Governments in the 1990s

2026 Syllabus Objectives

By the end of these notes, you should be able to:

  1. Evaluate how successful Benazir Bhutto's policies were during her two terms (1988–90 and 1993–96)
  2. Evaluate how successful Nawaz Sharif's policies were during his two terms (1990–93 and 1997–99)
  3. Explain why General Musharraf took power in 1999
  4. Describe the specific challenges Bhutto faced in 1988–90: conflicts with Nawaz Sharif, separatist movements, disagreements with President Ishaq, the no-confidence motion, economic problems, Kashmir issues, and her dismissal
  5. Describe the specific challenges Bhutto faced in 1993–96: Kashmir tensions, opposition protests, economic problems, and her dismissal
  6. Describe the specific challenges Sharif faced: privatization issues, BCCI problems, loss of US aid, Kashmir issues, and the military takeover

Benazir Bhutto's First Term as Prime Minister (1988–1990)

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Background and Election

After President Zia-ul-Haq died in a plane crash on August 17, 1988, Ghulam Ishaq Khan became president. He announced elections for October 1988. The main political parties were:

  • PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) – led by Benazir Bhutto
  • IJT (Islamic Jamhoria Ittehad) – the opposition alliance

The PPP won 94 seats, while the IJT won 55 seats. This made Benazir Bhutto the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan and the first female leader of any Muslim country. She won because:

  • People loved and remembered her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
  • She was well-educated and experienced in foreign affairs
  • Many Pakistanis disliked Zia's rule and wanted change

Political Reforms

Benazir promised to restore democracy (a system where people have political freedom and can choose their leaders). She took several steps:

  • Released political prisoners – She freed all political leaders who had been arrested during Zia's martial law
  • Lifted press censorship – Newspapers and media were allowed to publish freely without government control
  • Tried to repeal the 8th Amendment – This was a law that gave the President the power to dismiss (fire) the Prime Minister and dissolve the National Assembly. Unfortunately, she failed because the Senate (upper house of parliament) did not support her

Social Reforms

Benazir introduced many changes to improve people's lives:

  • Lifted bans on Trade Unions and Student Unions – Workers and students could now organize themselves and protect their rights
  • Established Women and Youth Ministries – Special government departments to solve problems faced by women and young people
  • Reinstated 40,000 industrial workers – Workers who had been unfairly fired were given their jobs back, and wages were increased twice
  • Abolished hospital fees – Admission fees and bed fees in hospitals were removed, making healthcare more affordable
  • New Hajj policy (1990) – Over 10,000 people were sent to perform Hajj; flights started from Lahore and Islamabad
  • Ministry for drug smuggling – A special department was created to stop drug trafficking
  • Housing for the poor – She announced 1,500 houses for poor people in every constituency (electoral area)
  • Village electrification – 4,000 villages got electricity
  • Compulsory primary education – All children had to attend primary school

Economic and Industrial Reforms

  • Secured a 500millioninterest−freeloanfromChina∗∗and∗∗500 million interest-free loan from China** and **1 billion from Russia to expand Pakistan Steel Mills
  • Provided loan facilities for small industries and women-led businesses
  • Started work on an oil refinery and extended Port Qasim
  • Increased oil and gas production by 30%
  • Initiated the Ghazi Brotha and Neelum projects to generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity
  • Encouraged $1 billion private sector investment in electricity generation
  • Introduced an "Open Sky" policy – This allowed foreign airlines to operate more freely in Pakistan, though critics said it hurt Pakistan's national airline (PIA)

Foreign Policy

  • Restored Pakistan's membership in the Commonwealth – Pakistan rejoined this international organization of countries
  • Hosted the 4th SAARC Summit in 1988 in Islamabad – This was a meeting of South Asian countries
  • Signed an agreement with India not to attack each other's nuclear installations (nuclear power plants)
  • Successfully held the South Asian Games
  • Acquired sixty F-16 fighter planes from the USA and started producing aircraft in Pakistan

Problems and Downfall

Despite her reforms, Benazir faced serious problems:

1. Conflict with President Ghulam Ishaq Khan

The President and Prime Minister disagreed over military and judicial appointments (choosing army generals and judges). Since the 8th Amendment gave the President power to dismiss the Prime Minister, Benazir was in a weak position.

2. Conflict with Nawaz Sharif

Nawaz Sharif led the opposition IJT party and controlled Punjab province (the most populous province). He refused to cooperate with Benazir's government. This made it very difficult for her to implement policies nationwide.

3. Growth of Separatist Movements (MQM Conflict)

The MQM (Muttahida Qaumi Movement) was a political party representing Muhajirs (people who migrated to Pakistan from India in 1947). Initially, the MQM and PPP were allies, but tensions grew over:

  • Compulsory teaching of Sindhi language – The MQM opposed making Sindhi mandatory in schools
  • In September 1988, 250 people were killed by Sindhi militants in Hyderabad, which caused violence in Karachi
  • The MQM ended its alliance with PPP in August 1989, leading to Sindhi-Muhajir riots where hundreds died
  • In May 1990, the government launched an operation against the MQM in Hyderabad, resulting in the Pucca Qila Massacre – 31 women and children were killed
  • This violence spread to Karachi and other areas, with over 300 people killed

4. Corruption Allegations

Benazir and her government faced serious accusations of corruption:

  • She created a controversial Placement Bureau – This office made political appointments to the Civil Bureaucracy (government jobs), which many saw as unfair
  • Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, was accused of corruption, taking commissions (money paid for favors), and kickbacks (bribes)
  • Her father-in-law, Hakim Ali Zardari, was also accused
  • When her government was dismissed, 19 corruption cases were filed against the couple, including money laundering (hiding illegal money), kickbacks, and Swiss bank accounts

5. Opposition No-Confidence Motion

In October 1989, opposition parties organized a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly. This is a vote to remove the Prime Minister. The opposition collected 107 votes in the 237-seat assembly – they fell just 12 votes short of removing her from power.

6. Inflation and Unemployment

The economy struggled with:

  • Inflation – Prices of goods were rising, making life harder for ordinary people
  • Unemployment – Many people could not find jobs

7. Dismissal

On October 24, 1990, President Ghulam Ishaq Khan used the 8th Amendment to dismiss Benazir's government. He appointed Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi as caretaker Prime Minister until new elections could be held.

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