Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was a Pakistani military officer and politician who served as the country's sixth president from 1978 until his death. He held the position of second chief of the army staff starting in 1976. After leading a coup in 1977, he became Pakistan's longest-serving de facto head of state.

Early life and education

Zia was born on 12 August 1924 in Jullundur, Punjab, within British India. His father, Muhammad Akbar Ali, worked at the Army General Headquarters in Delhi. The family belonged to the Punjabi Arain community. Zia and his six siblings learned the Qur'an during their childhood.

He completed his initial schooling in Shimla before attending St. Stephen's College in Delhi. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in history in 1943. Following this, he entered the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun. He graduated from the academy in May 1945.

Career

Zia was commissioned into the British Indian Army on 12 May 1943. He served with the 13th Lancers, which was a cavalry unit equipped with tanks. During the Second World War, he participated in the Burma campaign against the Imperial Japanese Army. He also saw action during the Indonesian National Revolution and the Battle of Surabaya.

After the Partition of India in 1947, Zia joined the Pakistan Army. In September 1950, he joined the Guides Cavalry. He received training in the United States between 1962 and 1964 at the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, he served as the Assistant Quartermaster of the 101st Infantry Brigade.

From 1967 to 1970, Zia led a military training mission to Jordan. According to CIA official Jack O'Connell, Zia acted as an advisor during the Black September conflict against the Palestinian Liberation Organization. O'Connell reported that Zia personally led Jordanian troops during these battles. This service led King Hussein to view him favorably. Consequently, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto appointed Zia as Chief of Army Staff on 1 March 1976.

Zia deposed Bhutto through a military coup on 5 July 1977. He declared martial law following civil disorder during the 1977 general election. He assumed the presidency in 1978 and played a major role in the Soviet-Afghan War. While coordinating the Afghan mujahideen against the Soviet occupation, he bolstered ties with China and the United States.

Domestically, Zia implemented Islamization through broad-ranging legislation. He also escalated the Pakistan atomic bomb project. Although he held elections in 1985 and appointed Muhammad Khan Junejo as Prime Minister, he retained significant power via the Eighth Amendment. After dismissing the Junejo government, Zia announced fresh elections for November 1988. He died on 17 August 1988 when his plane crashed near Bahawalpur.

Personal life

As a young soldier, Zia preferred religious prayer over common officer pastimes such as drinking or gambling. His father was noted for his religiousness and held the Muslim clerical title of maulvi. This religious background influenced his political ideology, which is known as Ziaism.

Awards and recognition

Zia received several military honors during his service. These include the 1939–45 Star and the Burma Star. He was also awarded the Order of the Rajamitrabhorn, the Order of the Yugoslavian Great Star, and the Grand Cross of the Order of Excellence.