WEEKLY SUMMARY - PAKISTAN

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06846195
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2020
• Case Number: F-2019-01054
• Publication Date: July 8, 1977

Approved for Release: 2020/09/01 C06846195
Weekly Summary
,S�et
July 8, 1977
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CONTENTS
1 Asia
Pakistan;
.1 uly /V7
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Comments and queries on the contents of this
publication are welcome. They may be
_directed to the editor of the Weekly
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Approved for Release: 2020/09/01 C06846195
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SECRET
PAKISTAN
Pakistani army leaders this week
returned the country to military rule,
finally losing patience with the protracted
haggling between Prime Minister Bhutto
and his political opponents. The new mar-
tial law administration, headed by army
commander General Zia ul-Haq, now in-
tends to hand power back to civilians in
the fall.
The military acted early on July 5 after
apparently concluding that further
negotiations between Bhutto and the
nine-party Pakistan National Alliance
were pointless and that widespread civil
disorder was imminent. Bhutto and op-
position representatives had agreed on
July 2 on a formula for holding new elec-
tions, but two days later the top leaders of
the Alliance demanded stronger
guarantees against a repetition of the
rigged vote of last March, the event that
touched off the four-month political crisis.
Bhutto, his close associates, and key op-
position leaders are all now under "tem-
porary protective custody."
Army leaders clearly had hoped to
avoid intervention; they are well aware
that the last military government ended in
disaster with the loss in 1971 of the coun-
try's "eastern wing"�now independent
Bangladesh. General Zia, who owed his
position to Bhutto, was probably among
the most reluctant of the coup makers and
may have agreed to the move only
because of strong pressure from subor-
Page
General Zia ul-Haq
dinates.
Zia has announced that the martial law
administration will surrender power im-
mediately after elections, which he
plans to hold in October�a date set
earlier by Bhutto and the opposition
leaders. In the meantime, the military
appears to be trying to limit its governing
role as much as possible.
Although a council composed of Zia,
the commanders of the navy and air force,
and the chairman of the joint chiefs will
have ultimate authority, figurehead Presi-
dent Chaudhry remains in office and the
constitution has been suspended, not
abrogated. Federal ministries have been
raCi�T
1 WEEKLY SUMMARY
placed under their respective senior civil
servants and provincial governments un-
der the provincial chief justices.
Despite their present intentions, the
military leaders could later have second
thoughts about relinquishing power so
quickly. The election campaign, following
some of the worst civil disorders in
Pakistan's history, is likely to be far more
violent than the one last winter�pos-
sibly so violent that the military may
not be willing to old an election.
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