Benazir’s successes and failures in both the terms
Successes:
- Freedom of speech – released political prisoners, ended ban on student unions
- Set up first woman bank – created job opportunities for women and worked at protecting their rights
- Started research work on missile development – first military satellite BADR – 1 was made with the help of the Chinese. This provided missile system and satellite surveillance to the Pakistan army.
- Hosted the 4th SAARC conference in 1988 – all members attended including Rajev Ghandi. Thus improved relations with India
- Restored political system and democracy in Pakistan
Failures
- Problems of unemployment, inflation and poor health care increased. She had made promised to stop the spread of these but was unable to do anything
- Conflict with president Ghulam Ishaq Khan on appointment issues. The president had the power to appoint the armed forces chief and the judges of the supreme court but she wanted to do that herself. This created tensions between them and so weakened the government
- Confrontation with Nawaz Sharif – he was heading the opposition alliance (Islami Jamuri Itehad – IJI) . He made the government in Punjab and became the chief minister of Punjab. Political opposition increased so much that they both wanted to remove each other from power. This confrontational against opposing parties further weakened Benazir’s political system
- She faced corruption on nepotism charges, her husband was accused of corruption, bribery, blackmailing. Her mother was appointed as a senior minister with a port folio and her father in-law was appointed the chairman of the parliamentary publics account committee. The opposition used these charges of nepotism against her .
Challenges faced by Nawaz Sharif
| Challenges faced by Nawaz Sharif during both the terms | |
| Term 1 from 1990 to 1993 | Term 2 from 1997 to 1999 |
| The PM failed to transport the Yellow cab scheme in which taxi drivers would get soft loans and instalments. This was a major failure because people didn’t pay the instalments (return the loan), causing a major economic crises to the government and inviting a lot of criticism from the opposition. This became a major reason for his dismissal. State owned cooperative societies accepted deposits from members and gave them loans in time of need. But this was exploited by Nawaz and his family, they gained all this money of the people. This affected his reputation and people wanted to remove him because of corruption. Conflict with President Ishap Khan in 1993, as he wanted to appeal the 8th amendment which would reduce the powers of the President. He also wanted to appoint General Abdul Waheed Kakar as the army chief and stop the President from appointing anyone else. This created tensions and clashes between them and it weakened the government | The plane conspiracy became an immediate reason for his dismissal. When Musharraf was returning from an official tour to Sri Lanka his plane was not allowed to land. At this time Nawaz Sharif replaced Musharif with the ISI Chief Ziauddin Butt. The corps commanders did not accept this and took over the Karachi airport, PTV and the Prime Minister. This act angered the army, they retaliated and removed him from office. Military started covert operation with the help of local fighters and captured the heights of Kargil and Drass region in India. Nawaz accused the military of hiding this operation from him. International pressure especially from US on him was the get the army to with draw. The withdrawal created serious difference between the military and the civil government, which led to a military coup. General Jahangir Karamt was dismissed by Nawaz Sharif which was considered as a military intervention. The dismissal of this 4 start general further deteriorated the military and civil relationship, paving the way to a military coup. |
Challenges faced by Nawaz Sharif
| Challenges faced by Nawaz Sharif during both the terms | |
| Term 1 from 1990 to 1993 | Term 2 from 1997 to 1999 |
| The PM failed to transport the Yellow cab scheme in which taxi drivers would get soft loans and instalments. This was a major failure because people didn’t pay the instalments (return the loan), causing a major economic crises to the government and inviting a lot of criticism from the opposition. This became a major reason for his dismissal. State owned cooperative societies accepted deposits from members and gave them loans in time of need. But this was exploited by Nawaz and his family, they gained all this money of the people. This affected his reputation and people wanted to remove him because of corruption. Conflict with President Ishap Khan in 1993, as he wanted to appeal the 8th amendment which would reduce the powers of the President. He also wanted to appoint General Abdul Waheed Kakar as the army chief and stop the President from appointing anyone else. This created tensions and clashes between them and it weakened the government | The plane conspiracy became an immediate reason for his dismissal. When Musharraf was returning from an official tour to Sri Lanka his plane was not allowed to land. At this time Nawaz Sharif replaced Musharif with the ISI Chief Ziauddin Butt. The corps commanders did not accept this and took over the Karachi airport, PTV and the Prime Minister. This act angered the army, they retaliated and removed him from office. Military started covert operation with the help of local fighters and captured the heights of Kargil and Drass region in India. Nawaz accused the military of hiding this operation from him. International pressure especially from US on him was the get the army to with draw. The withdrawal created serious difference between the military and the civil government, which led to a military coup. General Jahangir Karamt was dismissed by Nawaz Sharif which was considered as a military intervention. The dismissal of this 4 start general further deteriorated the military and civil relationship, paving the way to a military coup. |