Pakistan Affairs: Events After 1947

General Zia-ul-Haq, the sixth President of Pakistan, died in an air crash on August 17, 1988. He was 64 years old. The plane, a C-130 Hercules, was carrying Zia, the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Arnold Raphel, and a number of other high-ranking Pakistani officials. It crashed near Bahawalpur, Pakistan, shortly after takeoff. The cause of the crash has never been definitively determined, but there are a number of theories, including sabotage and mechanical failure. Zia’s death was a major blow to Pakistan, and his legacy remains controversial. Some Pakistanis view him as a hero who helped to modernize the country, while others see him as a dictator who suppressed dissent.