Ever since the execution of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on 4th April 1979 at the hands of the dictator Zia ul Haq, his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have proclaimed him to be a martyr. One of the most comprehensive study of the man is ‘Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan’ written by an American historian, indologist and author on the political and intellectual history of South Asia, Stanley Wolpert.
The book was first published in 1993 and it lays bare aspects of Bhutto’s political and personal life which had remained hidden from public sight. Wolpert tracked down nearly everyone who could shed light on Bhutto and gained access to his private papers. These remarkable efforts give “Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan” a full, intimate quality as it offers an entree into a remarkable world few know about.
The book notes that Bhutto was a mercurial, mysterious man, a brilliant orator and an astute and ruthless political intrigant. He was a man who founded a new strategic foreign policy, set up the country’s nuclear program and continued it despite a great deal of international pressure. It covers the story of an enigmatic man who became the youngest minister in Pakistan’s dictatorial regime of President Ayub, supported Ayub in the Presidential election against Fatima Jinnah, the sister of the Founder of Pakistan (unlike what is repeatedly asserted in Pakistani press) and then became Prime Minister and Supreme leader, thriving on the failures and misfortunes of his own patrons (Sikander Mirza, Ayub and Yahya Khan).
Upon reading Wolpert’s book it can be argued that Bhutto masterminded Pakistan’s defeats of 1965 and 1971 and also profited from both. Today, despite his flaws and mistakes, Zulfi Bhutto is widely portrayed in press and media as the most effective leader independent Pakistan ever produced.
Wolpert uses his meticulous research to demonstrate Bhutto’s contradictory nature. He asserts that Ayub axed Bhutto in the aftermath of 1965 war and it was not Bhutto who resigned. After the Tashkent declaration Bhutto had no doubt left that he would soon face sacking from Ayub’s cabinet and that the next stage of his political career had started. Bhutto realized the power of a populist movement and galvanized public opinion in a polity usually dominated by dictators. His charismatic presence deeply moved millions so much so that he remained popular among them even after his death.
On the other, grimmer side of the picture, Bhutto is a psychopathic egomaniac, avid womanizer and a liar so consummate and convincing so as to have learnt to believe his own lies. His five and a half years in power were inglorious: if Pakistan was poor and unstable when Bhutto grabbed power, it was even more poor and unstable when he lost power mainly due to his collectivist socialist convictions, brutality against his political opponents and a catastrophic nationalization policy. Bhutto applied and created expectations he could not fulfill.
Bhutto’s downfall was triggered by the rigging claims in 1977 elections and he was ousted by his handpicked army chief General Zia ul Haq, whom he had promoted out of turn in the hope of commanding his loyalty.
He was arrested by the same man, tried for a murder case from the past and hanged at Rawalpindi. Wolpert’s unique writing style reaffirms that the purpose of history is to learn from it and not to distort it to paint an image of perpetual victimhood as PPP has been doing ever since Bhutto’s hanging. The nation deserves to celebrate his good and learn from his bad, while the PPP needs to realize they can no longer use Bhutto’s execution to hide their incompetence.
About the Author
Umar is a Telecom Engineer with an interest in history & geopolitics. He tweets at @umar8528
Pakistani Bibliophiles 