BAHAWALPUR - The death anniversary of Gen Ziaul Haq once again went unnoticed here as no event was arranged by any section to mark the incident of the C-130 plane crash on August 17, 1988 at Basti Lal Kamal.
In the plane crash, 31 people including the President and COAS Gen Ziaul Haq, JCSC Chairman Gen Akhter Abdur Rehman, US Ambassador in Pakistan Arnold Raphel and Army Officer Brig Gen Wassom had died.
The mystery of the conspiracy is still haunting many people in the area but they are unable to understand the truth as the sons of Gen Ziaul Haq (Late) and Gen Akhter Abdur Rehman, MNA Ejazul Haq and former federal minister Humayun Akhter too have stopped to pursue the case to unveil the hidden facts behind this tragedy.
The C-130 plane had crashed soon after takeoff from Bahawalpur Airport on the right bank of River Sutlej on Aug 17, 1988 afternoon before 4:00pm and burnt into ashes. Even Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif never showed any intentions to find out the causes of the tragic incident in which Gen Ziaul Haq lost his life.
Gen Zia imposed Martial Law in the country on July, 5, 1977 and became the ruler of the country as Martial Law Administrator by removing the PPP government of Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto due to nationwide political confrontation and unrest and later Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged on April 4, 1979 in a murder case. Ziaul Haq was around 64 year old at the time of death and ruled the country as Martial law administrator and President of the country more than 11 years.