General Yahya Khan intervention in Pakistani politics

 

Yahya Khan, born as Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan on February 4, 1917, was a Pakistani military officer who served as the President of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971. He had a distinguished military career before assuming the presidency.

Yahya Khan joined the British Indian Army in 1939 and continued his service in the newly formed Pakistani Army after the partition of India in 1947. He rose through the ranks and held several key positions in the military, including the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army from 1966 to 1971.

How General Yahya Khan used Martial Law to consolidate power?

Yahya Khan used martial law to consolidate his power in several ways.

One way was by dissolving the provincial assemblies, suspending political parties, and banning public meetings, processions, and strikes. This allowed Yahya Khan to exercise unchecked power without any democratic oversight. Additionally, he appointed military officers to key civilian positions and ensured that the military had control over the bureaucracy and the judiciary. This gave him total control over the state machinery and allowed him to exercise his power unopposed.

Another way Yahya Khan consolidated power was by using the military to suppress dissent and opposition. He arrested and detained opposition politicians, journalists, and intellectuals, and banned newspapers and other media outlets that were critical of his regime. He also used brutal force to suppress protests and demonstrations, resulting in the torture and extra-judicial killings of many people.

Yahya Khan also manipulated the political landscape to favor his regime. He created a new political system called the Basic Democracy, which was designed to give him control over local government and to sideline established political parties. He also created a new electoral system that favored his supporters and used it to rig elections in favor of his candidates.

How Yahya Khan played a role in creation of Bangladesh?

In 1970, Yahya Khan held general elections in Pakistan, which were won by the Awami League, a political party representing the Bengali population in East Pakistan. However, Yahya Khan and the military establishment refused to recognize the results of the election, triggering a political crisis. The military government subsequently launched a crackdown against Bengali nationalists, which resulted in widespread human rights abuses, including mass killings and rape.

The Bengali nationalist movement quickly turned into an armed struggle, with a group of Bengali nationalists forming the Mukti Bahini (Liberation Army) and launching attacks against Pakistani military installations. In response, Yahya Khan ordered the military to launch a crackdown, which quickly escalated into a full-scale war.

The Pakistani military was vastly outnumbered and outgunned by the Indian-backed Bengali nationalist forces. The conflict saw some of the worst atrocities committed in modern South Asian history, with both sides accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In December 1971, the Indian Army intervened in the conflict, and the Pakistani Army surrendered. East Pakistan subsequently became the independent country of Bangladesh, and Yahya Khan resigned as President. The war resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and the displacement of millions of Bengalis.

Yahya Khan's role in the war has been widely criticized. His government's actions led to the disintegration of Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. Yahya Khan's military regime is also accused of committing gross human rights abuses against the Bengali population. The war remains a deeply traumatic event in the history of Pakistan and continues to shape relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh.