- Remembering a colossus with clay feet
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto brought politics which had so far been confined to drawing rooms to the common man. In the process he endowed millions with a realisation that as citizens of Pakistan they had certain rights. Further that that they could get these through struggle and that he was ready to lead them. People who had been told for centuries by the kings and priests that they were destined to remain poor because God had created them to serve the rich, suddenly discovered that they had been cheated. They discarded the conventional politicians like Daultana, spiritual leaders like Pir Pagara and a host of religious luminaries. The 1970 elections consigned a whole lot of traditional politicians into the dustbin of history. Some of the wretched of the Earth humbled those considered indomitable.
Soon after taking over power in the truncated country Bhutto picked up the pieces. He gave the country its first consensus constitution. In 1974 he convened the Islamic summit in Lahore to convey the message that Pakistan did not stand alone but had large number of friends including some of the world’s wealthiest countries. Bhutto got repatriated almost 93,000 Pakistani army men who had surrendered after the fall of Dhaka. Soon after coming to power Bhutto collected together nuclear scientists including Dr AQ Khan who were assigned the task of developing nuclear weapons programme.
Bhutto initiated a slew of important policies to benefit the industrial labour and the rural poor. The Labour Policy 1972 was supplemented by Workers Welfare Fund Ordinance, Employees Old Age Benefits Act, and Industrial Relations Ordinance which recognised the labour’s rights and provided protection to them from arbitrary dismissals. The rural poor were allotted land to have a permanent dwelling.
Some of Bhutto’s policies remain controversial. The all out nationlisation of private industrial units and educational institutions did more harm than good. The decision to declare Ahmadis non-Muslims encouraged extremist tendencies. The dismissal of Balochistan government and military action in the province harmed the federation and paved the way for Zia ul Haq’s Martial Law. Despite his weaknesses Bhutto will be remembered as a visionary, head and shoulders above any Pakistani politician after Jinnah.
