41 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
41 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
The **Pakistani Revolution of 1968** brought down the military
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dictatorship which had ruled Pakistan for 11 years and saw a brief
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window into the possibility of a democracy and even land reform. But,
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the movement was somewhat co-opted by another military dictator who
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continued to repress the country. The revolution was part of a wider
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wave of revolts across the world in the [late 1960s and early
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1970s](Revolutions_of_1967_-_1975 "wikilink").
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## Background
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Since independence from the British Empire in 1947, Pakistan had only
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seen 1 election (in 1947) and had otherwise been ruled by dictators that
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presided over a corrupt and unequal country which had a small welfare
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state and little rights for workers. After the revolutions of the late
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1960s and early 1970s, many people began to turn this into anger.
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## Events
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Mobilisation began by socialist and liberal organisers in 1967, mainly
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by the unemployed and students, with some students burning their degrees
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in protests. After many protest marches were held, police opened fire on
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one and killed 3 people, leading to an eruption in strikes, refusal to
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pay public transport fares, more protests, road blockades which
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paralysed the capital city and even the execution of landlords and
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seizure of land by peasants. Police officers who attacked protesters
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were also frequently killed.
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## Results
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After months of protests and violence, in March 1969 the army [defected
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from the government](List_of_Mutinies "wikilink") and demanded the
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presidents resignation, who complied and handed power to the army chief
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who promised elections in 1970. But he soon became another military
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dictator who presided over repression and a brutal [colonial war in
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Bangladesh](Bangladeshi_Liberation_War "wikilink").
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## References
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[Global Nonviolent Action
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Database](Global_Nonviolent_Action_Database "wikilink") -
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<https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/pakistani-students-workers-and-peasants-bring-down-dictator-1968-1969> |