| Conflict: | 1973 Pakistan coup attempt |
| Partof: | Military coups in Pakistan |
| Date: | 1973 |
| Place: | Pakistan |
| Result: | Failed coup
|
| Combatant1: |  Government of Pakistan |
| Combatant2: | Fraction of the Army Fraction of the PAF |
| Commander1: | Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto |
| Commander2: | Brig. F.B Ali Major Farouk Adam Khan Squadron Leader Ghous Colonel Aleem Afridi (Double agent) Lt. Colonel Tariq Rafi |
Attock conspiracy refers to a plot[1] by Brig. Ali, Major Farouk Adam Khan, Squadron Leader Ghous, Colonel Aleem Afridi and Lt. Colonel Tariq Rafi against the government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to overthrow the government and establish a revolutionary military junta. However Colonel Aleem Afridi played as double agent. He backed down and informed the government about the plot. The coup plotters were arrested,court martialed and jailed.[2] [3] [4]
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had come to power in December 1971 the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan as PPP had won majority seats in the 1970 elections in the then West Pakistan.[2] [3] [4]
See main article: 1971 Pakistan Military Officer's Revolt. The coup was plotted by the same group of officers who had actually helped Bhutto to come to power after the Bangladesh Liberation War, these officers forced Yahya Khan to resign and transfer power to Bhutto, by threatening an officer's coup if he didn't comply. Yahya Khan resigned.[2] [3] [4] [1] [5] [6]
However Bhutto after coming to power started dismissing these activist officers as he was weary of them.These officers were enraged and the rebel group of officers began to plot a coup against Bhutto with the help of sympathetic people in the military apparatus.[2] [3] [4] [5]
One of the core plotters was Brigadier F B. Ali. He was originally amongst the supporters of Bhutto who had forced Yahya Khan to resign and transfer power to Bhutto.But after his dismissal and dismissal of many of his colleagues he turned against the government and he along with Major Farouk Adam Khan, Squadron Leader Ghous, Colonel Aleem Afridi and Lt. Colonel Tariq Rafi began plotting a coup to bring down Bhutto regime.[2] [3] [4]
They were trying to establish a revolutionary military junta by officers who would oversee the removal of the generals promoted to high positions by Bhutto.[2] [3] [4]
Colonel Afridi quietly backed out from the plan and then informed the military's top leadership about it. The conspirators were then arrested, court martialed and jailed.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]