Table Of Contents
In 1970, a short but bloody civil war broke out in Jordan. It is known as Black September.
A Pakistani army officer named Muhammad Zia Ul Haq, who later became Pakistan’s president, played an important part in it.
Thousands of Palestinians lost their lives.
People still debate the exact numbers and what really happened.
Here is the story told in simple words.
What Was Black September?
After the 1967 war, Israel took more land, and many Palestinians became refugees in neighbouring countries.
Jordan took in the largest number.
Some Palestinian fighters formed armed groups under the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), led by Yasser Arafat.
They used Jordan as a base to launch attacks against Israel.
Over time, these fighters grew very powerful inside Jordan.
They set up their own checkpoints and sometimes clashed with Jordanian forces.
King Hussein felt they were threatening his rule.
In September 1970, fighting erupted into a full-scale conflict.
The Jordanian army moved quickly to crush the PLO and regain control.
Zia-Ul-Haq’s Involvement
At that time, Zia-ul-Haq was a brigadier in the Pakistan Army.
Pakistan had good relations with Jordan, so Zia was sent there to train and advise the Jordanian military.
During Black September, he helped command Jordanian armoured (tank) units that fought the Palestinian guerrillas.
The Jordanian forces won decisively, and the PLO was forced to leave Jordan.
Because of this, some people view Zia’s actions in 1970 as being “against” Palestinian fighters.
How Many Palestinians Died?
There is no single exact number that everyone agrees on.
Different sources give different estimates:
- Most historians and reliable reports say 3,000 to 4,000 Palestinians were killed. The majority were armed fighters, but civilians in refugee camps also died during the heavy fighting.
- PLO leader Yasser Arafat and some Palestinian accounts claimed much higher figures, up to 25,000. Many experts consider these numbers exaggerated for political reasons.
- Jordan reported only a few hundred deaths on its own side.
The figure of 3,000–4,000 is the one most commonly accepted by neutral scholars today.
What Changed Later?
When Zia-ul-Haq became President of Pakistan in 1977, the country’s official policy remained strongly supportive of the Palestinian cause.
Pakistan has never recognised Israel and has always called for an independent Palestinian state.
Zia met Yasser Arafat several times and showed public friendship and solidarity.
Any bitterness from 1970 gradually disappeared.
Arafat even attended Zia’s funeral in 1988 as a sign of respect.
Final Thoughts
Black September was a tragic and painful event.
Thousands of lives were lost in a matter of weeks, mostly Palestinian.
Zia-ul-Haq helped Jordan’s king at that time, but later led a country that stood firmly with Palestine.
History is full of complicated moments like this.
Alliances shift, and old conflicts can give way to new understandings.
The real lesson is to remember the human cost and work toward lasting peace and justice for everyone.
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