It's been 38 years since Zia died in an air crash, and it's difficult to say whether his rule was good or bad for the country. For the past few years the media has ignored him on his death anniversary, which is understandable, as Zia dealt with the press with an iron hand, even flogging some journalists.
I remember the relief which people felt when he overthrew Bhutto, who almost destroyed the country with his nationalization of industry and education. The closing months of Bhutto'r reign were chaotic, no one felt safe on the streets and people prayed for the army to remove him from power. Yet it was Zia who should be condemned for his so-called Islamization of the laws, which made women second-class citizens.
I remember the days when Bhutto was sentenced to death and hanged later. His supporters were astonished that there were no demonstrations by the public to release him. But Zia had no choice: if he had spared Bhutto, the latter would have hanged him for treason. In a way, it was Bhutto's fault for threatening Zia. He could have quietly accepted his removal from power and gone abroad.
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