Politics of alliances and its effects during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's rule in Pakistan

Abstract

The paper mainly focuses on political alliances during the rule of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. This study is based on the opposition’s struggle in the form of political alliances to counter Bhutto's absolute power. The period thus saw the emergence of opposition alliances such as the United Democratic Front, the Pakistan National Alliance to organize resistance against Bhutto’s rule. However, this trend has not been limited to opposition’s alliances only. At times, the government joined hands with the opposition and major parties to achieve an agreed objective. In this study, a descriptive analysis is employed to cover the main theoretical and political formations of accords between the opposition and the ruling party. These unnatural alliances between political parties had immense effects on the future political scenario of Pakistan. It has also been observed that the opposition’s alliances, left behind their imprints on the history of Pakistan leading to the imposition of martial law in 1977 and changing the course of political events ever since. The findings will demonstrate that the political parties were engaged in a struggle for the preservation of the personal ambitions of party leaders. If they tackle the situation with harmony, a firm democracy can establish in Pakistan.