Adil Najam
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Field Marshal Ayub Khan. According to the 126 visitors who voted in the third ATP blog poll (earlier: here and here), these two did more ‘good’ for Pakistan than any of the leaders who followed them. (Of course, we should add that the Poll did not ask for an evaluation of whether the ‘bad’ they did was greater than the ‘good’; nor was the current government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf included).
Choices: (a) Ayub Khan; (b) Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto; (c) Zia-ul-Haq; (d) Benazir Bhutto; and (e) Nawaz Sharif
(Click image for larger picture)
The result is a split decision, but a very clear split decision.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto got the most votes (52 votes; 41%), but is practically neck-to-neck with his erstwhile mentor-turned-nemesis Ayub Khan (48 votes; 38%). In the context of this Poll and how voting went, the honest thing is to declare them co-winners. The other three - Zia ul Haq, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif - combined get only around half as many votes from ATP readers as either of these two! A review of the comments posted with the poll seem to verify these sentiments.
Of course, this is simply a ‘pulse of the blog’ poll and is NOT a scientific or representative survey. And, while one must (again) caution against over-analyzing these results, there are a number of striking elements in the results that are worthy of note, or at least of further discussion:
- First, it is striking that the two people our readers voted most overwhelmingly for were both thrown out of office through massive street protests; albeit amongst very different circumstances (the later aided by a military coup and an eventual execution)!
- Second, although my guess is that the average ATP reader is fairly older than readers of most Pakistani blogs, it is fair to say that most of our readers (and I assume voters) are too young to remember either Ayub Khan’s or ZAB’s eras. More likely that they know of them either from hearing about those times from others or (in Ayub’s case) staring at the back of painted trucks. One wonders, then, if the passage of time has had a ‘healing effect’ on the memories we have constructed of them.
- Notwithstanding the above points, it is quite clear from the margins in the poll as well as the comments that Z.A. Bhutto and Ayub Khan are considered to be WAY above all others. This, however is not a surprise finding and only verifies the view expressed by in one comment that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif are not considered to be of the same ‘league.’ This would be so, at least partly, because they never had the type of ‘real power’ that Ayub and ZAB did and also did not stay in power long enough in continuous stretch.
- The biggest surprise to me was Zia ul Haq getting as few votes as he did (11 votes, 9%). He did have absolute power. He was at the helm for a very long time. And he orchestrated very significant changes that continue to be difficult to undo. I would have expected that he does have a residual constituency of support that is not captured by any of the others. I assume that constituency just does not visit ATP!
- Fifth, although Benazir Bhutto got the least votes (5 votes; 4%) I do not feel too sorry for her. My assumption is that BB’s father over-shadowed her (as he always, rightly, has). Had he not been in the list I assume a lot of those votes would have gone to Benazir. However, I am no longer convinced that all of them would have gone to her. Midway through the poll I kept thinking what might have happened if the poll only have Zia, Benazir and Nawaz as choices? I think the proportions of the votes would be very difficult, but I have no idea how. Politically, the fact remains that her constituency - although still sizable - remains largely hereditary.
- Finally, my other big surprise was Nawaz Sharif, who got more support than I had expected (10 votes, 8%). I had though his constituency would view Zia as the ‘father figure,’ but it seems not. Although his Bomb test was cited in the comments, my sense is that most people understand than the Bomb was ‘Bhutto’s choice and Sharif’s necessity.’ Maybe for those who get to use these things, highways, airports, overpasses, and infrastructure do matter in the end.
So there. These are some of my quick thoughts on the results as they panned out. What would you add?
I wonder, how the future might view Gen. Musharraf’s legacy in comparison to these?
My guess is that he probably wants to be seen in Ayub’s mould. However, I have a feeling that history will ultimately judge him on whether and how much he is able to undo the imprints that Zia left on the country. As Chou En Lai once said about the French Revolution, ‘Its too early to say!’
All I can say is that when I was a child I bought a massive door-sized poster of Nawaz Sharif that had his picture and the text “kadam barhao nawaz sharif, hum tumharay sath hein”. It was 1992 then, and he was my favourite person in the world. :) It’s sad that now I’ve grown up and I find him to be a joke. Childhood heroes used to be the coolest. Sigh.
I think we should give Benazir a third shot…she’ll be great from now on..no, seriously!! :D
@Nasir Aziz
Must say I am surprised by the hostility and viciousness of the first two paragraphs. The rest is quite interesting analysis. You are probably right about Benazir and Nawaz.
But why the personal attack on the author. He is giving his opinion. He is honestly reporting the numbers, then giving his opinion, saying clearly that it is his opinion and then inviting others to give theirs. So why this rage? On Benazir, the word he uses is “assumption� even in describing a personal view and then he says that he is not sure if all ZA Bhutto votes would go to her. Indeed, his assessment of BB is very negative. Read the last line. Actaully, reading before commenting is always a good ideas. And drop the namecalling please: “clever� and “feudals� and “rigging�, where does that come from? Smear campaign, maybe. Who is being the ‘Pakistani Politician’ now?
With that nasty start you have just distracted people from the good analysis that followed in your comments. Too bad. You are right, Pakistanis are very intelligent people (this blog proves that). I wonder, however, if we are too emotional for serious intellectual discussion. I fear that we will soon loose this forum too because of the over-excitedness of a few.
Note to ATP
The name used on the comment in question is ‘Nasir Aziz’, that is the name of the Paksitani person who does a podcast on Pakistan. I cannot believe that this vicious attack could have come from the same Nasir Aziz (I heard his podcast once and liked it). I assume someone is trying to smear his name. Please see if you can verify with him that no one is misusing his identity. I think it may just be someone using the curtain of the Internet to villify him as well as you.
It appears that you are not content with what you learned with this polling. In your commentary you have tried to give it your slant with which I do not agree. If you run the polls, then be ready to accept the results as they are. Don’t act like a Pakistani Politician !
Pakistanis are not stupid people rather very intelligent, especially when it comes to home grown politics. They can see right from wrong but end up being misled by “clever” and “feudals” or just pure “rigging”.
Benazir Bhutto never gets “over shadowed” by her father. She has done nothing for the country and has been revengefull and corrupt all along. She can not even come close to her father’s vision for Pakistan. I like the original PPP and what Bhutto the father stood and planned for. BB has nothing of the sort, rather has damaged PPP by splitting it and also people don’t forget what she did to her brother.
Nawaz Sharif is not even a politician - just a pawn and a wannabie. I have obseved him up close and personal and this guy is an embarrasment to Pakistan. He should not be credited with Nuclear Bomb tests as he has nothing to do with it. Bombs existed and were ready without his knowledge or approval. Thats a whole different ball game with totally different team players. He just happened to be around in the Govt. during those days. The bomb was Bhutto the fathers vision and he rightly deserves recognition and respect for that.
As for Musharraf, I don’t think he wants to be seen in Ayub’s mold. He is a class of its own. Ayubs and Musharrafs timings and geo-political situations are very very different and you can not draw parallels in their cases. Musharraf has a mind of his own and his views and visions are much more clearer than the previous ones. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Musharraf seems to have given the country the mandate to which they plan on sticking to. Their circumstances and platform maybe different but I do see them doing the same thing.
These are my few cents worth of opinions. Please feel free to disagree with me as thats the whole point - discuss.
DEAR EIDEE MAN, I find your reasoning very interesting but also the great confidence with which you say things that no one can possibly know for sure. Maybe what that what they call youth. I actually remember voting for Bhutto’s party, twice, and then twice for his daughter even if she disappointed me, and then again on this very nice website. So, I am a very deep and long supporter. But I wonder how, if you were born in ‘84, you can be so certain that:
::”Had these kids lived through both eras Bhutto would have left Ayub in the dust”
How can you know that? And for so sure?
Eidee Man, your idea about age and poll responses is interesting. Blogspace is dominated by younger contributors but people can reveal their age by the comments that they post on ATP in my opinion. Some of the people leaving comments including myself are writing from Karachi. Having attended a ZAB rally in 1976, suffice to say it was another world and they don’t make leaders like him anymore. That his fall was primarily his own fault adds to a great sense of tragedy to his legacy
Is it surprising that Nawaz got more votes than Zia? Really?!? I didn’t like Nawaz Sharif one bit but I think it would be very harsh to put him below a brutal killer. Nawaz was just corrupt and incompetenet (yeah I know that’s not “just”), but Zia was an evil and dangerous man who single-handedly give birth to all of the problems that are surrounding Pakistan today.
I think the reason Ayub got as many votes as he did is because of the younger audience casting Bhutto in the same light as his daughter….and also because most of the Pak. studies books paint Ayub in a favorable light. Had these kids lived through both eras Bhutto would have left Ayub in the dust. BTW, I was born in ‘84.
Now that is interesting. We Indians have been ruled by one family or people selected by that family for so long! We do not have so much choice like you have.
Quite a professional blog! Are you a jurno?
Indian Prime Minister
(blog.gupsup.com)