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Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Photo by Unknown Photographer.

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the fourth President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977.

Professionally he was a barrister and a politician and was born on 5^th January 1928 and died on 4^th April 1979 by hanging. Mr. Bhutto was the founder of Pakistan People鈥檚 Party (PPP) and was its chairman during his lifetime.

Discussed below are the top 10 astonishing facts about Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

1.Bhutto鈥檚 Government Drafted the Current Constitution of Pakistan

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Photo by FOCR.

The current Constitution of Pakistan was drafted by the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1973 with assistance from the opposition parties of the country.

The Constitution which is the supreme law of Pakistan was approved by Parliament on 10^th April 1973 and ratified on 14^th August of the same year.

2.Bhutto Entered Politics While Still in His Youthful Years

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Bonn. Photo by Steiner, Egon.

After being educated at University of California, Berkeley and the University of Oxford and after being trained as a barrister at Lincoln鈥檚 Inn, Bhutto entered politics as one of President Iskander Mirza鈥檚 cabinet members in his late 20s.

Bhutto was assigned several ministries during President Ayub Khan鈥檚 military rule; one of which was being appointed as Pakistan鈥檚 Foreign Minister in 1963 at only 35 years of age.

3.Bhutto鈥檚 Political Ideologies Endeared Him to The Masses

Ali Bhutto in Karachi. Photo by Unknow.

Bhutto fell out with President Ayub Khan which led to his sacking from the government after the Tashkent Agreement. The  Tashkent Agreement  ended hostilities with India after a war over the disputed Kashmir region.

Bhutto founded Pakistan People鈥檚 Party (PPP) in 1967 through which he contested the general elections of 1970. Nationalist 鈥淚slamic socialism鈥� and democracy were the main goals of PPP that Bhutto proclaimed to the masses.

Bhutto denounced Ayub Khan鈥檚 government as a dictatorship posing as a democracy for which he was detained.

After his release Bhutto became a hero and using religious and political instincts he continued appealing to the masses in his political rallies.

4.Bhutto鈥檚 Pride Contributed to the Break up of Pakistan and Emergence of Bangladesh

The Ayub Khan government was overthrown by General Yahya Khan and after months of martial law elections were held in 1970.

In the elections Bhutto鈥檚 party won majority seats in West Pakistan while the Awami League won majority seats nationally. The two parties disagreed on a new constitution and how to transfer power.

Stubbornness of both Bhutto and Yahya Khan to accept a Bengali Prime Minister of Pakistan led to uprisings and movements in East Pakistan.

President Yahya Khan with the support of Bhutto took steps to control the uprisings and movements in East Pakistan by sending in the army.

The uprisings in 1971 led to secession of Bangladesh and eventual declaration of independence.

5.Bhutto Possessed Outstanding Negotiation Skills

In 1971 Pakistan lost the war against Bangladesh -allied India during which 93,000 Pakistani soldiers were captured as prisoners of war.

 Bhutto ascended to the presidency during the same time and imposed an emergency rule.

Using his amazing negotiation skills, Bhutto sought peace  with the Premier of India which culminated in the signing of the Shimla agreement.

The Shimla agreement was viewed as a diplomatic win for Pakistan even though it had lost the war.

The Shimla agreement enabled Pakistan to bring back 93,000 prisoners of war and secured 5,000 square miles held by India.

 Bhutto was able to negotiate this agreement without recognizing Bangladesh and compromising on Kashmir which were India鈥檚 key demands.

6.Bhutto Cultivated Strong Ties with China and The Islamic World

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Geneva. Photo by Unknown.

In his bid to enhance good relations with the Muslim world, in 1974 Bhutto hosted the second Organization of the Islamic Conference in Lahore and also strengthened ties with Saudi Arabia.

On the international scene Bhutto implemented a policy aimed at making Pakistan more confident. He strengthened ties with China and other countries in an effort to cut Western influence in the country.

7.He Switched from Ceremonial President to Executive Prime Minister

During Bhutto鈥檚 reign Pakistan鈥檚 parliament unanimously approved and ratified the current Constitution on 10^th April and 14^th August 1973 respectively.  The new constitution changed the form of government in place to a parliamentary system from a presidential republic system.

The parliamentary system meant that the prime minister was to exercise more power while the president鈥檚 duties were largely nominative. Bhutto who was then president switched to the newly empowered prime minister position.

He then appointed Fazal Ellahi Choudhry to take over the ceremonial presidency created by the new constitution. Bhutto ensured he occupied the most powerful seat of authority created by the new constitution.

8.Bhutto Was the Founder of Pakistan鈥檚 Nuclear Program

Bhutto was the founder of Pakistan鈥檚 nuclear deterrence program which was his idea of enhancing the country鈥檚 self-sufficiency.

He provided the required administrative and aggressive leadership required for the program to take off. The desire to build an atomic bomb was driven by the desire to counter India鈥檚 atomic bomb program.

9.Bhutto鈥檚 Economic and Religious Policies Made Him Unpopular

Bhutto鈥檚 policies of nationalizing several sectors, limiting land ownership and giving more rights to workers in a bid to boost the economy and remove poverty did not only largely fail but made him unpopular.

His socialist Islamization policies and improvement of education for the masses did not create the kind of economic and social progress that he desired to see. He was also accused of nepotism and oppression through his secret police named the Federal Security Force (FSF).

10.Bhutto was Killed by Hanging

A rift within Bhutto鈥檚 PPP party started emerging in 1977 largely due to his seemingly controversial policies.

To prove his perceived popularity, Bhutto organized for election in 1977 which resulted in PPP winning majority of the votes cast.

The elections were disputed by his opponents which led to civil unrest after announcement of the results. Bhutto鈥檚 government was subsequently declared illegitimate by the military.

Bhutto was deposed by General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in 1977 and put under military arrest. Among his other accusations was his alleged involvement in the killing of a prominent opposition leader.

He was tried and sentenced to death by hanging and was subsequently hanged on 4^th April 1979.