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=== Democratic government (1971–1977) === | === Democratic government (1971–1977) === | ||
[[File:State Gifts Chess Set.JPG|thumb|right|In 1975, [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]] gifted a carved ivory set of chess to the [[United States]] President [[Gerald Ford]].]] | |||
Following the 1970 elections, [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]], a charismatic democratic socialist, assumed the presidency from 1971 to 1974 and subsequently became Prime Minister in 1974. This era is often characterised as a "quiet cold war" involving Pakistan and its democratic socialist government under Bhutto. Although his socialist ideas were aligned with some communist principles, he did not formally ally with communism. Under Bhutto's leadership, Pakistan sought to engage with the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, fostering closer ties with the Soviet bloc and the Soviet Union. | Following the 1970 elections, [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]], a charismatic democratic socialist, assumed the presidency from 1971 to 1974 and subsequently became Prime Minister in 1974. This era is often characterised as a "quiet cold war" involving Pakistan and its democratic socialist government under Bhutto. Although his socialist ideas were aligned with some communist principles, he did not formally ally with communism. Under Bhutto's leadership, Pakistan sought to engage with the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, fostering closer ties with the Soviet bloc and the Soviet Union. | ||
At the same time, Bhutto attempted to maintain a balanced relationship with the United States, but these efforts were largely met with resistance. While he opposed ultra-leftist ideologies, Bhutto was a strong advocate for left-wing politics, which had been opposed by the U.S. since the early days of his government in Pakistan. | At the same time, Bhutto attempted to maintain a balanced relationship with the United States, but these efforts were largely met with resistance. While he opposed ultra-leftist ideologies, Bhutto was a strong advocate for left-wing politics, which had been opposed by the U.S. since the early days of his government in Pakistan. | ||
{{Rquote|right|When differences develop, a small country should not take on a great power head-on, it is wiser for it to duck, detour, side-step and try to enter from the back-door...|Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, on U.S.-Pakistan relations|<ref name="Hamid Hussain, Defence Journal of Pakistan" />}} | |||
Despite Richard Nixon's strong friendship and positive relations with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the dynamics shifted dramatically during Jimmy Carter's presidency. Carter, known for his anti-socialist stance, imposed stricter sanctions on Pakistan and exerted pressure on the government through the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Brigadier-General Henry Byroade. The socialist orientation of Bhutto’s administration and his left-wing policies alarmed the United States, raising concerns about the potential loss of Pakistan as an ally in the Cold War. The American perception was that Bhutto's government displayed a degree of sympathy towards leftist ideologies and maintained a favorable approach towards the Soviet Union. This relationship was particularly troubling for the U.S., as it seemed to facilitate the Soviet Union's access to Pakistan's warm water ports—an asset that both superpowers coveted but lacked. | |||
In the 1976 presidential election, [[Jimmy Carter]] was elected as President of the United States, and he used his inaugural address to express his commitment to pursuing a ban on nuclear weapons. With Carter's rise to power, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto found himself cut off from the connections he had previously established with the U.S. administration under Nixon. As a result, Bhutto faced an embargo and pressure from a President who fundamentally opposed the political goals he aimed to achieve. In his speech, Carter subtly signaled his disapproval of Bhutto’s ambitions and electoral plans. | |||
In response to Carter, Bhutto initiated a more assertive diplomatic campaign directed at the United States and the Western world regarding nuclear issues. His firm position on nuclear matters placed the United States, particularly Carter, in a challenging position at the United Nations, where it became difficult for them to counter Bhutto's criticisms. Bhutto criticised India's nuclear program, accusing it of contributing to nuclear proliferation, effectively sidelining both India and the Soviet Union in the discourse. Through letters to global and Western leaders, Bhutto articulated his intentions clearly, making it evident to the United States and the international community what his stance was on nuclear policy: | |||
{{blockquote|text=Pakistan was exposed to a kind of "nuclear threat and blackmail" unparalleled elsewhere..... (...)... If the world's community failed to provide political insurance to Pakistan and other countries against the nuclear blackmail, these countries would be a constraint to launch atomic bomb programs of their own!... [A]ssurances provided by the United Nations were not "Enough!"... |sign=Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, <small>statement written in "''Eating Grass''"</small>|source=source<ref name="Stanford University Press">{{cite book|last=Khan|first=Feroz Hassan|title=Eating grass : the making of the Pakistani bomb|publisher=Stanford University Press|location=Stanford, California|isbn=978-0-8047-7601-1|pages=119–120|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yGgrNAsKZjEC&q=Eating+grass+mastering&pg=PA100|access-date=9 January 2013|chapter-format=google book|chapter=The Route to Nuclear Ambition|date=November 22, 2012}}</ref>}} | |||
Despite the embargo imposed by Carter on Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, with the technical expertise and diplomatic guidance of Foreign Minister Aziz Ahmed, managed to acquire sensitive equipment, common metal materials, and electronic components disguised as "common items." This subterfuge significantly advanced [[Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction|Pakistan's atomic bomb project]]. Although Bhutto sought to address the escalating tensions, Carter deliberately undermined the negotiations. Historian Abdul Ghafoor Buhgari, in his thesis, accuses Carter of damaging Bhutto's credibility. However, he opposed Bhutto's execution and urged General Zia-ul-Haq to spare his life.<ref name="Abdul Ghafoor Bugari and Sani Penhwar, Member of Parliament">{{cite web |last=Bhurgari |first=Abdul Ghafoor |title=The Falcon of Pakistan |url=https://www.scribd.com/panhwar/d/8087285-Zulfikar-Ali-Bhutto-The-Falcon-of-Pakistan |access-date=26 January 2012 |work=Abdul Ghafoor Bugari |publisher=Abdul Ghafoor Bugari and Sani Penhwar, Member of Parliament}}{{dead link|date=March 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> | |||
The senior leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party attempted to engage with various ambassadors and high commissioners from different countries, but they refrained from meeting the U.S. ambassador, fully aware of Carter's "noble" role in the situation. By the time the Carter administration became aware of Bhutto's nuclear ambitions, the program had progressed significantly, which adversely impacted the [[Strategic Arms Limitation Talks|SALT I]] Treaty, leading it toward collapse. This situation highlighted President Carter's failure to curb nuclear proliferation, particularly as the arms race between the Soviet Union and the United States intensified. | |||
In 1974, following India’s nuclear test near Pakistan’s eastern border, codenamed Smiling Buddha, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto sought to persuade the United States to impose economic sanctions on India. However, this effort proved unsuccessful. During a meeting between Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the latter remarked that the nuclear test was "a fait accompli" and that Pakistan would have to adjust to this reality, acknowledging that it was "a little rough" for Pakistan. | |||
As the 1970s progressed, relations between Bhutto and the U.S. further deteriorated. Bhutto continued to oversee research on weapons, and in a 1976 meeting with Kissinger, the Secretary of State warned him that if he did not cancel, modify, or delay the Reprocessing Plant Agreement, the U.S. would make "a horrible example" of him. Bhutto ended the meeting by stating, ''"For my country's sake, for the sake of the people of Pakistan, I did not succumb to that blackmail and threats."'' | |||
Following this encounter, Bhutto intensified his policies of [[Nationalisation | nationalisation]] and [[Internationalisation | industrialisation]], while also taking decisive steps to promote scientific research related to atomic weapons. He authorised the establishment of the ''Chagai weapon-testing laboratories'', despite U.S. opposition, which predicted that this action could lead to a devastating conflict between [[India]] and [[Pakistan]] in the future. By 1978, Pakistan's atomic bomb project had reached full maturity, culminating in a cold test conducted in 1983, known as Kirana-I. | |||
In 1974, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto convened the [[Organisation of Islamic Conference]] with the aim of uniting the Muslim world. However, in 1977, he was arrested by his own appointed army chief, [[Zia-ul-Haq | Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq]], who imposed martial law and took over as [[Presidency of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq | president]] in 1978. The following year, in 1979, Bhutto was executed by hanging for the murder of a political rival.<ref>{{cite news |last= | |||
|first= | |||
|date= 2025-01-06 | |||
|title= This Pakistani leader wanted to fight war with India for thousand years, was hanged in jail due to…, his name is… | |||
|url= https://www.india.com/news/world/this-pakistani-leader-wanted-to-fight-war-with-india-for-thousand-years-was-hanged-in-jail-due-to-his-name-is-islamabad-zulfikar-ali-bhutto-jinnah-jammu-and-kashmir-indian-army-china-7516356/ | |||
|work= | |||
|location= New Delhi | |||
|publisher= India.com | |||
|url-status= | |||
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250109011859/https://www.india.com/news/world/this-pakistani-leader-wanted-to-fight-war-with-india-for-thousand-years-was-hanged-in-jail-due-to-his-name-is-islamabad-zulfikar-ali-bhutto-jinnah-jammu-and-kashmir-indian-army-china-7516356/ | |||
|archive-date= 2025-01-09 | |||
|access-date= | |||
}} </ref> | |||
== Space science collaboration == | == Space science collaboration == | ||