Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, 1988-1999

O Level Pakistan Studies History · Nationhood: 1971 to 1999 and Pakistan in world affairs. A short explanation of the idea, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid, a worked example and practice questions with answers.

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The idea

After Zia's death Pakistan returned to elected government, but no government finished its term. Power passed back and forth between Benazir Bhutto of the PPP and Nawaz Sharif of the Muslim League, two terms each.

The pattern repeated. A government took office, faced economic trouble, violence in Sindh and charges of corruption, and quarrelled with the President. The President then used the Eighth Amendment to dismiss it. This happened in 1990, 1993 and 1996.

In 1997 Nawaz Sharif removed that presidential power. With the President weak, his next clash was with the army. When he tried to remove the army chief, General Pervez Musharraf, in October 1999, the army took power.

Rules to remember

Common mistake

Students swap the two Presidents. Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed Benazir Bhutto in 1990 (and Nawaz Sharif in 1993); Farooq Leghari dismissed her in 1996.

Worked example

Governments were removed by the President in 1990, 1993 and 1996, but in 1999 the government was removed by the army. Why the difference?

  1. Until 1997 the Eighth Amendment let the President dismiss a Prime Minister.
  2. The Thirteenth Amendment of 1997 took that power away.
  3. So in 1999 no President could act, and the challenge to Nawaz Sharif came from the army instead.

Answer: The Thirteenth Amendment had ended presidential dismissals, so the 1999 change of government was a military takeover.

Practice questions

Try each one, then open the answer.

1. What did the Thirteenth Amendment (1997) do?

  1. A
    gave the President power to dismiss the Prime Minister
  2. B
    introduced separate electorates for minorities
  3. C
    removed the President's power to dismiss governments
  4. D
    created the Federal Shariat Court
Show answer

Answer: C. With a large majority, Sharif's government removed Article 58(2)(b), added by the Eighth Amendment.

2. What happened to US aid to Pakistan in 1990?

  1. A
    it was doubled because of the Gulf War
  2. B
    it was replaced entirely by Soviet aid
  3. C
    it was cut off over the nuclear programme
  4. D
    it was restored under the Simla Agreement
Show answer

Answer: C. Once the Soviets left Afghanistan, the US applied the Pressler Amendment, ending most aid.

3. What led directly to General Musharraf taking power on 12 October 1999?

  1. A
    Sharif tried to dismiss him while he was abroad
  2. B
    Sharif's party lost a general election
  3. C
    the President dismissed the government
  4. D
    the Supreme Court declared the government illegal
Show answer

Answer: A. Sharif tried to replace him while he was flying back from Sri Lanka; the army moved against the government. The President's dismissal power had been removed in 1997.

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