Pakistan National Alliance

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The Pakistan National Alliance was a nine-party alliance in Pakistan, formed in 1977 to overthrow the rule of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the first elected leader of that country.

[edit] History

The Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) manifesto was to bring back the 1970 prices. Implementation of Islam was its election slogan. They promised to enforce Islamic laws "Nizam-e-Mustafa", the Shariah. They were a conglomerate of diverse views and of contradictory causes, such as Asghar Khan's secularism, Khan Abdul Wali Khan’s Socialism and Maulana Maududi's hardline Islamism united by common dislike of Zulfiqar Bhutto's autocratic policies. The alliance decided to contest the elections under one election symbol "plough" and a green flag with nine stars as its ensign.

Contesting the 1977 elections jointly the PNA launched a national campaign against the government after the controversial and allegedly rigged results showing the Peoples Party as an overwhelming victory in the general elections. The agitation caught the Peoples Party by surprise and after several months of street fighting and demonstrations Bhutto opened negotiations with the then imprisoned PNA leaders. Most PNA leaders, along with PPP leaders, believe that an agreement was reached; whether or not it would have been signed by all PNA parties or by Bhutto remains open to speculation.

An agreement was eventually reached in June 1977 and Bhutto was to sign it on July 5. However despite the enthusiasm of the negotiating team other PNA leaders had reservations about the agreement. The absence of a formal agreement between the government and the PNA was used as an excuse by the armed forces under Zia-ul Haq to stage a coup in order to break the impasse. Those justifying the coup, argue that no agreement had been reached between the two sides.

The Alliance split after the Army under Zia ul Haq ousted his government, between elements (Muslim League and religious groups) that supported the martial law government and those who opposed it.