AT THE BEGINNING OF 1980 Pakistan’s future looked as
troubled and unclear as at any time since the country’s tumultuous
birth in 1947. The Soviet Union had just taken effective command in
Afghanistan, leading many to see Pakistan as the next prize in its
expansionist design. Regionalism remained a threat, particularly in
strategically-placed Baluchistan, if the Soviets chose to exploit it. Relations with the United States had fallen to an all-time low, with the
sacking of the American embassy in Islamabad. The martial law regime
of General Zia-ul-Haq weathered the execution of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, but had been forced to call off general elections for a second time. The economy, though healthier than during
the Bhutto period, was plagued by major problems, particularly the
high costs of energy imports and Pakistan’s huge foreign debts. Predictions of disaster, both political and economic, were frequent at the end
of 1979.
Author(s): W. Eric Gustafson and William L. Richter
Source: Asian Survey , Feb., 1981, Vol. 21, No. 2, A Survey of Asia in 1980: Part II (Feb.,
1981), pp. 162-171
Published by: University of California Press
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2643761