1977 Pakistani military coup

This article cites its sources but does not provide page references. You can help providing page numbers for existing citations. (July 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

This article is part of a series about Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
Early life Military coup Zia administration Policies Hudud Ordinances Islamization Economic policy Ziaism President of Pakistan Presidency 1984 referendum 1985 parliamentary elections Amendments to the Constitution of Pakistan VIII X Ojhri Camp disaster Zakat Council Death Shafi-ur-Rehman Commission A Case of Exploding Mangoes Gallery: Picture, Sound, Video
v t e

The 1977 Pakistani military coup (codenamed Operation Fair Play) was the second military coup in Pakistan that took place on 5 July 1977. It was carried out by Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the chief of army staff, overthrowing the government of prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The coup itself was bloodless, and was preceded by social unrest and political conflict between the ruling leftist Pakistan Peoples Party government of Bhutto, and the right-wing Islamist opposition Pakistan National Alliance which accused Bhutto of rigging the 1977 general elections. In announcing the coup, Zia promised "free and fair elections" within 90 days, but these were repeatedly postponed on the excuse of accountability and it was not until 1985 that "party-less" general elections were held. Zia himself stayed in power for 11 years until his death in a plane crash.

The coup was a watershed event in the Cold War and in the history of the country. The coup took place nearly six years after the 1971 war with India which ended with the surrender of Pakistan and the secession of East-Pakistan, which became Bangladesh. The period following the coup saw the "Islamisation of Pakistan" and Pakistan's involvement with the Afghan mujahideen (funded by the US and Saudi Arabia) in the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan.