On April 2, 1979, authorities sent for Tara Masih, the official and only hangman in the country. His mission: prepare the platform for Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s imminent hanging.

Masih was in Bahawalpur at the time. He was flown to Rawalpindi on an official plane; this was the first time he had travelled by air. He would be paid Rs25 as official fees fixed for the execution. By the same plane, the black warrant for Bhutto was also flown to Rawalpindi Jail.

Truth be told, Masih came from a very humble background. He belonged to a Christian family from Punjab, whose historical profession had been working as hangmen. They did the same job during the days of the East India Company, and continued in the same occupation after 1947.

Upon reaching Rawalpindi, Masih was locked up in a room in the Rawalpindi Jail on the morning of April 3. With him was lodged a peshimam (prayer leader), who was picked up by the police and was supposed to perform the relevant religious rituals after hanging. During his stay, the peshimam revealed that he did not know why he had been picked up by police and kept here.

With the execution now imminent, the hangman arrives from Bahawalpur

Before Bhutto’s hanging, Tara Masih was not known to many but he later became a household name attached with many stories, and especially his narration of Bhutto’s last moments. Since he was the lone hangman, he travelled across the country to perform his job. After Tara’s death (on July 7, 1984), his nephew Nasir Masih was appointed as hangman. He, too, was employed with the police department and worked there for 27 years.

Meanwhile, some PPP leaders attempted speaking to some generals close to General Zia. Among them was Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, the man who wrote the 1973 Constitution and was a confidante of Bhutto. Maulana Kausar Niazi made some efforts too, but they were very weak and could not convince Zia or his men to pardon Bhutto and maybe even allow him to live in exile.

After the Supreme Court rejected all petitions, Pirzada called on Gen Zia and General Khalid Mahmud Arif, in the hopes that they’d be amenable to providing clemency. They weren’t. On March 5, 1978, Pirzada called on General Faiz Ali Chshti, the executioner of the July 5 coup, perhaps hoping that Gen Zia might listen to Gen Chishti.

Before Bhutto’s hanging, Tara Masih was not known to many but he later became a household name attached with many stories, and especially his narration of Bhutto’s last moments. Since he was the lone hangman, he travelled across the country to perform his job. After Tara’s death (on July 7, 1984), his nephew Nasir Masih was appointed as hangman.

But Gen Chishti made no promises and flatly refused Pirzada by telling him that it was too late, given that he had already been refused by the General himself and Gen Arif. Gen Chishti later wrote that it was a conspiracy between Gen Zia and Gen Sawar, the governor of Punjab at the time, because the latter, after receiving the mercy petition, immediately sent it to Gen Zia, who was already determined to hang Bhutto.

On March 29, Pirzada called on his convicted leader. He remained with Bhutto for quite some time, and later told newsmen in Islamabad that there was no question of Bhutto making a clemency petition to Gen Zia and that Bhutto was prepared to meet the eternal end. At Piracha House, he also met the Bhutto ladies — Nusrat and Benazir — who were detained and kept there, before being sent to Sihala camp.

Talking to the media later on, Pirzada said that the legal battle was over and he was even thinking of withdrawing whatever was pending in court. He said that Bhutto had been informed about the rejection of the review petition on March 24 and now the statutory period was passing. He also said that he did not know the exact date for hanging, but according to the law, Bhutto should be informed about it 48 hours before the hanging. After that, visitors would be allowed to meet Bhutto without consideration for the number of relatives.

He said that after reaching the jail, he had to pass through six locked gates. In the cell, Bhutto was sitting behind bars — for the first time, Pirzada too had met Bhutto across the cell bars. He also said that Bhutto had become extremely weak and looked skeletal.

He said that perhaps the cell had not been cleaned for a couple of days since it stank. He said Bhutto had not been allowed to wash and had not changed his clothes for days. He also told journalists that Bhutto did not give any message for his party, nor did he ask for one as it would have been absolutely unfair.

On Sept 16, 1977, when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had been arrested under martial law regulations from his residence ‘Al-Murtaza’ in Larkana, the deposed prime minister was certain that this time Gen Zia would end him.

And so it was, with all appeals for mercy falling on deaf ears after the Supreme Court convicted and sentenced Bhutto to death, and chucked out the review petition. After nearly 19 months, the end was nigh for Bhutto.

shaikhaziz38@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 25th, 2015

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