Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979). To some he is a hero, to others a villain. He is the catalyst of many events and accidents in the politics of Pakistan. As a skillful player in military-civilian politics, he seized power in Pakistan. Again losing in the game of power, he gave his life to the gallows.
He cannot avoid the responsibility of Bangladesh genocide in 1971 in any way. He went to the United Nations for anti-Bangladesh activities. Bhutto did not allow the Awami League under the leadership of Bangabandhu to come to power despite getting a majority in the democratic elections. By conspiring with Pakistan's military leaders, he captured the throne himself. Finally he lost his life in the anger of the military ruler.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a Zamindar of Larkana in the Sindh province of Pakistan, entered politics and became a minister in 1958 at the age of 30. In 1963, he got the important responsibility of foreign minister. He developed distance after the signing of Tashkent Pact between Ayub Khan and Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri hastened by Soviet Union. After leaving Ayub Khan's cabinet, he formed a separate party in 1967 under the style of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
In the 1970 general elections of Pakistan, his party won a majority in West Pakistan. But despite the Awami League of East Pakistan gaining an overall majority, Bhutto objected to the transfer of power to them.
After Pakistan's defeat in the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971, Bhutto succeeded Yahya Khan as the President of Pakistan. In 1973, he assumed the post of Prime Minister of Pakistan by changing the country's constitution. In 1977 he was re-elected as Prime Minister. But within a short time he was deposed in a military coup led by General Ziaul Haque. He was sentenced to death by a military court in 1979 for his involvement in a conspiracy to kill a man.
Bhutto suffered a tragic end in politics despite his rise to conspiracy. A brutal fall and hanging ended his life. No one would have dreamed that this would happen to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, an Oxford student, the scion of a Pakistani Zamindar family. He crossed many dangers in western style of movement. Laundering foppish and vanity have won the game of politics. But in the end he was caught by his confidant General Ziaul Haque.
The incident was in 1977. Even after being re-elected that year, Bhutto could not remain in power. Army chief Ziaul Haque came to power by imposing military rule due to Baloch crisis, multi-faceted sabotage within the state. Bhutto himself gave Ziaul Haque the responsibility of army chief as a trust and confidant. Ziaul Haque, as the successor of Tikka Khan, the butcher of Bengal, had to overtake five people to give him this responsibility.
But history had a different account. And that was a very cruel calculation. Bhutto was not spared from cruelty. His end was tragic. He was not prepared for such a situation. Lt. Colonel Rafiuddin wrote a book on this in Urdu language. The name of the book is 'Bhutto Ka Akheri 323 Din'. Many things have come up in this book.
Rafi was the security battalion commander of Rawalpindi Jail. After retirement, Bhutto responded by writing a book on the chapter. Bhutto himself wrote parts of his memoirs in prison before his death. He claimed that he would be hanged in conspiracy trial. Bhutto's followers have always called his execution a planned murder. And 45 years after Bhutto's execution, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled: 'There was no fair trial'.
Bhutto was ousted in 1977 by General Ziaul Haque, Pakistan's army chief, in a coup. Within a few days, he was arrested and hanged by the military government of Pakistan. Now, in a formal judgment, Bhutto's trial has not been followed by a 'clear and proper legal procedure', the country's Supreme Court bench says. The Supreme Court said this in a unanimous verdict in the first week of March. Bhutto was ousted in a military coup and was hanged in 1979 after being found guilty in a case. He was accused of murdering a political rival. Bhutto, the founder of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was convicted in that case. But from the beginning, his family and party had accused the Zia government of "political conspiracy".
A nine-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isha of the Supreme Court of Pakistan re-evaluated that judgment four and a half decades ago. The trial was broadcast on TV. Announcing the unanimous verdict, Chief Justice Faiz said, "There was no trial that day following a transparent and proper legal process." We will publish the detailed judgment in this case later.'' Incidentally, Bhutto's daughter Benazir later became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Benazir's son Bilal is currently one of the leaders of Pakistan's ruling coalition.