGE:
Married at Karachi to Ms
Nusrat Ispahani September 8, 1951.
CHILDREN:
EDUCATION:
 |
Cathedral School, Bombay - 1937 - 1947 |
 |
Joined University of
Southern California - 1947 |
 |
Transferred to Berkely Campus of USC - 1949 |
 |
First Asian to be
elected to Berkely Student Council |
 |
Graduated with Honours in Political Science -
1950 |
 |
Admitted to Christ
Church College, Oxford - 1950 |
 |
Graduated with Honours from Oxford University -
1952 |
 |
Called to the Bar at
Lincoln's Inn - 1953 |
 |
Lecturer of Sindh Muslim Law College - 1954 |
 |
Member of Pakistan
Delegation to the United Nations - 1957 |
 |
Addressed the United Nations Sixth Committee on Aggression -
October 25, 1957 |
 |
Leader of Pakistan
Delegation to United Nations Conference on the Law of the Seas,
addressed the Conference on the Freedom of the Seas.-
March - 1958 |
MINISTERIAL CAREER
 |
Minister of Commerce - 1958 |
 |
Minister for Information
and National Reconstruction - 1959 |
 |
Minister for Fuel, Power and Natural Resources - 1960 |
 |
Leader of Pakistan
Delegation to the UN - 1959, 1960, 1963 & 1965 |
 |
Statement in support of Algeria against French Imperialism at UN
- 1959 |
 |
Leader of Pakistan
Delegation to Moscow to negotiate agreement on Oil and Gas
Exploration with Soviet Union with 120 Million Roubles credit -
1960 |
 |
Led
Pakistan's Delegation to UN and differed with US by not voting
against China's Membership - 1960 |
 |
Foreign Minister of
Pakistan - 1963 - 1965 |
 |
Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement, gaining 750 Square Miles for
Pakistan 2nd March - 1963 |
 |
Famous Speech at the
U.N. Security Council "We will wage a war for a thousand years" - 22-23 September 1965 |
 |
Resigned from the Federal Cabinet - June, 1966 |
PAKISTAN PEOPLES PARTY
(PPP)
 |
Historic welcome in Lahore after resignation as Foreign Minister -
21st June, 1966 |
 |
Manifesto of Pakistan
Peoples Party prepared |
 |
"Islam
is our Faith, Democracy is our Policy, Socialism is our Economy, All
Power to the People". October, 1966 |
 |
Foundation of Pakistan
Peoples Party, Lahore - 30th November, 1967 |
 |
Led
Mass Movement for Restoration of Democracy - 1968 |
 |
Arrested for creating
disaffection against Government - November 12, 1968 |
 |
Landslide victory for PPP in 1970 elections in present day Pakistan
- December 7, 1970 |
PRESIDENT/PRIME MINISTER
 |
Economic Reforms Order Nationalisation of Key Industries -
January 3, 1972 |
 |
Announcement of Labour
Policies - February 10, 1972 |
 |
Workers would participate in Profits |
 |
Old Age Pensions and
Group Insurance |
 |
Land
Reforms - 1st March, 1973 |
 |
Ceiling reduced from 500
Acres to 150 Acres of irrigated land and 1000 Acres to 300 Acres for
semi-irrigated land. All lands in excess of 100 Acres allocated to
Govt. Servants confiscated and redistributed. |
 |
The
Law Reform Ordinance - giving effect to the recommendations of the
Law Reforms Commission. - 14th April, 1972 |
 |
Martial Law Lifted 21st
April, 1972 |
 |
Simla
Agreement Signed |
 |
Pakistan to get back
5000 square miles of territory occupied in 1971 war. India and
Pakistan to respect line of control in Kashmir without prejudice
to Pakistan's claim. - 2nd July, 1972 |
 |
National Book Foundation established - 24th September, 1972 |
 |
Inaugurated Pakistan's
first Nuclear Power Plant at Karachi. - 28th November, 1972 |
 |
Establishment of NDFC - 5th February, 1973 |
 |
Establishment of
Quaid-E-Azam University - 9th February, 1973 |
 |
Constitution of Pakistan passed unanimously - 12th April, 1973 |
 |
Establishment of Port
Qasim Authority - 27th June, 1973 |
 |
Elected Prime Minister of Pakistan - 14th August, 1973 |
 |
Identity Cards for
Citizens - 28th July, 1973 |
 |
Agreement for repatriation of 93,000 POWs - 28th August, 1973 |
 |
Administrative Reforms
Order - September, 1973 |
 |
Laid
Foundation Stone of Pakistan Steel Mill - 30th December, 1973 |
 |
Nationalisation of Banks
- 1st January, 1974 |
 |
Establishment of Allama Iqbal Open University -
21st May, 1974 |
 |
Islamic Summit at Lahore
-
22 February, 1975 |
 |
Inaugurated Pakistan's First Seerat Conference - 3rd March, 1976 |
 |
Kissinger warned
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto that if Pakistan continued with its nuclear
programme "the Prime Minister would
have to pay a heavy price."
- August, 1976 |
 |
Bhutto
proposed a Third World Summit - September, 1976 |
BETRAYAL AND ASSASSINATION
General Elections were held on March 7, 1977. PPP emerged as the
victorious Party. At the behest of General Ziaul Haq, PNA accused
government of so-called rigging in the elections. Negotiations with PNA
resumed. An Agreement was reached on June 8, 1977 for holding Fresh
Elections on October 8, 1977.
On July 5, 1977 COAS General
Ziaul Haq imposed Martial Law unilaterally. The National Assembly, the
Senate and Provincial Assemblies were dissolved and Constitution held in
abeyance.
Zia's Military Junta
established a dummy government of PNA with CMLA as President. Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto arrested on July, 5, 1977 and released on July 28, 1977.
Re-arrested on September 3,
1977 from Clifton, Karachi, on the charges of a fabricated murder case;
again released on September 13, 1977 against Lahore High Court bail.
Re-arrested at Larkana on September 17, 1977.
On September, 1977 the Chief
Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Justice Yakub Ali Khan was suspended from service
because he had admitted Mrs. Nusrat Bhuto's Petition challenging
imposition of martial law.
On October 9, 1977, Maulvi
Mushtaq, Chief Justice, Lahore High Court, cancelled the bail already
granted to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by LHC.
Mercilessly and despicably
murdered on April 4, 1979.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
as 'Author'
List of Publication
 |
Peace-Keeping by the United Nations. Pakistan Publishing House,
Karachi. - 1967 |
 |
Political Situation in
Pakistan, Veshasher Prakashan, New Dehli. -
1968 |
 |
The
Myth of Independence, Oxford University Press, Karachi and Lahore.
- 1969 |
 |
The Great Tragedy,
Pakistan People's Party, Karachi. -
1971 |
 |
Politics of the People (speeches, statements and articles), edited
by Hamid Jalal and Khalid Hasan: Pakistan Publications,
Rawalpindi. - 1948-1971 |
 |
Speeches and Statements,
Government of Pakistan, Karachi. - 1971-75 |
 |
Bilateralism: New Directions. Government of Pakistan, Islamabad - 1976 |
 |
The Third World: New
Directions. Quartet Books, London. - 1977 |
 |
My
Pakistan. Biswin Sadi Publications, New Dehli. - 1979 |
 |
If I am Assassinated,
Vikas, New Dehli. - 1979 |
 |
My
Execution. Musawaat Weekly International, London -
1980 |
 |
New Directions. Narmara
Publishers, London. - 1980 |
The Legacy of Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto
As a member of Pakistan's delegation to the United Nation in 1957, at the
age of 29 years, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto addressed the Sixth Conference of the
United Nations on "The Definition of Aggression", a speech which is still
regarded as one of the best on the subject. As a participant at the
International Conference in Geneva, Switzerland in March, 1958 Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto spoke for mankind with the bold declaration: "The High Seas are
free to all." He was the youngest Federal Cabinet member in the history
of Pakistan, at the age of 30. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto held the key
portfolios of Minister of Commerce, Minister of Information, Minister of
National Reconstruction, Minister of Fuel, Power and Natural Resources
before becoming the Foreign Minister. As Minister of Fuel, Power and
Natural Resources, he signed a path breaking agreement for exploration of
oil and gas with Russia in 1960. He set up a Gas and Mineral
Development Corporation in 1961 and Pakistan's first refinery in 1962 at
Karachi.
Bhutto emerged on the world
stage as Leader of the Pakistan Delegation to the UN in 1959. To muster
the support for Kashmir issue he successfully toured China, Britain, Egypt
and Ireland. He also held a series of talks with the Indian Foreign
Minister Swaran Singh. He was appointed Foreign Minister in 1963 and
remained at that post until his resignation in June 1966. Bhutto made
indelible imprints on world community by his inimitable oratorical skills
in United Nation's General Assembly and the Security Council. He had the
vision to build a strategic relationship with China at a time when it was
isolated. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto believed in an independent Foreign Policy
which had hitherto been the hand maiden of the Western Powers. During
his tenure as Foreign Minister, Pakistan and Iran cemented a special
relationship. His opposition to the Tashkent accord between India and
Pakistan led to his resignation from the government. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
believed in a Foreign Policy of bilateralism in which no state would be
entitled to interfere in Pakistan's relations with other states.
During his student days,
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had acquired an anti-Imperialist view of the world.
He was a firm believer in economic self reliance and political
independence themes he expounded in his famous book "Myth of
Independence". Bhutto's finest hour came in the reconstruction of
Pakistan after the traumatic dismemberment of Pakistan upon the fall of
Dhaka on 16th December, 1971. He successfully put the derailed nation
back on the track by rebuilding national institutions. His lasting
achievement was the unanimous adoption of the Constitution in 1973. He
established the Pakistan Steel Mills, Heavy Mechanical Complex Taxila,
Port Qasim Authority, Quaid-e-Azam University, Allama Iqbal Open
University, Karachi Nuclear Power Plant; thus, fortifying the
prosperity, integrity and security of Pakistan. Using his experience as
Foreign Minister, Bhutto cemented Pakistan's relation with Afro-Asian and
Islamic countries and by 1976 had emerged as the Leader of the Third
World. As an author, he brilliantly advocated the cause of hewers of wood
and drawers of water of the Third World.
Bhutto was the founder of
Pakistan's Nuclear Program. Under his guidance and leadership as Minister
for Fuel, Power and Natural Resources, President and Prime Minister,
Pakistan developed into the unique Muslim State with a nuclear capability
for which he paid with his life. In his book "If I am Assassinated"
written from the Death Cell, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto revealed how Kissinger
had said "We will make an example of you".
The Pakistan People's Party
won the elections held in 1977 with a large majority; but the conspirators
soon joined hands with Ziaul Haq at the behest of foreign powers who
feared Bhutto's capacity of uniting the Third World countries and sought
to punish him for developing Pakistan's nuclear capacity, and imposed
Martial Law upon the country on 5th July, 1977. Soon afterwards, Bhutto
was arrested and on 18th March, 1978, was sentenced to death in a
politically motivated murder trial. The majority of original Court was for
acquittal but was whittled down to a 4-3 verdict by the retirement of two
judges. Despite appeals of clemency from several world leaders, Bhutto
was executed on 4th April, 1979. The great leader of downtrodden masses
and a visionary of unparalleled charisma will forever be remembered by his
countrymen as Quaid-e-Awam (Leader of the Masses).
RESUME
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has earned a place in the pantheon of leaders from
the Third World who earned everlasting fame in the struggle against
colonialism and imperialism. He had the privilege of interacting with
many of those leaders who played a great role in the epic struggle for
national independence in the 20th Century including Mao Tse Tung, Ahmed
Soekarno, Chou-en Lai, Jawaharlal Nehru Gamal Abdel Nasser and Salvador
Allende. During the period between the end of the Second World War and
the end of the Cold War, the world was divided into two blocks: The
Capitalist West and the Socialist East. All these leaders aspired to
aspects of a socialist pattern of economy. Bhutto shared their faith in a
leading role for the public sector as an instrument of self-reliance.
President of Allende of Chile
and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan pursued socialist democratic
policies in countries long dominated by the military, and thus, were
overthrown in the same year - 1977 by the collaborators of the
Neo-Imperialists, killed at the behest of the Military Juntas of
Pinochet and Zia and followed by long spells of repressive Military
regimes which did not retreat until the Cold War drew to an end.
The key factor in the over
throw of Bhutto was Pakistan's nuclear capability. The Karachi Nuclear
Power Plant was inaugurated by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as President of
Pakistan at the end of 1972 but long before, as Minister for Fuel, Power
and National Resources, he has played a key role in setting up of the
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. The Kahuta facility was also
established by Bhutto.
Bhutto's foundation of the
PPP was a setback for the reactionary forces in a country long
dominated by the Right. The slogan of "Food, Shelter and Clothing"
shifted the focus of Pakistan politics from theological to economic
issues. This focus has never shifted back. Bhutto nationalised the
commanding heights of the economy; another blow to the capitalist West.
During his tenure there was a massive transfer of resources towards the
dominant rural economy by setting higher prices for agricultural
products.
The Constitution of 1973,
passed unanimously, is yet another lasting legacy of Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto. Time has shown that it cannot be replaced. Constitution making
in Pakistan was bedevilled, since the birth of the State, by three
unresolved issues: (i) The role of Islam in the State, (ii) the degree of
Provincial Autonomy, and (iii) the Nature of Executive. Bhutto managed to
bring all the political parties, including those like the Jamat-e-Islami,
JUI and JUP, who demanded an Islamic State, and the Awami National Party,
which was the major party in the Frontier and Balochistan, calling for
maximum provincial autonomy, to agree to a consensus on the Constitution,
thus, permanently resolving all the three issues. A new institution,
the Senate of Pakistan was, created in which the provinces had equal
representation, in order to redress the balance of power in Pakistan,
probably the only country in the world where one federating unit has an
absolute majority. The creation of Council of Common Interest also gave
to the provinces a greater weight in the federal dispensation. Islam was
declared to be the State religion and the Council of Islamic Ideology
given charge of Islamisation of laws. At the same time the Constitution
reiterated the basic principle of socialism: "from each according to his
ability to each according to his work".
The never ending tussle
between the Head of State and Parliament was resolved by empowering the
Prime Minister. Ironically, it is opponents of Bhutto who have, through
13th Amendment of 1997, restored the role of the Prime Minister as was
envisaged in the original Constitution of 1973 after General Zia had
shifted power to dissolve the Assembly and make key civilian and military
appointments to the President No better tribute can be paid to the
foresight and sagacity of the martyred leader.
Finally, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
had the courage of his conviction to decide to lay down his life rather
than compromise or seek appeasement. The last chapter of his life is a
glorious example of martyrdom for the cause of resurrection of
democracy.
At the time of his over throw, Bhutto was emerging as a spokesman of the
World of Islam and the leader of the Third World. The age of Bhutto was
an Age of Revolution. Although his life and career were cruelly
terminated, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto will forever shine in history as one of
the Great leaders who took part in the liberation of the Third World from
the yoke of Imperialism and Neo Colonialism during the Twentieth Century.
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