Pakistan in 1994: The Politics of Confrontation

Abstract

An intense political confrontation between the PPP government led by Benazir Bhutto and the opposition Pakistan Muslim League (N) led by Nawaz Sharif dominated Pakistani politics in 1994. Neither the government nor the PML(N) showed any tolerance toward each other, with the former pursuing vengeful policies while the latter indulged in ceaseless agitation. The political system suffered from institutional decay, widespread financial corruption, and spiraling ethnic, sectarian, and religious violence, leading to near-anarchic conditions in certain parts of the country. The military, because of its institutional interests, chose to support the government despite open invitations from opposition politicians to intervene. The economy showed a modest improvement at the macro level, but continued to experience stagnation at the micro level. Foreign policy lacked effectiveness in terms of producing tangible results, with decision-makers displaying both a lack of understanding of the changes in the world order and the absence of a coherent strategy to tackle vital foreign policy issues. A split occurred within the Bhutto family when Nusrat Bhutto, Benazir's mother, chose to support her son, Murtaza, within the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Murtaza Bhutto, who had returned to the country after 16 years of exile in Damascus, regarded himself as the true heir to his father. Apparently to preempt Nusrat's bid to declare Murtaza her successor in the PPP, Benazir expelled her mother from the party's co-chairmanship. The power struggle within the Bhutto family was further intensified when Nusrat Bhutto said she would not allow certain PPP members of the Benazir government to visit the grave of her late husband on his birth-anniversary on January 5, while Benazir remained firm that the anniversary would be celebrated as usual. A