Zia ul-Haq, Muhammad

Zia ul-Haq, Muhammad ( 1924 – 88 )
Pakistani general and statesman, President ( 1978 – 88 ). As Chief of Staff he led the bloodless coup which deposed President Zulfikar Bhutto in 1977 . After being sworn in as President in 1978 , he banned all political parties and began to introduce strict Islamic laws. Re-appointed President in 1984 , Zia ul-Haq lifted martial law but continued to maintain strict political control. He died in an air crash, possibly as the result of sabotage.