State and Society in Pakistan, 1971-77

This interpretation of the rise and fall of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto covers the period from 1971-77 during which time he was President of Pakistan, Chief Martial Law Administrator and later Prime Minister. Although Mr Bhutto brought back civilian rule to the country, his rule was less benign than that of his army predecessors. During the frist three years of his rule he sought to establish a socialist order, nationalized large-scale industries, banks and insurance companies, expanded the government's control over public services such as health and education, disbanded the civil service and replaced it with an administrative structure that drew manpower from his Pakistan's People's Party. In October 1974, Mr Bhutto reversed his policies. He purged socialists from his government and readmitted the landed aristocracy. Furthermore, he brought the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces into his Cabinet and began to encourage industrial entrepreneurs to invest in new enterprises. The author questions this sudden change in policies and suggests that Bhutto's economic and political decision-making during this period was influenced by the interests of several prominent social groups in Pakistan. The author has also written " A Study of Chinese Communes", "Pakistan: A Demographic Report" and "Agricultural Growth and Local Government in Punjab, Pakistan".