| al-Zulfikar | |
|---|---|
| الذُوالفِقار | |
| Founder | Murtaza Bhutto |
| Foundation | 1979 |
| Dissolved | 1988 |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Headquarters | Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Part of | Pakistan People's Party |
| Allies |  Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
 Syria |
| Opponents | Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq |
al-Zulfikar was a far-left terrorist faction formed in 1979 by Pakistani politician Murtaza Bhutto. Named after his father and former Pakistani prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the group opposed the government of military dictator Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who had deposed Zulfikar in 1977 and installed himself as the president of Pakistan.
Al-Zulfiqar was formed to avenge Bhutto's killing by means of armed struggle against Zia-ul-Haq. Zia had deposed the Bhutto regime after mass protests across Pakistan that were related to the dissatisfaction of the masses with the rule of Bhutto (mismanagement of East Pakistan, alleged links of Bhutto to political murders, corruption, economic stagnation as a result of nationalization, deteriorating education system, etc.) in a Military coup in July 1977.
Bhutto was hanged by the Zia regime.[1][2][3] Bhutto's two sons, Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto went into exile in Afghanistan which was then being ruled by a Soviet-backed communist government. There the two sons formed the Al-Zulfiqar along with hundreds of Pakistan Peoples Party militants who had escaped Zia's persecution.
- ^ "al Zulfikar | Terrorist Groups | TRAC". www.trackingterrorism.org. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
- ^ "Sethi, Najam: The Dilemma of Murtaza Bhutto, The Friday Times, (1993)". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
- ^ "Anwar, Raja: The Terrorist Prince". Archived from the original on 2020-04-06. Retrieved 2012-12-05.