on 5 july 1977, general zia-ul-haq led a coup d'état. in the year or two before zia-ul-haq's coup, his predecessor, leftist prime minister zulfikar ali bhutto, had faced vigorous opposition which was united under the revivalist banner of "nizam-e-mustafa" ("rule of the prophet"). according to supporters of the movement, establishing an islamic state based on "sharia" law would mean a return to the justice and success of the early days of islam when the islamic prophet muhammad ruled the muslims. in an effort to stem the tide of street islamisation, bhutto had also called for it and banned the drinking and selling of wine by muslims, nightclubs and horse racing.