The 1990 Election
Background
President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed Benazir Bhutto‟s government on August 6, 1990 by using power of 58(2)(b) and announced dates of fresh elections to NA on October 24 and to PAs on October 27. The removal of the government was taken as military coup because the Army took control of important government buildings in Islamabad, including the Prime Minister house and the National Assembly. President accused the Bhutto government for massive corruption, mismanagement and a failure to maintain law and order. The dissolutions of national assembly and provincial assemblies were challenged in high courts; however, except high court of KPK all the high courts upheld the decision of dissolution of assemblies. High court of KPK restored the provincial government of Aftab Sherpao, however, this decision was set aside by supreme court of Pakistan. Similarly, the decision of the Lahore High Court was challenged again in the Supreme Court, which endorsed the judgment of the Lahore High Court about dissolution of federal government, although two judges wrote dissent notes.
The major opposition alliance Islami Jamhoori Itehad (IJI) lead by Mian Nawaz Sharif along with other opposition parties such as the MQM welcomed the removal of the Federal Government. Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, who was the leader of the opposition in the dissolved National Assembly and also the member of the IJI, was appointed by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan as the caretaker Prime Minister. Similarly, the slots of provincial caretaker government were also allotted to IJI or its allies.
The Contending Players
Like in 1988, the major contending parties in 1990 elections were the same. IJI was comprised of nine parties such as Pakistan Muslim League (PML), Jamaat-i-Islami, National People's Party, Jamiat-i-Ulema-e-Islam, Nizam-e-Mustafa Group, Markazi Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadith (Lakhvi Group), Jamiat-e-Mashaikh Pakistan, Azad Group and Hizbullah Jihad. On the other hand, the PPP also formed alliance with the PML (Qasim), Tehrik-i-Istaqlal, and Therik-e-Nafaze Fiqah-e-Jafaria to establish an electoral alliance called Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDA). Similarly, along with these two allied groups, approximately 25 other political parties also participated in the election.
These political parties included Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (Fazlur Rahman), Jamiat- Ulema-e-Pakistan (Noorani), National Democratic Party, the Awami National Party of Wali Khan, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Pakistan Democratic Party, Jamhoori Watan Party, Balochistan National Movement, Pakistan National Party, and the M