The first Benazir Bhutto government was formed on 2 December 1988 following general elections held in 1988. Due to the PPP only securing a plurality, the new government forged a coalition alliance with the MQM, ANP, JUI(FR) and other additional independents. Following elections President Ghulam Ishaq Khan called upon Benazir Bhutto, later announcing the formation of a new government. Benazir promised while taking oath on 2 December to eradicate illiteracy, poverty, restore student unions, liberate political prisoners, provide equal rights to women and free the media. However, the Army's continued influence and lack of a legislative majority led to her later declaring her government's freedom of action was "institutionally, economically, politically (and) structurally" constrained. Later during Presidential elections the same year, Benazir Bhutto solidified her alliance with President Ishaq Khan through supporting his bid for re-election. However later the two came into conflict, over the division of powers between the two offices and as the President continued to support Bhutto's opponent Nawaz Sharif. Eventually on 6 August 1990 Ghulam Ishaq Khan issued an order under Article 58(2)(b) dissolving the National Assembly causing the Prime Minister and the cabinet to cease holding office. The stated charges of dismissal for the Bhutto government were corruption and the deteriorating law and order situation in Sindh.
History
Formative Period Following the 1988 elections, the PPP did not gain a majority but emerged as the largest single party with 93 seats, 11 seats short to form a majority. The second largest party in the National assembly being the IJI and its 55 seats. Independents had secured 23 seats, MQM 13 seats, and JUI (Fazlur-Rehman Group) 7 seats. Nawaz Sharif the following day announced that the IJI would form a government, according to Hamid Khan, Sharif intended to make up for his lack of an electoral plurality through the support of the President Ghulam Ishaq Khan. Following MQM and ANP alliance with the PPP, the President instead decided to call upon Benazir to meet with him, and shortly later it was announced that the first civilian-led government in eleven years was to be formed. According to Lawrence Ziring, Ishaq Khan pursued this path in order to establish stability "as quickly as possible" and because he was disinclined to see the army under Aslam Beg take control of the government following Zia's death. Hamid Khan claims that Ghulam Ishaq Khan sought a full five-year term as President, so after "delivering a majority in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab to the IJI" to counterbalance Bhutto he sought a deal with the PPP for his election. In the later Presidential elections that year, the PPP ignored its old ally Nawabzada Nasrullah for Ishaq Khan, who won with 603 votes out of 752.
Formation Provincial Governments
Punjab The Islami Jamhoori Ittehad in Punjab would be able to secure 34.98% of the vote. Despite the PPP (52 seats) securing more seats than the IJI (45 seats) in the National Assembly, in the Provincial Assembly the IJI secured got 108 seats compared to the PPP's 94. With the help of most of the independents the IJI would be able to form a government with Nawaz Sharif as Chief Minister. Punjab would provide the main power base of the IJI, comprising both Nawaz Sharif and Junejo Muslim leagues and eight other allied parties held together by opposition to the PPP. According to Muhammad Waseem, the incumbent caretaker Chief Ministers used public funds to finance its candidates during the election. According to Ian Talbot, the requirement that voters produce identity cards also strengthened the IJI.
Sindh In Sindh the PPP had won 67 out of a 100 general seats in the Provincial Assembly, securing a majority. Out of 31 independents in the Assembly, 26 belonged to the MQM but ran on independent tickets. On 20 March, the period until with which Governors could appoint Chief Ministers had lapsed, hence Qaim Ali Shah of the PPP was elected by the Provincial Assembly as Chief Minister of Sindh.
North West Frontier Province (NWFP) In the NWFP no single political party had won an absolute majority. Out of 80 general seats the IJI had won the highest (28 seats), followed by the PPP (22 seats), ANP (13 seats) and as many as 15 independents. In order to form a government, Benazir approached Wali Khan head of the ANP to form a coalition, with the offer being accepted. Several independents also joined the PPP-ANP in NWFP. Aftab Sherpao would form the government as Chief Minister. Later when the PPP-ANP coalition broke down he would remain as CM.
Balochistan In Balochistan, out of 40 general seats, 11 went to JUI(FR), 10 to the Balochistan National Alliance (BNA), 8 to the IJI, 4 to the PPP and the remaining seven to minor political parties and independents. The Provincial Assembly met on 2 December to elect the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the assembly and later to elect the Chief Minister of the province. Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali received 21 votes for and 21 votes against his bid for Chief Ministership. The Speaker issued a certificate declaring him elected by 22 votes including the casting vote of the speaker.
Cabinet
Head of State and Government President of PakistanPrime Minister of PakistanGhulam Ishaq Khan 1988-1993Benazir Bhutto 1988-1990
Federal Ministers Federal Ministers under Benazir BhuttoNamePortfolioPeriodCitation1Begum Nusrat Bhutto● Senior Minister without portfolio31 March 1989—6 August 19902Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat● Federal Minister of Commerce, Local Govt & Rural Development Industries4 December 1988—6 August 19903Makhdoom Amin Faheem● Federal Minister of Communications ● Federal Minister of Railways4 December 1988—6 August 1990 6 December 1988—23 March 19894Agha Tariq Khan● Federal Minister for Culture & Tourism ● Federal Minister for Culture & Supports4 December 1988—23 March 1989 30 March 1989—6 August 19905Rao Sikandar Iqbal● Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Cooperatives4 December 1988—6 August 19906Sahabzada Yaqub Khan● Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs4 December 1988—6 August 19907Syed Amir Haider Kazmi● Federal Minister of Health, Special Education and Social welfare ● Federal Minister of Education4 December 1988—6 August 1990 6 December 1988—23 March 19898Jahangir Badr● Federal Minister for Housing and Works ● Federal Minister of Science & Technology
● Federal Minister of Petroleum & Natural Resources4 December 1988—23 March 1989 4 December 1988—20 September 1989
6 December 1988—6 August 19909Aitzaz Ahsan● Federal Minister of Interior ● Federal Minister of Law and Justice4 December 1988—6 August 1990 4 December 1988—28 December 198810Mukhtar Ahmad Awan● Federal Minister of Labour Manpower & Overseas Pakistanis ● Federal Minister of Labour4 December 1988—11 November 1989 11 November 1989—6 August 199011Muhammad Hanif Khan● Federal Minister of States and Frontier Regions & Kashmir Affairs ● Federal Minister of Housing & Works4 December 1988—23 March 1989 4 December 1988—28 January 199012Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gillani● Federal Minister of Law and Justice28 December 1988—6 August 199013Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari● Federal Minister of Water and Power28 December 1988—6 August 199014Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah● Federal Minister of Education23 March 1989—6 August 199015Zafar Ali Leghari● Federal Minister of Railways23 March 1989—6 August 199016Ali Nawaz Shah● Federal Minister of Industries23 March 1989—6 August 199017Khan Bahadar Khan● Federal Minister of Religious Affairs & Minorities Affairs23 March 1989—6 August 199018Khawaja Tariq Rahim● Federal Minister of Parliamentary Affairs23 March 1989—6 August 199019Baz Muhammad Khan Khetran● Federal Minister of States & Frontier Regions and Kashmir Affairs ● Federal Minister of Environment and Urban Affairs
● Federal Minister of Kashmir Affairs & Northern Affairs23 March 1989—28 January 1990 28 January 1990—6 August 1990
10 September 1989—28 January 199020Rehana Sarwar● Federal Minister of Women Development23 March 1989—6 August 199021Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani● Federal Minister of Tourism ● Federal Minister of Housing & Works (Works Division)21 March 1989—28 January 1990 28 January 1990—6 August 199022Mian Ghulam Mohammad Ahmad Khan Maneka● Federal Minister of Manpower & Overseas Pakistanis11 November 1989—6 August 1990
Ministers of State Ministers of State under Benazir BhuttoNamePortfolioPeriodCitation1Mir. Baz Muhammad Khan KhetranMinister of State for Culture and Tourism4 December 1988–23 March 19892Ghulam Sarwar CheemaMinister of State for Defence4 December 1988–6 August 19903Ehsan-ul-Haq Piracha Minister of State for Finance, Economic Affairs, Planning & Development4 December 1988–6 August 19904Javed Jabbar Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Minister of State for Science & Technology4 December 1988–20 September 1989 20 September 1989–6 August 19905Khawaja Tariq Rahim Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Minister of State for & Power4 December 1988–23 March 1989 6 December 1988–23 March 19896Raja Shahid Zafar Minister of State for Production4 December 1988–6 August 19907Khan Bahadar Khan Minister of State for Religious Affairs & Minorities Affairs4 December 1988–23 March 19898Waris Khan Afridi Minister of State for States & Frontier Regions5 December 1988–6 August 19909Farooq Azam Malik Minister of State for Railways23 March 1989–6 August 199010Malik Mushtaq Ahmad Minister of State for Works Division 23 March 1989–6 August 199011Haji Amanullah Minister of State for Religious Affairs23 March 1989–6 August 199012Mehboob-ur-Rehman Yousuf Zaj Minister of State for Food, Agriculture & Cooperatives23 March 1989–6 August 199013Sher Afgan Niazi Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs23 March 1989–12 June 199014Mehmooda Shah Minister of State for Special Education & Social Welfare23 March 1989–6 August 199015Nadir Khan Khakwani Minister of State for Population Welfare Division23 March 1989–6 August 199016Mian Muzaffar Shah Minister of State for Narcotics Control Division23 March 1989–6 August 199017Lt. Col. (Retd.) Ch. Qadir Bakhsh Mela Minister of State for Sports23 March 1989–6 August 199018Alhaj Syed Qasim Shah Minister of State for Environment and Urban Affairs Division Minister of State for the Tourism Division23 March 1989–28 January 1990 28 January 1990–6 August 199019Pervez Ali Shah Minister of State for Youth23 March 1989–6 August 1990 30 March 1989–6 August 199020Shahnaz Wazir Ali Minister of State for Education31 March 1989–6 August 199021Ahmad Saeed Awan Minister of State for Industries Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting31 March 1989–20 September 1989 20 September 1989–6 August 199022Mir Tariq Hussain Magsi Minister of State for Labour Manpower & Overseas Pakistanis31 March 1989–25 October 198923Shah Nawaz Junejo Minister of State for Local Govt & Rural Development31 March 1989–6 August 199024Rufin Julius Minister of State for Minorities Affairs31 March 1989–6 August 199025Syed Zafar Ali Shah Minister of State for Water and Power31 March 1989–6 August 199026Syed Ahmed Alam Anwar Minister of State for Manpower & Overseas Pakistanis11 November 1989–6 August 199027Ghulam Akbar Lasi Minister of State for Labour11 November 1989–6 August 1990
References