Chief Martial Law Administrator General Ziaul Haq was ready to address the nation by the evening of July 5. There was a little change in plans: Gen Zia decided to deliver his speech in Urdu rather than in English; Lieutenant General Khalid Mahmud Arif, who was trying to painstakingly frame the speech in English, was relieved of the duty. In his place, Major Siddiq Salik (author of Witness to Surrender) was asked to write the speech.

“I am grateful to Allah Almighty for allowing me the honour of addressing the great nation of this great country,” began the general.

“You must have learnt by now that the government of Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has ceased to exist and an interim government has been established in its place. This change began last night around midnight and ended this morning — by the grace of Allah, it was a peaceful transition. The actions were carried out on my orders.

“… The army taking over is never a pleasant act because the armed forces of Pakistan genuinely want the administration of the country to be run by the people, who are its rightful owners.

“Elections were held in our beloved homeland last March 7. The results, however, were rejected by one of the contending parties. They alleged that the elections had been rigged on a large scale and demanded fresh elections. To press their demand for re-election, during the course of which people even started saying that democracy was not workable in Pakistan.

“But I genuinely feel that the survival of this country lies in democracy.

“It is for this reason that despite political pressures, the army showed reluctance in assuming power during the recent riots. The Pakistan Army kept striving to find a political settlement for a political problem. We insisted to the government to find a solution and reach a compromise with their rivals.

“ … I would like to clarify here that I saw no prospects of a compromise between the two parties, especially because of their mutual distrust and absolute lack of faith in each other. In this state of affairs, there was a fear that the country will be plunged into chaos once again. We could not afford to take this risk, in the larger interests of the country.

“The army had, therefore, to act as a result of which the government of Mr Bhutto has ceased to exist. Martial law has been imposed throughout the country. The national and provincial assemblies have been dissolved, and the provincial governors and ministers have been removed.

“But the constitution has not been abrogated; only certain parts have been held in abeyance. It is per the same constitution that President Fazal Ellahi Chaudhry has consented to continue, as before. To assist him, a military council has been constituted. The council includes four members: Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff, and the three chiefs of army, navy and air force. I will serve as the Chief of the Army Staff and Chief Martial Law Administrator. Martial Law orders and instructions, as and when required, will be issued under my orders. I met Mr Justice Yaqub Ali, Chief Justice of Pakistan this morning. I am grateful to him for his advice and guidance on legal issues.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that neither I have any political ambitions nor does the army want to be taken away from its professional duties. … My sole aim is to organise free and fair elections in October this year. Soon after the polls, power will be transferred to elected representatives. Till the elections, political activities have been banned; they will be allowed again before the elections.

“… I hold the judiciary in high esteem. I will do my best to refrain from doing anything which is likely to restrict the power of the judiciary. However, under unavoidable circumstances if and when Martial Law orders and regulations are issued, they would not be challenged in any court. I am pleased to announce that the chief justices of provincial high courts, on my request, have consented to become acting governors of their respective provinces.”

Gen Zia called upon the armed forces to act judiciously in the true spirit of Islam. He laid down seven guidelines, subdivided in many sections, outlining the organisation of the interim government. Apart from changes at the top, Zia also promised that transfers and postings carried out by the Bhutto government would be reviewed and the Federal Security Force (FSF) would be reorganised. Provincial administrations were to be headed by provincial martial law administrators and aided by provincial secretaries.

Zia also warned that while newspapers should be the torchbearers of freedom of expression, they should not breach the “code of conduct”.

Concluding his speech, Zia appreciated the spirit of Islam during the recent [PNA] movement and gave a vague outline of his future line “… I consider the introduction of Islamic system as an essential prerequisite for the country”.

Next week: Bhutto warns Zia of the penalty of his action shaikhaziz38!@gmail.com