28 Facts About Zia-ul-Haq

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was a Pakistani military dictator and statesman who served as the sixth president of Pakistan from 1978 until his death in an airplane crash in 1988.

Zia-ul-Haq served as the second chief of the army staff of the Pakistan Army from 1976 until his death.

Zia-ul-Haq served in the British Indian Army in the Second World War, and following the partition of India in 1947, joined the Pakistan Army and stationed in the Frontier Force Regiment.

Zia-ul-Haq directed Islamization in Pakistan, escalated the country's atomic bomb project and instituted industrialization and deregulation, which significantly improved Pakistan's economy.

Zia-ul-Haq bolstered ties with China and the United States and emphasized Pakistan's role in the Islamic world.

Zia-ul-Haq dismissed Junejo's government on charges of economic stagflation and announced general elections in November 1988.

Zia-ul-Haq is praised by right-wing conservatives for his desecularization efforts and opposition to Western culture.

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was born on 12 August 1924 in Jalandhar, Punjab Province, British India.

Zia-ul-Haq was admitted to the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun, graduating in May 1945 among the last group of officers to be commissioned before the independence of India.

Zia-ul-Haq was posted to the 13th Lancers, a cavalry unit accoutered with tanks.

Zia-ul-Haq then went on to plan the Jordanian offensive against the Palestinians and commanded an armoured division against them.

Zia-ul-Haq was then promoted as Lieutenant General and was appointed commander of the II Strike Corps at Multan in 1975.

Zia-ul-Haq stated that the Constitution of Pakistan had not been abrogated, but temporarily suspended.

Zia-ul-Haq managed to get several amendments passed, most notably the Eighth Amendment, which granted "reserve powers" to the president to dissolve the Parliament.

Zia-ul-Haq became the first engineering officer to have acknowledge Zia about the success of this energy project into a fully matured program.

Zia-ul-Haq virtually had PAEC and KRL separated from each other and made critical administrative decisions rather than putting scientists in charge of the aspects of the atomic programs.

Zia-ul-Haq's actions spurred innovation in the atomic bomb project and an intense secrecy and security culture permeated PAEC and KRL.

Zia-ul-Haq escalated Pakistan's atomic bomb project, and instituted industrialization and deregulation, helping Pakistan's economy become the fastest-growing in South Asia, overseeing the highest GDP growth in the country's history.

Zia-ul-Haq's era led to serious disturbances in Karachi and ultimately Karachi went into the secular control of MQM from Jamaat-e-Islami.

Zia-ul-Haq said that he would hold elections within the next 90 days.

Zia-ul-Haq's funeral was held on 19 August 1988 near Islamabad.

Out of the country's long and storied history, Zia-ul-Haq's legacy remains a most toxic, enduring, and tamper-proof legacy, according to the editorial written in Dawn.

Zia-ul-Haq was unique and multidimensional like all complex characters of South Asian history.

Zia-ul-Haq successfully took on nuclear India and changed the balance of power that Indira Gandhi created in the 1971 war and broke all rules to acquire nuclear weapons for Pakistan.

Zia-ul-Haq's reign helped the conservatives to rise at the national politics against Benazir Bhutto.

Zia-ul-Haq is noted as being one of Pakistan's most successful generals, placing the armed forces in charge of the country's affairs.

Zia-ul-Haq is cited for promoting the early political career of Nawaz Sharif, who would be thrice elected Prime Minister.

Zia-ul-Haq was very dedicated in preventing the Soviet invasion of Pakistan.