Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1928-1979), president and prime minister of Pakistan (1971-1977). A US- and English-educated lawyer, he held several Cabinet posts under President Ayub Khan but was dropped as foreign minister, because of his pro-China policy and opposition to peace with India, in 1966. The following year he formed the Pakistan People's party (PPP), which by 1970 had become the largest in West Pakistan. He was briefly imprisoned in 1968-1969 after denouncing the Ayub Khan government as dictatorial. His unwillingness to form a coalition with the secessionist Awami League in East Pakistan led to civil war in which that region broke away as Bangladesh.

After the secession of Bangladesh and the resultant war with India in 1971, Bhutto emerged as president of the truncated country and was generally credited with returning it to relative stability. Under a new constitution (1973), he became prime minister, retaining martial law. Faced with political opposition and regional violence, his government became repressive and was charged with election fraud in 1977. Later that year Bhutto was deposed in a coup led by General Muhammad Zia Ul-Haq. Found guilty of ordering the murder of a political opponent, he was hanged. His daughter, Benazir Bhutto, then became leader of the PPP.