80-559: Policies Chief of the Army Staff President of Pakistan [REDACTED] Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani military officer who served as the 6th president of Pakistan from 1978 until his death in 1988. He rose to prominence after leading a coup on 5 July 1977, which overthrew the democratically elected government of prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto . Zia subsequently imposed martial law , suspended
160-459: A $ 28 million grant from Saudi King Faisal , whose name the mosque bears. The unconventional design by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay was selected after an international competition. Without a typical dome , the mosque is shaped like a Bedouin tent, surrounded by four 260 feet (79 m) tall minarets. The design features eight-sided shell shaped sloping roofs forming a triangular worship hall which can hold 10,000 worshippers. Combined
240-700: A Turkish-style chandelier . The mosaic pattern adorns the west wall and has the Kalimah written in early Kufic script , repeated in mirror image pattern. The Qibla Wall is covered with blue and white calligraphic tiles designed by a Turkish artist Mengu Ertel. The interior of the mosque uses Turkish and Pakistani inspired decorations. The mosque takes an unusual route to its design by combining contemporary and classic Islamic architecture. The unique design takes most of its elements from nomadic Bedouin tent, but it still manages to keep in contact with Islamic architecture by using Ottoman style minarets and square shape form
320-595: A cost of over 130 million Saudi riyals (approximately 120 million USD today). King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz was instrumental in the funding, and both the mosque and the road leading to it were named after him after his assassination in 1975. King Faisal bin Abdulaziz's successor King Khalid laid the foundation stone for the mosque in October 1976 and signed the construction agreement in 1978. Basic information about
400-516: A few of the leading technocratic figures in his military government. After Bhutto's execution, momentum to hold elections began to mount both internationally and within Pakistan. But before handing over power to elected representatives, Zia-ul-Haq attempted to secure his position as the head of state. A referendum was held on 19 December 1984 with the option being to elect or reject the General as
480-488: A large number of opposition political parties grouped to form the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA). Bhutto called fresh elections , and PNA participated fully in those elections. They managed to contest the elections jointly even though there were grave splits on opinions and views within the party. The PNA faced defeat but did not accept the results, alleging that the election was rigged. On 11 March,
560-497: A relationship in the heroin trade, but has been considered. Zia benefited from the extremely capable martial law administrators who previously had worked with the military governments of former president Yahya Khan and Ayub Khan in the 1960s. One of the notable officers that had worked with him were General Khalid Arief , Chief of Army Staff , and Admiral Mohammad Shariff , Chairman Joint Chiefs . Both were noted by Western governments as highly capable and had wide experience from
640-714: A special needs child, Rubina Saleem, who is married to a Pakistani banker and has been living in the United States since 1980, and Quratulain Zia who currently lives in London , and is married to Pakistani doctor, Adnan Majid. His cousin Mian Abdul Waheed has served as diplomat, being Pakistan’s ambassador to Germany and Italy , also playing a major role in the country becoming a nuclear power, while post-retirement he turned to active politics, long been associated with
720-515: A traditional dome structure. The Faisal Mosque can accommodate about 300,000 worshippers. Each of the Mosque's four minarets are 79 m (230 ft) high (the tallest minarets in South Asia) and measure 10×10 meters in circumference. The main areas have the capacity to hold up to 74000 people in the main areas including the inner hall, and the courtyards. The grounds around the mosque have
800-640: Is also cited for promoting the political career of Nawaz Sharif , who was thrice elected prime minister. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was born on 12 August 1924 in Jalandhar , Punjab Province , British India . His father, Muhammad Akbar Ali, worked in the Army General Headquarters in Delhi . Ali was noted for his religiosity which earned him the Muslim clerical title molvi . His family belonged to
880-513: Is also the reason why he let Zia push for more Islam in the armed forces. Thus Bhutto let him change the army's motto to Iman , Taqwa , Jihad fi sabilillah and let him offer books of Mawdudi to his officers as prizes during various competitions, despite the strong ideological antagonism between Bhutto and the Islamist thinker. Prime Minister Bhutto began facing considerable criticism and increasing unpopularity as his term progressed;
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#1732776325636960-822: Is based in the GHQ whose functions are supervised by the Chief of Army Staff, assisted by the civilians from the Army Secretariat of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Chief of Army Staff exercise responsibility of complete operational, training and logistics commands. There are several principle staff officers (PSO) who assist in running the operations of the Army GHQ: Faisal Mosque The Faisal Mosque ( Urdu : فیصل مسجد , romanized : faisal masjid )
1040-543: Is inspired by the design of a typical Bedouin tent . A major tourist attraction in Pakistan, the mosque is a contemporary and influential piece of Islamic architecture . Famous spots like the Faisal Mosque, a masterpiece of modern Islamic architecture, and the Pakistan Monument, which represents the country’s cultural history, add to the city’s charm. Construction of the mosque began in 1976 after
1120-590: Is the national mosque of Pakistan, located in the capital city, Islamabad . It is the fifth-largest mosque in the world , the largest mosque outside the Middle East, and the largest within South Asia, located on the foothills of Margalla Hills in Islamabad. It is named after the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia . The mosque features a contemporary design consisting of eight sides of concrete shell and
1200-753: The Arain community of Punjabis . At an early age, Zia and his six siblings were taught the Quran . After completing his initial education in Simla , Zia attended Delhi's prestigious St. Stephen's College , an Anglican missionary school, for his BA degree in History, from which he graduated with distinction in 1943. He was admitted to the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun , graduating in May 1945 among
1280-781: The Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Shariff announced his and the navy's strong support for Zia and his military government. But the Chief of Air Staff General Zulfikar Ali Khan remained unsupportive, but the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Muhammad Shariff remained neutral, while he silently expressed his support to Prime Minister Zulfikar Bhutto. In 1978, Zia pressured President Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry to appoint General Anwar Shamim as Chief of Air Staff; and Admiral Karamat Rahman Niazi as Chief of Naval Staff in 1979. On Zia's recommendation, President Illahi appointed Admiral Mohammad Shariff as Chairman of
1360-982: The PML-N before ending up in the PPP . Zia was commissioned into the British Indian Army on 12 May 1943 after graduating from the Mhow Officer Training School . He was posted to the 13th Lancers , a cavalry unit accoutered with tanks. During the Second World War , in May 1945, Zia participated in the Burma campaign and the Malayan campaign of the Pacific War against the Imperial Japanese Army . Following
1440-1046: The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan , Zia adopted an anti-Soviet stance and aided the Afghan mujahidin . He bolstered ties with China and the United States and emphasized Pakistan's role in the Islamic world . Zia held non-partisan elections in 1985 and appointed Muhammad Junejo prime minister, though he accumulated more presidential powers through the Eighth Amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan . He dismissed Junejo's government on charges of economic stagflation and announced general elections in November 1988. In August 1988, while travelling from Bahawalpur to Islamabad , Zia died in an aircraft crash near
1520-537: The Supreme Court of Pakistan was one of the earliest and major steps were taken out by the military government under General Zia-ul-Haq. Zia had recognised the fact that since, Bhutto had good equations with the governments of the Soviet Union , China , and all the important western countries , excluding the United States . Still, it was a formidable array of sovereigns, presidents and prime ministers and
1600-673: The Sutlej River . He was buried at the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. Zia dominated Pakistan's politics for over a decade and his proxy war against the Soviet Union is credited with stopping an expected Soviet invasion of Pakistan . He is praised by Islamists for his desecularization efforts and opposition to Western culture . Zia's detractors criticize his authoritarianism , his press censorship , his purported religious intolerance and his weakening of democracy in Pakistan . His overall policy has been called Ziaism . Zia
1680-547: The constitution , and served as chief martial law administrator before assuming the presidency. Zia served as the 2nd chief of the Army Staff from 1976 to 1988, a position he later leveraged to execute a coup in 1977, which was the second coup in Pakistan's history of coups ; the first occurred in 1958 under Ayub Khan . Zia was born in Jalandhar and trained at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun . In 1943, he
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#17327763256361760-529: The partition of India in 1947, Captain Zia was the escort officer for the last train of refugees to leave Babina , an armored corps training center in Uttar Pradesh , a difficult journey that took seven days, during which the passengers were under constant fire as communal violence broke out in the aftermath of Partition . In September 1950, Zia joined the Guides Cavalry . He was trained in
1840-625: The Army Staff exercises responsibility of command and control of the operational, combatant, logistics, and training commands within the army. The appointment, in principle, is constitutionally subjected to be for three years after the approval by the President on the recommendations of the Prime Minister. The Chief of the Army Staff is based in the GHQ , and the current Chief is General Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah , serving in this capacity since 29 November 2022. The designation of
1920-563: The Chief Justice Anwarul Haq, and the case of Bhutto was again heard by the Chief Justice Anwar-ul-Haq as the bench's lead judge, and presided the whole case of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto while forcing the martial law throughout Pakistan. Shortly, after Zia's return, another judge Mushtak Ahmad also gained Zia and Anwar-ul-Haq's support and elevated as the ad hoc Chief Justice of Lahore High Court ; he
2000-485: The Chief of the Army Staff was created from the previous title Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army in 1972. Since 1972, there have been 10 four-star rank army generals to be appointed as chief of army staff by statute. The Prime Minister approved the nomination and appointment of the Chief of Army Staff, with President confirming the Prime Minister's appointed choosing and nomination. The army leadership
2080-790: The Coup d'état carefully, as he knew Bhutto had integral intelligence in the Pakistan Armed Forces, and many officers, including Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan and Major-General Tajammul Hussain Malik , GOC of 23rd Mountain Division, Major-General Naseerullah Babar , DG of Directorate-General for the Military Intelligence (DGMI) and Vice-Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan , were loyal to Bhutto. The coup (codenamed " Operation Fair Play ") transpired in
2160-658: The Federal government's decision to oust the NAP provincial government in Balochistan Province for alleged secessionist activities and culminating in the banning of the party and arrest of much of its leadership after the death of a close lieutenant of Bhutto's, Hayat Sherpao , in a bomb blast in the frontier town of Peshawar . Dissidence also increased within the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and
2240-891: The Joint Chiefs of Staff, hence making the Admiral the highest-ranking officer and principal military adviser overlooking all of the inter-services, including the Chiefs of Staff of the respected forces. In 1979, the Chiefs of Army, Navy, and the Air Force, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff validated the coup as constitutional and legal under the war-torn circumstances, pledging their support to Zia as well. After assuming power as Chief Martial Law Administrator, Zia shortly appeared on national television, PTV promising to hold new and neutral parliamentary elections within
2320-522: The Kaaba. Located at the foot of the Margalla Hills, the location plays a significant role in Faisal Mosque. The Mosque is visible from miles away and sits on a higher surface compared to the main city. The mosque faces the city and is backed by green mountain ranges, giving it a scenic view. One of the main highways of Islamabad, Faisal Avenue leads straight to the Mosque showing the importance of
2400-454: The PNA viewed Bhutto's government as illegitimate. Soon, all the opposition leaders called for the overthrow of Bhutto's regime. Political and civil disorder intensified, which led to more unrest. On 21 April 1977, Bhutto imposed martial law in the major cities of Karachi , Lahore and Hyderabad . However, a compromise agreement between Bhutto and opposition was ultimately reported. Zia planned
2480-564: The PPP can be forgiven for making a massive political miscalculations. After calling for martial law, Zia pressured President Fazal Illahi to appoint Justice Sheikh Anwarul Haq to Chief Justice of Pakistan on 23 September 1977. Immediately, chief justice Yaqub Ali was forcefully removed from the office after the latter agreed to re-hear the petition filed at the supreme court by the peoples party's chairwoman Nusrat Bhutto on 20 September 1977. After Justice Yaqub Ali's removal, Bhutto objected to
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2560-621: The Palestinians, as part of actions during Black September in which thousands were killed. It was Gul Hasan who interceded for Zia after which Army Chief General Yahya Khan let Zia off the hook. He was then promoted as Lieutenant General and was appointed commander of the II Strike Corps at Multan in 1975. On 1 March 1976, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto approved then-three star rank general Lieutenant-General Zia as Chief of Army Staff and to be elevated to four-star rank. At
2640-520: The Punjab Province made much headway in beautifying Lahore extending infrastructure, and muting political opposition. The ascent of Nawaz Sharif to Chief Minister of Punjab was largely due to General Jilani's sponsorship. Perhaps most crucially, final and fourth martial law administrator appointment was then-Lieutenant-General Rahimuddin Khan . Lieutenant-General Rahimuddin Khan was appointed to
2720-675: The United States from 1962–1964 at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas . After that, he returned to take over as Directing Staff (DS) at Command and Staff College , Quetta . During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , Zia is said to have been the Assistant Quartermaster of the 101st Infantry Brigade. As a young soldier, Zia preferred prayers when "drinking, gambling, dancing and music were
2800-408: The alliance called a nationwide strike followed by vicious demonstrations demanding fresh elections. Around 200 people were killed in the encounters between protestors and security forces. They proceeded to boycott the provincial elections. Despite this, there was a high voter turnout in the national elections; however, as provincial elections were held amidst low voter turnout and an opposition boycott,
2880-546: The appeals and upheld the death sentence. On 4 April 1979, Bhutto was hanged, after the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence as passed by the Lahore High Court . The hanging of an elected prime minister by a military dictator was condemned by the international community and by lawyers and jurists across Pakistan. Bhutto's trial was highly controversial. The Ad hoc appointments of senior justices at
2960-580: The appointment of General Anwar Shamim as Chief of Air Staff and following President's resignation, Zia appointed Shamim as the Deputy Chief Martial Law Administrator. In the matters of serious national security, General Zia had taken the chief of air staff and chief of naval staff in confidence after he discussed the matters with the respected chiefs of Staff. Zia's appointment in inter-services were highly crucial for his military government and pre-emptive measure to ensure
3040-539: The biography provided by Major-General A. O. Mitha , it was the Army Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Gul Hasan 's lobbying at the Army GHQ which also saved then Brigadier Zia-ul-Haq from being terminated. Brigadier Zia had been recommended to be court-martialled by Major-General Nawazish in his submission to President Yahya Khan for disobeying GHQ orders by commanding a Jordanian armoured division against
3120-462: The capacity to contain up to 200,000 people. I tried to capture the spirit, proportion, and geometry of Kaaba in a purely abstract manner. Imagine the apex of each of the four minarets as a scaled explosion of four highest corners of Kaaba – thus an unseen Kaaba form is bounded by the minarets at the four corners in a proportion of height to base. Shah Faisal Mosque is akin to the Holy Kaaba in
3200-401: The civilian institutions and legislators to ensure the country's integrity and sovereignty therefore, in October 1977, he announced the postponement of the electoral plan and decided to start an accountability process for the politicians. On television, Zia strongly defended his decision for postponing the elections and demanded that "scrutiny of political leaders who had engaged in malpractice in
3280-566: The continuous loyalty of Navy and Air Force to himself and his new military government. Despite the dismissal of most of the Bhutto government, president Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry was persuaded to continue in office as a figurehead . After completing his term, and despite Zia's insistence to accept an extension as President, Chaudhry resigned, and Zia took the office of President of Pakistan on 16 September 1978. Although ostensibly only holding office until free elections could be held, General Zia, like
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3360-676: The coup as a "spontaneous response to a difficult situation", but his response was a complete contradiction. Soon after the coup, Zia told the British journalist Edward Behr of Newsweek : I [Zia] am the only man who took this decision [ Fair Play ] and I did so on 1700 Hrs on 4[th] July after hearing the press statement which indicated that the talks between Mr. Bhutto and the opposition had broken down. Had an agreement been reached between them, I would certainly never had done what I did. However, Zia's Chief of Army Staff General Khalid Mahmud Arif contradicted Zia's statement when Arif noted that
3440-521: The coup but released shortly afterwards. Upon his release, Bhutto travelled the country amid adulatory crowds of PPP supporters. On 3 September 1977, he was arrested again by the Army on charges of authorising the murder of a political opponent in March 1974. The trial proceedings began 24 October 1977 and lasted five months. On 18 March 1978, Bhutto was declared guilty of murder and was sentenced to death. In
3520-438: The coup had already been planned, and the senior leadership of Pakistan Armed Forces had solid information. Therefore, Arif met with Bhutto on an emergency basis, stressing and urging Bhutto to "rush negotiations with the opposition". By Arif's and independent expert's accounts, the talks had not broken down even though the coup was very much in the offing. Zia further argued that Fair Play against Bhutto had been necessitated by
3600-404: The democratic socialist's alliance who had previously allied with Bhutto began to diminish as time progressed. Initially targeting leader of the opposition Vali Khan and his opposition National Awami Party (NAP), also a socialist party. Despite the ideological similarity of the two parties, the clash of egos both inside and outside the National Assembly became increasingly fierce, starting with
3680-402: The deposed Prime Minister, filed a suit against Zia's military regime , challenging the validity of the July 1977 military coup. The Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled, in what would later be known as the Doctrine of Necessity (not to be confused with the 1954 doctrine of necessity ) that, given the dangerously unstable political situation of the time, Zia's overthrowing of the Bhutto government
3760-567: The designer's imaginative eyes. Now, if you join the apex of each minaret to the base of the minaret diagonally opposite to it correspondingly, a four-sided pyramid shall be bound by these lines at the base side within that invisible cube. That lower level pyramid is treated as a solid body while four minarets with their apex complete the imaginary cube of Kaaba. Instead of using traditional domes , Vedat Dalokay designed an eight-sided main hall that looked like an Arab's Bedouin desert tent. Additionally, he added four minarets on all four corners of
3840-535: The end of 1981 set up the majlis, which was to act as a sort of board of advisors to the President and assist with the process of Islamization. The 350 members of the Shoora were to be nominated by the President and possessed only the power to consult with him, and in reality served only to endorse decisions already taken by the government. Most members of the Shoora were intellectuals, scholars , ulema , journalists, economists, and professionals in different fields. Zia's parliament and his military government reflect
3920-412: The future President, the wording of the referendum making a vote against Zia appear to be a vote against Islam. According to official figures 97.8% of votes were cast in favour of Zia, however only 20% of the electorate participated in the referendum. Chief of the Army Staff (Pakistan) The Chief of the Army Staff ( COAS ) is a position in the Pakistani Army held by a four-star general . As
4000-423: The government with Zia. Zia successfully divided and separated the secular forces from right-wing Islamists and conservatives, and later purged each member of the secular front. A Disqualification Tribunal was formed, and several individuals who had been members of parliament were charged with malpractice and disqualified from participating in politics at any level for the next seven years. A white paper document
4080-419: The highest-ranking officer, it is the most powerful position in the army. This is the senior most appointment in the army who is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee in a separate capacity, usually consulting with the Chairman joint chiefs to act as a military adviser to the Prime Minister and its civilian government in the line of defending the land borders of the country. The Chief of
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#17327763256364160-623: The idea of "military-bureaucratic technocracy" (MBT) where professionals, engineers, and high-profile military officers were initially part of his military government. His antipathy for the politicians led the promotion of bureaucratic-technocracy which was seen a strong weapon of countering the politicians and their political strongholds. Senior statesman and technocrats were included physicist-turned diplomat Agha Shahi , jurist Sharifuddin Perzada , corporate leader Nawaz Sharif , economist Mahbub ul Haq , and senior statesman Aftab Kazie , Roedad Khan , and chemist-turned diplomat Ghulam Ishaq Khan were
4240-405: The inclusion of the new Chief Justice, Sheikh Anwar-ul-Haq, as a chief justice of the Bench on the grounds that by accepting the office of acting president during the absence of Zia-ul-Haq from the country, he had compromised his impartial status. Bhutto also stated that the Chief Justice in his public statements had been critical of his government in the recent past. The objection was over-ruled by
4320-412: The last group of officers to be commissioned before the independence of India. On 10 August 1950, he married his cousin Shafiq Jahan in Lahore . Begum Shafiq Zia died on 6 January 1996. Zia is survived by his sons, Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq , (born 1953), who went into politics and became a cabinet minister in the government of Nawaz Sharif , and Anwar-ul-Haq (born 1960) and his daughters, Zain (born 1972),
4400-402: The main hall, which are of 80 m (260 ft) high, the tallest minarets in South Asia. The main structure of the building is the main prayer hall, which is supported by four concrete girders. The four unusual minarets are inspired by Turkish architecture . Vedat Dalokay also believed that the design of the Masjid represents Kaaba in an abstract manner. Entrance is from the east, where
4480-505: The military government of the East-Pakistan and remained General Zia' confidential members. Both Admiral Sharif and General Arif handled the matters efficiently if the matters were out of control by Zia. In 1979, Zia influenced the Navy's Promotion Board several times after he succeeded first in the appointment of Admiral Karamat Rahman Niazi as Chief of Naval Staff in 1979, and Admiral Tarik Kamal Khan , also chief of naval staff, in 1983. On his request, then-President Fazal Illahi approved
4560-438: The mosque can be found written on the foundation stone. On 18 June 1988, the first prayer was held, although the mosque was completed in 1986. The mosque grounds along with being a building for prayer also used to house the International Islamic University some years ago but has since relocated to a new campus in 2000. Some traditional and conservative Muslims criticized the design at first for its unconventional design and lack of
4640-571: The murder of leading dissident Ahmed Raza Kasuri 's father led to public outrage and intra-party hostility as Bhutto was accused of masterminding the crime. PPP leaders such as Ghulam Mustafa Khar openly condemned Bhutto and called for protests against his regime. The political crisis in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ) and Balochistan intensified as civil liberties remained suspended, and an estimated 100,000 troops deployed there were accused of abusing human rights and killing large numbers of civilians. On 8 January 1977,
4720-399: The next 90 days My sole aim is to organize free and fair elections which would be held in October this year. Soon after the polls, power will be transferred to the elected representatives of the people. I give a solemn assurance that I will not deviate from this schedule. He also stated that the Constitution of Pakistan had not been abrogated, but temporarily suspended. Zia did not trust
4800-407: The past". Thus, the PNA adopted its policy of " retribution first, elections later". Zia's policy severely tainted his credibility as many saw the broken promise as malicious. Another motive was that Zia widely suspected that once out of power the size of the Pakistan Peoples Party rallies would swell and better performance in elections was possible. This led to request for postponement of elections by
4880-497: The post of Martial Law Administrator of Balochistan Province saw the disbanding of the Baloch insurgency , the containment of Afghan mujahidin, as well as the construction of nuclear test sites in the Chagai District . Zia's tenure saw the influx of heroin, sophisticated weaponry, and countless refugees in from neighbouring Afghanistan . Law and order deterioration was worse after he appointed Mr. Junejo as Prime minister in 1985. The government did not locate evidence of Zia having
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#17327763256364960-405: The prayer hall is fronted by a courtyard with porticoes . The International Islamic University was housed under the main courtyard but now has relocated to a new campus. The mosque still houses a library, lecture hall, museum, and cafe. The interior of the main tent-shaped hall is covered in white marble and decorated with mosaics and calligraphy by the famous Pakistani artist Sadequain , and
5040-465: The previous military governments, disapproved of the lack of discipline and orderliness that often accompanies multiparty " parliamentary democracy ." He preferred a "presidential" form of government and a system of decision making by technical experts, or " technocracy ". His first replacement for the parliament or National Assembly was a Majlis-e-Shoora , or "consultative council." After banning all political parties in 1979 he disbanded Parliament and at
5120-560: The prospect of a civil war that Bhutto had been planning, by distributing weapons to his supporters. However, Arif strongly rejected Zia's remarks on Bhutto, and citing no evidence that weapons were found or recovered at any of the party's election offices, the military junta did not prosecute Bhutto on the charge of planning civil war. After deposing Prime Minister Bhutto on 5 July 1977, Zia-ul-Haq declared martial law, and appointed himself Chief Martial Law Administrator, which he remained until becoming president on 16 September 1978. Immediately,
5200-549: The rank of General and was appointed as Chief of Army Staff , succeeding Tikka Khan , by prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto . In July 1977, Zia organized Operation Fair Play , during which he overthrew Bhutto and declared martial law . Zia remained de facto leader for over a year, assuming the presidency in September 1978. He directed Islamization in Pakistan , escalated the country's atomic bomb project and instituted industrialization and deregulation , which significantly improved Pakistan's economy . In 1979, following
5280-476: The right-wing Islamists as well as left-wing socialists, formerly allied with Bhutto, which displaced Bhutto in the first place. Zia dispatched an intelligence unit, known as ISI's Political Wing, sending Brigadier-General Taffazul Hussain Siddiqiui, to Bhutto's native Province, Sindh , to assess whether people would accept martial law. The Political Wing also contacted the several right-wing Islamists and conservatives, promising an election, with PNA power-sharing
5360-423: The small hours of 5 July 1977. Before the announcement of any agreement, Bhutto and members of his cabinet were arrested by troops of the Military Police under the order of Zia. Bhutto tried to call Zia but all telephone lines were disconnected. When Zia spoke to him later, he reportedly told Bhutto that he was sorry that he had been forced to perform such an "unpleasant task". Zia and his military government portrayed
5440-427: The structure covers an area of 33 acres (130,000 m ; 1,400,000 sq ft), the mosque dominates the landscape of Islamabad. It is situated at the north end of Faisal Avenue , putting it at the northernmost end of the city and at the foot of Margalla Hills , the westernmost foothills of the Himalayas . It is located on an elevated area of land against a picturesque backdrop of the national park. Faisal Mosque
5520-491: The time of his nominating the successor to the outgoing Chief of Army Staff General Tikka Khan , the Lieutenant Generals in order of seniority were: Muhammad Shariff , Akbar Khan, Aftab Ahmed , Azmat Baksh Awan, Ibrahim Akram , Abdul Majeed Malik, Ghulam Jilani Khan , and Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. But, Bhutto chose the most junior, superseding seven more senior lieutenant-generals. However, the senior most at that time, Lieutenant-General Mohammad Shariff, though promoted to General,
5600-429: The way officers spent their free time." Brigadier Zia was stationed in Jordan from 1967 to 1970 as the head of a Pakistani training mission to Jordan. Zia-ul-Haq became involved on the Jordanian side of the military conflict against Palestinian insurgents known as Black September . Zia had been stationed in Amman for three years prior to Black September. During the events, according to CIA official Jack O'Connell , Zia
5680-468: The words of Aftab Kazie and Roedad Khan , Zia hated Bhutto and had used inappropriate language and insults to describe Bhutto and his colleagues. The Supreme Court ruled four to three in favour of execution. The High Court had given him the death sentence on charges of the murder of the father of Ahmed Raza Kasuri, a dissident PPP politician. Despite many clemency appeals from foreign leaders requesting Zia to commute Bhutto's death sentence, Zia dismissed
5760-664: Was appointed Martial Law Administrator of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province . Lieutenant-General Fazle Haque was considered a strong vocal General and a strong man. General Haque was the commander of the XI Corps , and commanding-general officer of the Army elements responsible for fighting a secret war against Soviet Union. The second appointment was of Lieutenant-General S.M. Abbasi who was appointed Martial Law Administrator of Sindh Province ; his tenure too saw civil disorder amid student riots. By contrast, third martial law administrator appointment of Lieutenant-General Ghulam Jilani Khan to
5840-776: Was commissioned in the British Indian Army and fought in the Pacific War of the Second World War . Following the partition of India in 1947, Zia joined the Pakistan Army and was stationed in the Frontier Force Regiment . During the Black September , he played a prominent role in defending the Jordanian Armed Forces against the Palestinian Liberation Organization . In 1976, Zia was elevated to
5920-474: Was dispatched north by King Hussein to assess Syria's military capabilities. The Pakistani commander reported back to Hussein, recommending the deployment of a RJAF squadron to the region. Zia-ul-Haq then went on to plan the Jordanian offensive against the Palestinians and commanded an armoured division against them. O'Connell also reported that Zia personally led Jordanian troops during battles. According to
6000-415: Was held in which architects from 17 countries submitted 43 proposals. The winning design was that of Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay . Forty-six acres of land were assigned for the project and the execution was assigned to Pakistani engineers and workers. Construction of the mosque began in 1976 by National Construction Limited of Pakistan, led by Azim Khan and was funded by the government of Saudi Arabia, at
6080-409: Was issued, incriminating the deposed Bhutto government on several counts. It is reported by senior officers that when Zia met federal secretaries for the first time as leader of the country after martial law, he said that "He does not possess the charisma of Bhutto, personality of Ayub Khan or the legitimacy of Liaquat Ali Khan " thereby implying how can he be marketed. Nusrat Bhutto , the wife of
6160-405: Was legal on the grounds of necessity . The judgement tightened the general's hold on the government. When Bhutto appeared personally to argue his appeal in the supreme court, he almost affirmed his concurrence with the judges present for not letting off a judgement without imposing some conditions on ruling military government. Former elected Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was arrested during
6240-578: Was made the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee , a constitutional post akin to President Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry . Pakistani academic Husain Haqqani argues that Bhutto chose Zia ahead of many senior officers for ethnic and caste reasons, thinking that an Arain would not make an alliance with the predominantly Pashtun and Rajput military officers in order to overthrow him, and this
6320-635: Was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 until 1993 when it was overtaken by the mosques in Saudi Arabia . Faisal Mosque is now the sixth largest mosque in the world in terms of capacity. The impetus for the mosque began in 1966 when King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz supported the initiative of the Pakistani Government to build a national mosque in Islamabad during an official visit to Pakistan. In 1969, an international competition
6400-475: Was too part of the bench who retained the death sentence of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto even though Bhutto was not declared guilty of the murder of the political opponent. In 1979, when Zia departed for Saudi Arabia , Justice Anwarul Haq served as interim president of Pakistan. The Zia regime largely made use of installing high-profile military generals to carte blanche provincial administration under martial law. Zia's Guides Cavalry comrade Lieutenant-General Fazhle Haque
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