Pakistan went to the polls 1947-1957 Multi-party system with Muslim League and Republican Party. 1958 - 1969 Field Marshall Ayub Khan's martial law regime. 1969-1971 Ayub Khan forced out by popular movements and hands power to new army chief, General Ya. hya Khan 1971-1977 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party comes to power. 1977-1985 Bhutto ousted in military coup and subsequently hung to death. General Zia-ul-Haq becomes 1985-1988 Non-party elections. Zia becomes President. Martial law is lifted. 1988-1990 Zia dies in plane crash. Benazir Bhutto's PPP comes to power. 1990-1993 Benazir Bhutto's government dismisses by President. Caretaker government of Moeen Qureshi takes over. When elections are held, Nawaz Sharif's Muslim League elected. 1993 - 1996 Nawaz Sharif's government dismissed by the President. Benazir Bhutto returns to office. November 1996, PPP government is dismissed by President. The caretaker government is headed by Prime Minister Mera Khalid though many believe that President Farooq Leghari holds real power. 1997 Nawaz Sharif is elected. sis that as a businessman he would manage the economy well and at than his predecessor! can be turned around by the new resume out that is tae popurat perception. At present it appears that fundamentalist movements have lost their influence but given Pakistan's history and its raison detre as a state created for Muslims, these parties are not going to go away. Their electoral representa tion has always been low but these cadre based parties are the best organised.
Over the past few years they have expanded their activities throughout the country and in every sector of society. They have cells in the armed forces, in trade unions and in universities. There is a sizeable presence in the Railway workers union and in the Pakistan International Airlines The fundamentalists have moved with the times, When I was in student politics, the student wing or toe amiat bannco students in hostels watching videos, because these would import decadent western values and Indian popular culture or could be pornographic.
Now at their rallies they play popular music. Televisions are no longer frowned upon. Like other fundamentalist parties around the world they have a welfare wing which draws them political sup. port. This has brought them into contact with the poor and they are