COINCIDENCE OF OUR HISTORY- FATHER TO SON- 1938 TO 1967

In 1938, Sir Shahnawaz Khan Bhutto, alongwith Haji Abdullah Haroon is establing 'Sindh United Party' and the Manifesto is announced on 3oth October 1938. The date is the same, but year is 1967, Zulifkar Ali Bhutto is forming Pakistan Peoples Party in lahore.

The complete Manifesto of the Sindh United Party and valuable information about P...PP is available on the website of Gul Hayat, the link is given in the end of this posting. Though, Gul Hayat Institute has compiled 'Chronology of PPP' and that is not less than 1OO pages and comprehensive Catalouge of titles and topics of statements, addresses and press coverage of Shaheed Rani Benazir Bhutto, but it has not been uploaded on our website yet. Like other parties, Gul Hayat's holding on PPP is un-matched in quality and quantity. But we have last our interest in preservation and documentation of our history. That is why Gul Hayat being situated in district Larkano has not been visited by people in power to see that what a wonderful research work has been done on their Party besides, history of Sindh/Pakistan without any financial and moral support of any individual, NGO or Government.

Dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971 and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

The first free and fair elections were held in Pakistan in 1970, after 23 years of the independence, which rendered a verdict in East Pakistan, which was not acceptable to the leadership of West Pakistan, which led to the dismemberment of the country.

Before that the ruling elite of the then West Pakistan (mainly civil and military combine) used all kinds of machinations and  chicanery, which kept Bengalis out of power, and did not allow them to develop stakes into the country/system.

If they had been allowed to develop their stakes in Pakistan, it would not have led to their gradual disillusionment with the country, and would not have, ultimately, forced them to render a political verdict in 1970 elections, which was neither acceptable to West Pakistan leadership nor manageable, according to their previous standards and practices of these elite.

Fixation of responsibility: who was responsible for above and why ZAB failed to stand up in favor of Mujeeb at the last moment? These questions have divided Pakistanis ever since, down the middle; some fixing responsibility upon ZAB and some upon the army, according to their current political affiliations.

My opinion in terms of above discussion is that we had lost East Pakistan before 1970 elections,  and the 70/71 elections and subsequent dismemberment were a mere formality. Yes,  Bhutto was culpable in the  sense that he could not stand up to the army and support Mujeeb and rzulenounce his claim for power; but, was he capable of turning the tide in terms of public opinion raging in Bengal against the West Pakistan - at that late stage- without fundamentally reversing the mistakes of previous 23 years!

 We may come up with different opinions in terms of our current political inclinations and sensibilities; but this does not absolve us from responsibility to take steps to strengthen the remaining Pakistan in terms of spreading the popular stakes in the country, throughout its length and breadth, instead of making the previous mistake of distributing the fruits of development (read independence) along he ethnic and regional lines, which will only strengthen the hands of outsiders!