General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq

General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was a Pakistani Army general and the sixth President of Pakistan, serving from 1978 until his death in 1988. He was born in Jalandhar, Punjab, British India, to a Punjabi Arain family and later moved to Pakistan after the Partition of India in 1947, attending St. Stephen's College, Delhi and the University of Calcutta. Zia-ul-Haq's early life was marked by his family's migration to Lahore, where he attended Aitchison College and later joined the British Indian Army in 1943, during World War II. He received his military training at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in the United Kingdom and the Command and Staff College in Quetta.

● Early Life and Education

Zia-ul-Haq's family was from Gujjar Khan, a town in the Punjab Province of Pakistan, and he was the second of four children born to Muhammad Akram and Shafiqa Begum. He attended Aitchison College in Lahore and later joined the British Indian Army in 1943, during World War II, serving in the Burma Campaign and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. After the Partition of India, Zia-ul-Haq joined the Pakistan Army and attended the Command and Staff College in Quetta, where he graduated in 1955, and later attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in the United States. He also attended the National Defence University, Pakistan in Islamabad and was a member of the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul.

● Military Career

Zia-ul-Haq's military career spanned over three decades, during which he served in various Pakistan Army units, including the Guides Cavalry and the Armoured Corps. He was a Company Commander in the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War and later served as the Deputy Commandant of the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul. In 1975, he was appointed as the Chief of Army Staff by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and played a key role in the 1977 Pakistani coup, which overthrew the Government of Pakistan led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Zia-ul-Haq was also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the National Security Council (Pakistan).

● Presidency

Zia-ul-Haq became the sixth President of Pakistan on September 16, 1978, after the resignation of Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, and served until his death in 1988. During his presidency, he implemented various policies, including the Islamization of Pakistan, which aimed to make Pakistan an Islamic state. He also introduced the Zakat and Ushr system, which was a form of Islamic taxation, and established the Federal Shariat Court to enforce Sharia law in Pakistan. Zia-ul-Haq's presidency was also marked by his support for the Mujahideen in the Soviet-Afghan War and his relations with other countries, including the United States, China, and Saudi Arabia.

● Domestic Policy

Zia-ul-Haq's domestic policy focused on the Islamization of Pakistan and the implementation of Sharia law in the country. He introduced the Hudood Ordinance in 1979, which made adultery and theft punishable by stoning and amputation. He also established the Federal Shariat Court to enforce Sharia law in Pakistan and introduced the Zakat and Ushr system, which was a form of Islamic taxation. Zia-ul-Haq's government also implemented various economic policies, including the nationalization of industries and the introduction of the Pakistan Rupee as the official currency. He also supported the development of Karakoram Highway and the Port of Gwadar.

● Foreign Policy

Zia-ul-Haq's foreign policy focused on the Soviet-Afghan War and the support of the Mujahideen in Afghanistan. He also maintained close relations with the United States, China, and Saudi Arabia, and was a key player in the Cold War. Zia-ul-Haq's government provided support to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and allowed the CIA to operate in Pakistan. He also played a key role in the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Zia-ul-Haq's foreign policy was also marked by his relations with other countries, including India, Iran, and the Soviet Union.

● Death and Legacy

Zia-ul-Haq died in a plane crash on August 17, 1988, along with several high-ranking military officials, including the United States Ambassador to Pakistan, Arnold Raphel, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Akhtar Abdur Rahman. His death led to the end of the martial law in Pakistan and the restoration of democracy in the country. Zia-ul-Haq's legacy is still debated, with some considering him a hero who saved Pakistan from the Soviet Union and others viewing him as a dictator who suppressed democracy and human rights in the country. He is remembered for his role in the Soviet-Afghan War and the Islamization of Pakistan, and his impact on the politics of Pakistan and the region is still felt today. Category:Presidents of Pakistan