LEADERS & COMMANDERS

GENERAL MOHAMMAD ZIA-UL-HAQ

PAKISTAN’S MILITARY DICTATOR SUPPORTED THE MUJAHIDEEN WHILE SECRETLY ADVANCING A NUCLEAR WEAPONS STRATEGY

1924-88 PAKISTAN

Having come to power through a coup and imposing martial law, General Zia-ul-Haq’s foresight never anticipated the Soviets getting so close to the Pakistani border. This put immense pressure on Islamabad as it did not have the resources to defend its porous border with Afghanistan. General Zia-ul-Haq’s response was to adroitly manoeuvre himself as a beneficiary of US aid and the Arab states financing the Afghan resistance.

Over the course of a decade Pakistan received American money and F-16A/B multirole fighters as compensation for making the country’s tribal frontier a safe haven where the mujahideen could muster and re-arm. Whether or not the CIA knew about the general’s plans