Zulfikar Ali Bhutto - Political Career - Foreign Minister

Foreign Minister

Bhutto was a Pakistani nationalist and a socialist, with particular views on the type of democracy needed in Pakistan. On becoming Foreign Minister in 1963, his socialist viewpoint influenced him to embark on a close relationship with the neighbouring People's Republic of China. Bhutto adhered to the One-China policy. At the time, many other countries accepted Taiwan as the legitimate single government of China, although two governments each claimed to be "China". In 1964, the Soviet Union and its satellite states broke off relations with Beijing over ideological differences, and only Albania and Pakistan supported the People's Republic of China. Bhutto staunchly supported Beijing in the UN, and in the UNSC, while also continuing to build bridges to the United States. Bhutto's strong advocacy of developing ties with China came under severe criticism from the United States. President Johnson wrote a letter to President Khan calling on him to fire Mr Bhutto and to only maintain ties with the "free world". As vibrant as he was, Bhutto addressed his speeches in a demagogic style and headed Ministry of Foreign Affairs with an aggressive leadership. His style of leading the Foreign Ministry and his swift rise to power brought him national prominence and popularity. Bhutto and his staff visited Beijing and were received by the Chinese with a warm welcome, and Bhutto greeted Mao Zedong with great respect. There, Bhutto helped Ayub negotiate trade and military agreements with the Chinese regime, which agreed to help Pakistan in a large number of military and industrial projects. Bhutto signed the Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement on 2 March 1963 that transferred 750 square kilometres of territory from Pakistan-administered Kashmir to Chinese control. Bhutto asserted his belief in non-alignment, making Pakistan an influential member in non-aligned organisations. Believing in Pan-Islamic unity, Bhutto developed closer relations with nations such as Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. Bhutto significantly transformed Pakistan's hitherto pro-Western foreign policy. While maintaining a prominent role for Pakistan within the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization and the Central Treaty Organization, Bhutto began asserting a foreign policy course for Pakistan that was independent of U.S. influence. Meanwhile, Bhutto visited both East and West Germany and established a strong link between two countries. Bhutto proceeded economical, technological, industrial and military agreements with Germany. Bhutto strengthened Pakistan's strategic alliance with Germany. Bhutto addressed a farewell speech at the University of Munich where he cited the importance of Pakistan and German relations. Bhutto then visited Poland and established diplomatic relations in 1962. Bhutto used Pakistan Air Force's Brigadier-General Władysław Józef Marian Turowicz to establish the military and economical link between Pakistan and Poland. Bhutto sought and reached to the Polish-Pakistan community in Pakistan and made a tremendous effort for a fresh avenues for mutual cooperation.

In 1962, a territorial differences increased between India and People's Republic of China, the Beijing was planning to stage an invasion in northern territories of India. Zhou Enlai, Chinese Premier and Mao Zedong invited Pakistan to join the raid and extricate the rest of Indian-held Kashmir from Indian control. Bhutto advocated for the plan, but President Ayub Khan oppose to plan he was feared of retreat by Indian troops. Instead Ayub Khan proposed a "joint defence union" with India,Bhutto was shocked by such statement and felt Ayub Khan was unlettered in international affairs . Bhutto was conscious that despite Pakistan's membership of anti-communist western alliances, China had refrained from criticising Pakistan. In 1962, the United States assured Pakistan that Kashmir will be resolved according to the wishes of Pakistanis and the Kashmiris. Therefore, Ayub Khan prevented Pakistan not took participate in Chinese plans. Bhutto criticised the U.S. for providing military aid to India during and after the Sino-Indian War of 1962, which was seen as an abrogation of Pakistan's alliance with the United States Meanwhile, Indian Prime minister Nehru reneged on his policies. When Ayub Khan recognised his mistake, Khan commenced the Gibraltar, a failed airborne operation. The operation brutally failed and Indian Armed Forces attacked West-Pakistan with a full-scale war.

This war was an aftermath of brief skirmishes that took place between March and August 1965 on the international boundaries in the Rann of Kutch, Kashmir and Punjab. Bhutto joined Ayub in Tashkent to negotiate a peace treaty with the Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. Ayub and Shastri agreed to exchange prisoners of war and withdraw respective forces to pre-war boundaries. This agreement was deeply unpopular in Pakistan, causing major political unrest against Ayub's regime. Bhutto's criticism of the final agreement caused a major rift between him and Ayub Khan. Initially denying the rumours, Bhutto resigned in June 1966 and expressed strong opposition to Ayub's regime. During his term, Bhutto was known to be formulating aggressive geostrategic and foreign policies towards India. In 1965, Bhutto's friend Munir Ahmad Khan had notified the status of Indian nuclear programme and an ambitious intention to build a nuclear weapon, which it did in 1974 (see Operation Smiling Buddha), Bhutto, in 1965, reportedly saying, unofficially:

Pakistan will fight, fight for a thousand years. If.. India builds the (Atom) bomb.... (Pakistan) will eat grass or (leaves), even go hungry, but we (Pakistan) will get one of our own (Atom bomb).... We (Pakistan) have no other Choice!... —Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,

In his book, The Myth of Independence, published in 1969. One of the notable thesis in the book was the necessity for Pakistan to acquire the fission weapon, and start a deterrence programme to be able to stand against the industrialised states, and against a nuclear armed India. Bhutto obtained a manifesto and made a future policy on how the programme would be developed and which individual scientists would be carry upon the starting of the programme, Bhutto selected Munir Ahmad Khan and Abdus Salam as the first and main basis of the programme.