political history of pakistan
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All History Belongs to PakistanTRANSCRIPT
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Political History of Pakistan
Liaquat Ali Khan as Prime Minister [1947-1951]Liaquat Ali Khan's contribution to the struggle for independence was numerous. After
independence, he was thus the natural choice for the premiership. Liaquat Ali Khan was
appointed as the first Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Being the first Prime Minister of the country, Liaquat Ali Khan had to deal with a number of
difficulties that Pakistan faced in its early days. He helped Quaid-i-Azam in solving the riots
and refugee problem and in setting up an effective administrative system for the country. He
established the groundwork for Pakistan's foreign policy. He also took steps towards the
formulation of the constitution. He presented The Objectives Resolution, a prelude to future
constitutions, in the Legislative Assembly. The house passed it on March 12, 1949.
After the death of Quaid-i-Azam, he tried to fill the vacuum created by the departure of the
Father of the Nation. The problem of religious minorities flared during late 1949 and early
1950, and it seemed as if India and Pakistan were about to fight their second war in the first
three years of their independence. At this critical moment in the history of South Asia, Prime
Minister Liaquat Ali Khan met Nehru to sign the Liaquat-Nehru Pact in 1950. Liaquat Ali Khan
was unfortunately assassinated on October 16, 1951. The question of who was behind his
murder is yet to be answered.
The government officially gave Liaquat Ali Khan the title of Shaheed-i-Millat.
Jinnah Passes Away [1948] Quaid-i-Azam had been ailing since long before Independence. By the time of Independence,
he was quite an old man but still possessing a strong spirit. He hid the debilitating weakness
caused by severely advanced tuberculosis. By the end, cancer had developed as well.
At the time of independence, he was worn out by his intense struggle and opted to take the
position of Governor General instead of that of Prime Minister. It had been proposed that the
last Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, be allowed to continue as a joint Governor General of
both Pakistan and India. Quaid-i-Azam refused to accept this proposal as he felt that a joint
Governor General would not be able to do justice to both the countries. He firmly believed that
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since Pakistan was a sovereign state, it must be sovereign in all respects with its own
executive and government.
His physicians regularly advised him to take care of his health and to ease back on his work.
But he never cared for it and kept on working hard day and night.
After the establishment of Pakistan, India created numerous problems. The refugee problem,
the withholding of Pakistani assets by India, and the Kashmir problem were a real test for the
Quaid. However, his indomitable will prevailed. He also worked out a sound economic policy,
established an independent currency and the State Bank of Pakistan. He selected Karachi as
the federal capital. His health deteriorated to such an extent, that he had to go to Ziarat for the
restoration of his health. Despite the warning from his physicians, he went to Karachi to
inaugurate the State Bank of Pakistan. This was his last public appearance.
His sickness grew more serious until his death on September 11, 1948. He was buried in
Karachi amidst the tears of the entire nation mourning an irreparable loss.
Khawaja Nazimuddin Becomes Governor General [1948-1951] After Pakistan came into being on August 14, 1947, Nazimuddin was appointed the first Chief
Minister of the Province of East Bengal. When the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam,
Muhammad Ali Jinnah died on September 11, 1948, Nazimuddin was appointed as the second
Governor General of Pakistan.
Khawaja Nazimuddin becomes Prime Minister [1951-1953] Under Quaid-i-Azam's constitutional framework, executive powers lay with the Prime Minister.
When Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated on October 16, 1951, Khawaja Nazimuddin, who
was the Governor General at that time, took over as the second Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Ghulam Muhammad, who had been Finance Minister since the inception of Pakistan, was
elevated to the post of Governor General.
He remained in power till April 1953 when Ghulam Muhammad removed him from the office.
Khawaja Nazimuddin's downfall was not only due to his weakness of character, but also due to
the power struggle amongst the various leaders. The movement for Tahaffuz-i-Khatam-i-
Nabuwat and the worsening food condition in Punjab caused a lot of trouble for Khawaja
Nazimuddin.
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The anti-Ahmadiya movement was started in Punjab by the Ahrar and had the support of Mian
Mumtaz Daultana, the Chief Minister of Punjab. This movement soon spread to other parts of
the country. There were widespread disturbances and the situation in the country soon
worsened to the brink of anarchy and civil war. Imposition of Martial Law became imminent.
Khawaja Nazimuddin was summoned by the Governor General along with his Cabinet and
ordered to resign. Khawaja Nazimuddin declined but was dismissed by Malik Ghulam
Muhammad on April 17, 1953. After the dismissal of Khawaja Nazimuddin, the Governor
General appointed Muhammad Ali Bogra, an unknown person from East Pakistan, as the
Prime Minister.
Muhammad Ali Bogra becomes Prime Minister [1953] Khawaja Nazimuddin was dismissed by the Governor General, Malik Ghulam Muhammad, on
April 17, 1953, and replaced by Muhammad Ali Bogra. Bogra was then the Pakistani
Ambassador to the United States. After coming to power, he set a new precedent of inviting
the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army to become the Defense Minister.
Muhammad Ali Bogra as Prime Minister of Pakistan worked hard for the settlement of the
Kashmir issue. He urged Nehru to settle the Kashmir dispute in order to promote friendly
relations between the two countries. Due to his strenuous efforts, the Prime Ministers of both
the countries met numerous times in London and Karachi. Letters and telegrams were also
exchanged between the leaders of the two countries. As a result of his efforts, Pandit Nehru
agreed to hold a free and fair plebiscite in Kashmir. However, in May 1954, the news of
American military aid to Pakistan gave Pandit Nehru an excuse to go back on his commitments
to hold referendum in Kashmir. Thus Bogra was unable to solve the Kashmir problem. In
August 1955, the Governor General was forced to resign due to ill health and Major General
Iskander Mirza was made the acting Governor General. The acting Governor General also
dismissed Muhammad Ali Bogra on August 8, 1955.
Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Becomes Prime Minister [1955]
Chaudhry Muhammad Ali was appointed as the new Prime Minister on August 11, 1955.
His greatest blunder was the selection of Dr. Khan Sahib as Chief Minister of the Unified
Province of West Pakistan, despite the opposition of the Muslim League. Dr. Khan Sahib was
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an old Congressman who had opposed the creation of Pakistan, therefore the Muslim League
opposed his appointment. Dr. Khan Sahib, however, enjoyed the support of the President
Iskander Mirza. He dropped Muslim League members from his cabinet, and by bringing the
dissident Muslim Leaguers and other supporters, formed his own party, the Republican Party.
Chaudhry Muhammad Ali believed that as a Prime Minister, his actions should be governed by
the good of the country and not by the resolution of any party. He believed that he was
responsible only to the Cabinet and the Parliament. Thus, he refused the demands of the
Muslim League. Disgusted with the scenario, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali resigned as a Prime
Minister on September 8, 1956, also resigning from his membership of the Muslim League at
the same time.
Iskander Mirza Becomes Governor General [1955] In August 1955, Major General Iskander Mirza took over as Governor General when Ghulam
Muhammad became too ill to continue. He was confirmed as the fourth Governor General of
Pakistan on October 4, 1955.
Iskander Mirza was a civil servant and it is widely believed that he lacked the parliamentary
spirit. He was of the view that democratic institutions could not flourish in Pakistan due to lack
of training in the field of democracy and low literacy rate of the masses. He wanted a controlled
democracy for Pakistan with more powers for the civil bureaucracy. Iskander Mirza was also a
great advocate of the One Unit scheme and it was under his rule that all the four provinces and
the states of West Pakistan were merged into one unit in October 1955.
It was during his tenure that Chaudhry Muhammad Ali presented the 1956 Constitution and
Iskander Mirza was elected the first President of Pakistan.
West Pakistan Established as One Unit [1955]Even after eight years of existence, Pakistan was without a constitution. The main reason was
believed to be the fact that there were two unequal wings of Pakistan separated from each
other by more than a thousand miles. To diminish the differences between the two regions, the
Government of Pakistan decided that all the four provinces and states of West Pakistan should
be merged into one unit.
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To this end, Prime Minister Muhammad Ali made the first official announcement on November
22, 1954, enumerating the benefits of having one unit or province. On September 30, 1955,
the Assembly passed the bill merging 310,000 square miles into a single province, with Lahore
as its provincial capital.
The Bill was hailed as a measure of administrative rationalization as it was likely to reduce the
administrative expenditure. It was claimed that one unit of West Pakistan would eliminate the
curse of provincial prejudices.
While the One Unit scheme in West Pakistan could be supported on various grounds, the
method of its establishment was not free from criticism. The government wanted to introduce
the One Unit Scheme by an executive decree, which it could not do. So the Central
Government dismissed the Ministry in Punjab, Sindh and N. W. F. P. One Unit continued until
General Yahya Khan dissolved it on July 1, 1970.
H. S. Suhrawardy Becomes Prime Minister [1956] Soon after the adoption of the 1956 Constitution, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy replaced
Chaudhry Muhammad Ali as Prime Minister on September 12, 1956. Suhrawardy had
managed to secure the office for himself by forging an alliance with the Republican Party.
The controversy over One Unit and the appropriate electoral system for Pakistan, whether joint
or separate, revived as soon as Suhrawardy became Prime Minster. In West Pakistan, there
was strong opposition to the joint electorate by the Muslim League and the religious parties.
Suhrawardy and his party in East Pakistan supported the joint electorate. These differences
over One Unit and the appropriate electorate caused problems for his government.
By early 1957, the movement for the dismemberment of the One Unit had started. Suhrawardy
was at the mercy of central bureaucracy fighting to save the One Unit. Big business groups in
Karachi were lobbying against Suhrawardy's decision to distribute the better part of the $10
million I. C. A. aid to East Pakistan and to set up a national shipping corporation. Supported by
these lobbyists, President Mirza demanded the Prime Minister's resignation. Suhrawardy
resigned under threat of dismissal on October 10, 1957.
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Iskander Mirza Becomes President [1956] Governor General Ghulam Muhammad's despotic and dictatorial policy led Iskander Mirza and
his collaborators to force him out of power. Although his removal was necessary, yet another
despot, Iskander Mirza, who was the fourth Governor General and then the first President of
Pakistan, succeeded him. He was sworn-in as the first President under the 1956 Constitution.
During his regime not only was the first Constitution of Pakistan finalized, but also all the
provinces and princely states of West Pakistan were knitted together to form One Unit of the
West Pakistan Province. During his tenure from 1956 to 1958, President Iskander Mirza
brought about various cabinet changes and advocated a controlled democracy for Pakistan.
Muhammad Ali Bogra was the first Prime Minster under Iskander Mirza. Bogra could not stay
at this position for long, he resigned and went back to the U. S. A. where he was reinstated as
the Ambassador of Pakistan. After Bogra, In collusion with the Commander-in-Chief,
Muhammad Ayub Khan, Iskander Mirza abrogated the Constitution on October 7, 1958 and
declared Martial Law. Iskander Mirza and Ayub Khan began the new era with apparent
unanimity. Although the two were responsible for bringing about the change, they had different
views on dealing with the new situation. Share of power soon led to a struggle between the
two, which ended with Iskander Mirza being arrested and exiled to Britain where he later died.
I. I. Chundrigar Becomes Prime Minister [1957] After merely a year, Suhrawardy resigned from his Premiership in October 1957. His
resignation came as a result of the President's refusal to convene a meeting of the Parliament
to seek a vote of confidence. President Iskander Mirza appointed I. I. Chundrigar as the interim
Prime Minister. Being a nominated Prime Minister, Chundrigar held a weak position from the
very beginning. He headed a coalition government including the Krishak Sramik Party, Nizam-
i-Islam Party, the Muslim League and the Republican Party.
Iskander Mirza exploited the differences between the parties and thus made Chundrigar an
easy victim as he remained Prime Minister for only two months and therefore could not give
any practical shape to his program.
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Malik Feroz Khan Noon Becomes Prime Minister [1957] On December 16, 1957, Malik Feroz Khan Noon took over the office of Prime Minister from
Chundrigar. Malik Feroz Khan Noon was the last in the line of Prime Ministers under the
President-ship of Iskander Mirza. Being the leader of the Republican group in the National
Assembly, Noon came to power by forging an alliance with five different political groups,
Awami League, National Awami Party, Krishak Sramik Party, National Congress and the
Scheduled Caste Federation. Though the coalition was dependent on the support of such a
large number of political parties, it was able to form a stable government.
The Noon Cabinet was fortunate to have the support of the Bengali and Punjabi group of
politicians, reaching an accord between them for the first time. H. S. Suhrawardy's Awami
League Party assured full cooperation to the cabinet of Feroz Khan Noon. President Iskander
Mirza was distressed by the alliance of Suhrawardy and Noon. He not only felt a serious threat
to his office but also perceived that he had lost his grip over the politicians. He tried to counter
by bring other politicians to his side and making alliances with other political parties.
Under these tumultuous circumstances of political instability, President Iskander Mirza turned
towards General Ayub Khan, the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of Pakistan. At
midnight between October 7 and 8, 1958, the President of Pakistan abrogated the Constitution
and imposed Martial Law in the country. This brought an end to the term of Malik Feroz Khan
Noon, which lasted for less than a year. The Parliamentary Government came to an end in
Pakistan, thus setting the stage for the recurrence of Martial Law again and again in the future.
Martial Law Under Field Marshal Ayub Khan [1958-62] On October 7, 1958, President Iskander Mirza abrogated the Constitution and declared Martial
Law in the country. This was the first of many military regimes to mark Pakistan's history. With
this step, the Constitution of 1956 was abrogated, ministers were dismissed, Central and
Provincial Assemblies were dissolved and all political activities were banned. General
Muhammad Ayub Khan, the then Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, became the Chief
Martial Law Administrator.
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Field Marshal Ayub Khan Becomes President [1962-1969] In March 1962, Ayub Khan suspended the Martial Law and proclaimed the Constitution of
1962. Presidential elections were held in January 1965, and Ayub Khan defeated Miss Fatima
Jinnah, Jinnah's sister, to once again become the President of Pakistan.
Presidential Election (1965) Elections were held on January 2, 1965. There were four candidates; Ayub Khan, Miss Fatima
Jinnah and two obscure persons with no party affiliation. There was a short campaigning
period of one month, The public was barred from attending the projection meetings, which
would have enhanced Miss Fatima Jinnah's image. Miss Jinnah's greatest advantage was that
she was the sister of the Founder of Pakistan. An unfair and unequal election campaign, poor
finances, and indirect elections through the Basic Democracy System were some of the basic
problems she faced. Miss Fatima Jinnah lost the election of 1965 and Ayub Khan was elected
as the President of Pakistan.
Martial Law under General Yahya Khan [1969-71] The Tashkent Declaration signed by the Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and the
Pakistani President Muhammad Ayub Khan was not at all approved by the general public, and
was regarded as submission to India and humiliation for the nation. Politicians were already
unhappy with Ayub Khan.
Ayub Khan tried his best to handle the situation by releasing a number of political prisoners,
including the most popular leader of East Pakistan, Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman. He held a Round
but it proved to be a stalemate, with the result that Ayub Khan was forced to hand over power
to General Muhammad Yahya Khan, on March 25, 1969. Pakistan was now under the grip of
another Martial Law.
Being deeply aware of the explosive political situation in the country, General Yahya Khan set
in motion moves to transfer power to the elected representatives of the people and announced
that the general elections would be held on October 5, 1970.
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General Elections 1970 According to the results of the elections, Awami League emerged as the single largest party in
the National Assembly by winning 160 seats. It was also able to win 288 out of 300 seats in the
East Pakistan Assembly. However, the party failed to win even a single seat in the four
Provincial Assemblies of West Pakistan. Pakistan Peoples Party managed to win 81 out of 138
seats reserved for West Pakistan in the National Assembly. The party also performed well in
the Provincial Assembly polls of the Punjab and Sindh Assemblies.
The Separation of East Pakistan [1971] The separation of East Pakistan was a great setback to Pakistan. By 1970, sentiments for
national unity had weakened in East Pakistan to the extent that constant conflict between the
two Wings dramatically erupted into mass civil disorder. This tragically resulted in the brutal
and violent amputation of Pakistan's Eastern Wing. The physical separation of a thousand
miles between the two wings without a common border, and being surrounded by Indian
territory and influences, led to constant political, economic and social conflicts between the two
wings; embittering relations bringing the country on the verge of collapse. As a result of the
separation of its Eastern Wing, Trouble started right at the inception of Pakistan in 1947.
Almost immediately, East Pakistan claimed that as their population (55 percent as compared to
45 percent in the West) was greater, they were in a majority. Democratically, the Federal
Capital, therefore, should have been in Dhaka and not in Karachi.
Since Karachi was the seat of the National Government; ministers, government officials and
industrialists exerted immense influence on national and regional affairs, which brought them
many benefits. But the East Pakistanis were unable to extract the same kind of advantages, as
they were a thousand miles away from the Capital. Moreover, the Capital initially attracted
wealthy industrialists, businessmen, administrators, doctors and other professionals who had
fled from India. The location of the Capital, it was said, created great economic imbalance,
uneven distribution of national wealth and privileges, and better jobs for the people of West
Pakistan, because they were able to sway decisions in their own favor.
Secondly, Bengalis resented the vast sums of foreign exchange earned from the sale of jute
from East, which were being spent on defense. They questioned how the expenditure for the
Kashmir cause would be justified, when it could otherwise have been productively used to
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build dams and barriers to control floods, eradicate poverty and illiteracy, and supply food and
shelter for the ever-growing population in East Pakistan.
Thirdly, the people of the East believed that it was sheer regional prejudice that all white-collar
jobs were taken by West Pakistanis. Many mistakes were made early in the short history of
Pakistan. There lived in East Pakistan about 15 million Hindus who, with the help of their fellow
West Bengali Indians from across the border, were able to exploit East-West differences that
emerged as a result of these mistakes. Grievances were exaggerated to foster anti-West
Pakistani feelings that eventually created Bengali Nationalism and separatist tendencies.
Bengali political leaders went around depicting the Central Government and West Pakistan as
hostile exploiters. However, no effective efforts were made by the Government to check these
anti-national trends.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto becomes President [1971] After the disastrous war with India that ingloriously concluded in December 1971, Pakistan had
to face its greatest crisis since Independence. The dismembered Pakistan was left only with
the four Provinces of West Pakistan; Punjab, Sindh, N. W. F. P. and Baluchistan. East
Pakistan was now independent. Pakistan had lost a whole province of 70 million, 56 percent of
the total population, and over 54,501 sq. miles of territory. There were 93,000 prisoners of war
in India and Bangladesh. Pakistan's international credit was depleted.
President Yahya tried to act in a militaristic manner to impose law and order but the people's
patience had been exhausted by this time. Military leadership had been discredited.
Disillusionment, uncertainty and pessimism prevailed. People were no longer prepared to
tolerate misgovernment. The public severely criticized and accused President Yahya and his
Government for ineptness and inability that culminated with the 1971 national debacle.
Faced with these difficulties, President Yahya ceded power to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Chairman of
the Pakistan Peoples Party that had won the majority votes in the 1970 elections in West
Pakistan. On the request of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, on December 6, 1971, Yahya Khan installed a
civilian setup at the Centre and Nurul Amin, a prominent Bengali politician who was against
Mujib-ur-Rahman, was made the Prime Minister. Z. A. Bhutto was made Deputy Prime Minister
on the same day. Nurul Amin remained Prime Minister till December 20, 1971, the day when
Bhutto took over as the civilian Chief Marshal Law Administrator.
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Bhutto returned home on December 18, 1971. On December 20, he was taken to the
President House in Rawalpindi where he took over two positions from Yahya Khan, one as
President and the other as Chief Martial Law Administrator. Thus he was the first civilian Chief
Martial Law Administrator of the dismembered Pakistan.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto becomes Prime Minister [1973] After the promulgation of the 1973 Constitution, the elections for the President, Prime Minister,
Chairman of Senate, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly were to be
undertaken. The 1973 Constitution had adopted a federal parliamentary system for the country
in which the President was only a figurehead and the real power lay with the Prime Minister.
Z. A. Bhutto was sworn in as the Prime Minister of the country on August 14, 1973, after he
had secured 108 votes in a house of 146 members. Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry was elected as the
President under the new Constitution.
Fazal Ilahi becomes President [1973] After the promulgation of the 1973 Constitution, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was sworn in as the Prime
Minister of the country, and Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry became the President of Pakistan, on August
14, 1973, for a term of five years. Fazal Ilahi was a mere figurehead since all power and
authority rested with the Prime Minister. He was allowed to continue as the President of
Pakistan till 1978, although the army took over the reigns of power in July, 1977. He was
relinquished from the office at his own request on September 16, 1978.
Ouster of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Ever since Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto took over the responsibilities of governance, there was a strong
group in the country that was not ready to accept him. They considered him as one of the
players who were involved in the dismemberment of Pakistan. This hatred was further
enhanced by the authoritarian style of his governance. However, the opposition emerged as a
significant force against Bhutto at the macro level for the first time when elections were
announced in January 1977. The opposition decided to join hands against Bhutto and contest
the election from a common platform, the Pakistan National Alliance.
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However, the intensity of the situation made Bhutto realize that it was not possible to suppress
the movement by force. In the beginning of May, Bhutto changed his policy and started to
explore the option of a dialog. Some P. N. A. leaders were released and brought to Sihala for
negotiations in the first week of June. Bhutto showed his willingness to hold elections in
November 1977, and offered five ministries to the P. N. A. candidates during the interim
period. But P. N. A. team insisted on 50 percent representation in the Cabinet and demanded
elections before August 14. Bhutto eventually accepted almost all the demands of P. N. A. and
the stage was set for a compromise. Signing of the agreement was held in abeyance as he
went abroad for a tour of Saudi Arabia, Libya, U. A. E., Kuwait and Iran. His tour was termed
as dilatory tactics and again there seemed to be a deadlock.
It was in these conditions that Chief of the Army Staff, General Zia-ul-Haq, imposed Martial
Law in the country on July 5, 1977, and sent Bhutto behind the bars. General Zia said, "Had an
agreement reached between the opposition and the Government, I would certainly never have
done what I did".
Martial Law under General Zia-ul-Haq [1977-1985] Elections were held on March 7, 1977. The Pakistan Peoples Party won these elections, but
was accused by their opponents, Pakistan National Alliance, of rigging the elections. On March
14, 1977, the Alliance started a series of nationwide protests. Talks between the Alliance and
Bhutto government were held in June 1977 and an agreement was reached, but it could not be
implemented.
Fresh elections were announced for October 15, 1977. But on July 5, 1977, the Chief of Army
Staff, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, imposed Martial Law and the elections were postponed.
General Zia-ul-Haq announced holding of elections within 90 days.
Referendum 1984 General Zia wanted to establish a pseudo-democracy in Pakistan, with a continuation of him
as President under a civilian setup. Zia took a number of steps in this direction; the first was
the establishment of the Majlis-i-Shoora. The Majlis-i-Shoora was to take the place of the
National Assembly, but was to be without any legislative powers. General Zia's second step
was to ask the public to endorse his rule. This appeal was in the form of a referendum, which
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was so worded that a "Yes" meant that Zia himself would be further endorsed. The question
read as follows:
"Whether the people of Pakistan endorse the process initiated by General Muhammad Zia-ul-
Haq, the President of Pakistan, for bringing the laws of Pakistan in conformity with the
injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Quran and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)
and for the preservation of the Islamic ideology of Pakistan, for the continuation and
consolidation of that process, and for the smooth and orderly transfer of power to the elected
representatives of the people."
The referendum was held on December 19, 1984. The Movement for the Restoration of
Democracy boycotted the elections. The results of this referendum showed the people voted in
favor of Zia, though the M. R. D. claimed that a very small percentage of people actually
showed up to vote. Zia rejected this claim and declared that he had been given public support
to continue as President of Pakistan for the next five years.
As a result of the referendum, the Chief Martial Law Administrator General Muhammad Zia-ul-
Haq became the President of Pakistan. After the referendum, General Zia announced that the
elections for the National and Provincial Assemblies would be held in February 1985, on a
non-party basis.
General Elections, February 1985 After the 1984 referendum, General Zia announced elections of the National and Provincial
Assemblies in February 1985. The elections were to be held on a non-party basis, which was
legalized through an amendment to the 1973 Constitution. The elections for the National and
Provincial Assemblies were held in 1985 on February 25 and 28, respectively. The successful
boycott of the 1984 referendum caused the M. R. D. to miscalculate their next step. Being
confident of public opinion, they boycotted these elections as well. Contrary to expectations,
the voters turned to the polls in large numbers. Surprisingly, many political leaders, including
former Members of National and Provincial Assemblies, and Advisors, who had seemed
popular in their appeals, could not win from their constituencies. The people elected many new
faces. The M. R. D. soon realized that it had miscalculated badly, that it should have fought the
elections on Zia's terms.
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Muhammad Khan Junejo Becomes Prime Minister [1985-88] After the Presidential referendum of December 1984, elections for the National and Provincial
Assemblies were held in February 1985 on a non-party basis. President Zia-ul-Haq nominated
Muhammad Khan Junejo as the Prime Minister of Pakistan on March 20, 1985.
On being nominated, Muhammad Khan Junejo promised the nation that he would lift the
Martial Law and restore a civilian government as soon as possible. Junejo's position was weak
and vulnerable under the constitutional amendments made by Zia, which made the position of
the President paramount and that of the Prime Minister subordinate.
Death of General Zia-ul-Haq [1988] General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was killed in an air crash on August 17, 1988. He had gone to
Bhawalpur to see a demonstration of tanks where he was accompanied by a number of
Generals, including the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of General Staff, high-
ranking Military Attaches, as well as the U. S. Ambassador to Pakistan. On his return journey,
his military transport aircraft, A C-130, exploded in mid-air a few minutes after takeoff from
Bhawalpur airport, killing all passengers aboard including the President.
After the crash, a high level meeting was held in Islamabad to decide the question of
succession. Some of the participants in the meeting were in favor of imposition of Martial Law.
However the military Chief present did not support the idea. Under the Constitution, whenever
the office of President becomes vacant by reason of death or resignation, or removal of the
President, the Chairman of Senate acts as the President until a new President is elected. As a
result Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Chairman of the Senate, became the next acting President of
Pakistan.
Benazir Bhutto Becomes Prime Minister [1988] In the 1988 elections, Pakistan Peoples Party won 94 seats in the National Assembly without
forming any alliance. With the cooperation of 8 M. Q. M. members and 13 members of the
Federally Administered tribal Area, the P. P. P. showed a clear majority. Benazir Bhutto,
daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was sworn in as the Prime Minister, the first woman to govern
an Islamic State.
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Ghulam Ishaq Khan becomes President [1988-93] After the death of General Zia, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Chairman of the Senate, took over as
acting President. Elections for the National and Provincial Assemblies were held on November
16 and 19, 1988, respectively. The Revival of the Constitutional Order had amended the
Constitution, which empowered the President to appoint, at his discretion, any member of the
National Assembly as Prime Minister. Ghulam Ishaq Khan appointed Benazir Bhutto as Prime
Minister of Pakistan on the condition that she would offer full support to him in the forthcoming
presidential elections.
The conflict between the President and the Prime Minister had its drop scene on August 6,
1990, when the President dissolved the National Assembly and Benazir Bhutto was dismissed
from power. The dissolution of the National Assembly was soon followed by the dissolution of
the Provincial Assemblies. Fresh elections were scheduled on October 24, 1990. President
Ghulam Ishaq Khan appointed Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi as the caretaker Prime Minister.
Nawaz Sharif Becomes Prime Minister [1990] After the ouster of Benazir's Government, elections for the National and Provincial Assemblies
were held on October 24 and 27, 1990. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the ex-Chief Minister
of Punjab, was elected as the Prime Minister on November 1, 1990.
Balakh Sher Mazari Becomes Caretaker Prime Minister [1993] President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dissolved the National and Provincial Assemblies on April 19,
1993, and appointed Mir Balakh Sher Khan Mazari as the Caretaker Prime Minister. General
Elections were scheduled to be held on July 14, 1993.
Balakh Sher Mazari's tenure as Caretaker Prime Minister ended on May 26, 1993, when the
Supreme Court revoked the Presidential Order and reinstated Nawaz Sharif as the Prime
Minister.
Moin Qureshi Becomes Caretaker Prime Minister [1993] On May 26, 1993, the Supreme Court of Pakistan declared the Presidential Order of the
Assemblies' dissolution as unconstitutional and ruled for restoring the Nawaz Government and
the National Assembly. However, because of the serious differences between the President
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Ghulam Ishaq Khan and the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, both resigned
from their offices on July 18, 1993, along with the dissolution of the Central and Provincial
Assemblies.
Moin Qureshi, a top World Bank official, was appointed as the Caretaker Prime Minister and
Ghulam Ishaq Khan was appointed as the caretaker President.
Benazir Bhutto becomes Prime Minister [1993] Benazir Bhutto returned to power for the second time in 1993 after the resignation of both
President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on July 18, 1993. The
resignation led to the announcement of fresh elections for the National and Provincial
Assemblies. The elections were held on October 6 and 9, 1993, respectively.
The elections were boycotted by the M. Q. M. No party emerged with an absolute majority in
the elections. As a result the P. P. P. formed the new government with the help of alliances.
Benazir Bhutto took oath as Prime Minister on October 19, 1993. The Presidential election was
held on November 13. Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari, the P. P. P. candidate, won by 274 to 168
votes against the then acting President Wasim Sajjad.
Sardar Farooq Legahri Becomes President [1993] As a result of the general elections in 1993, P. P. P. came to power by forming an alliance with
P. M. L. (J), some independent members and some small parties. After the formation of the
Governments at the Center and in the provinces, the next step was the election of the
President. Initially, a number of candidates filed their nomination papers. However, as election
day approached, there were only two candidates left in the field. These were the acting
President Wasim Sajjad, a nominee of the P. M. L. (N), and Sardar Farooq Leghari, a nominee
of the P. P. P. As a result of voting, Leghari got 274 votes in his favor against 168 votes for
Wasim Sajjad. On November 13, 1993, Sardar Farooq Leghari was appointed as the President
of Pakistan for a term of five years.
Differences emerged between Benazir and Leghari, which eventually resulted in the President
using the Eighth Amendment for the dissolution of the National Assembly, and the dismissal of
Benazir.
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Malik Meraj Khalid Becomes Caretaker Prime Minister [1996]
President Sardar Farooq Leghari, exercising his powers through the Eighth Amendment,
dismissed Benazir Bhutto's Government in November 1996, on charges of corruption and
extra-judicial killings. After Benazir, Malik Meraj Khalid, Rector of the International Islamic
University, was appointed as caretaker Prime Minister. The next elections were scheduled to
be held on February 3, 1997.
Malik Meraj Khalid held the office of Prime Minister from November 5, 1996, to February 17,
1997.
Nawaz Sharif becomes Prime Minister [1997] As scheduled, elections were held on February 3, 1997. Pakistan Muslim League won with an
overwhelming majority with absolutely light and slight opposition. The Muslim League was able
to obtain a two-third majority in the National Assembly and Mian Nawaz Sharif was re-elected
as Prime Minister. It was during this term that Pakistan carried out its nuclear tests on May 28,
1998, in response to the Indian detonation of its five nuclear devices. The Nawaz Government
had found it imperative for Pakistan to carry out these nuclear tests, in order to provide an
effective defense, and to deter Indian adventurism. The Kargil Operation in its aftermath again
led to tense relations between Nawaz Sharif and the armed forces. This tension culminated
into the removal of Nawaz Government by General Pervez Musharraf on October 12, 1999,
thus bringing to an end the second term of Nawaz Sharif's Government.
Muhammad Rafiq Tarar elected as President [1998] Muhammad Rafiq Tarar, a former Judge of the Supreme Court and a Senator, was elected as
the ninth President of Pakistan. He took oath to his office on January 1, 1998. The office of the
President had become vacant after the resignation of President Leghari on December 2, 1997.
Rafiq Tarar seemed to be an unassuming and ceremonial President with a low profile, who
kept away from the press. Immediately after taking over, he declared that from then onwards,
the Presidency would not work in conspiring against the elected Government. He said that he
would confine himself to powers available to him under the Constitution and would not aspire
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for anything more. After overthrowing the Nawaz Government, the military authorities did not
retain Rafiq Tarar as the President till his full term of five years.
Military Comes to Power Again [Oct 12, 1999] On October 12, 1999, the Pakistan Army once again ousted the Civilian Government. At that
time Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif headed the Government. The coup
immediately followed the premier’s attempt to replace the Army Chief while he was on a tour to
Sri Lanka. After two days of chilling uncertainty, Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf
assumed the title of Chief Executive.
After the military takeover, the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif (his
brother and former Chief Minister of Punjab) and five other officials were booked on charges of
hijacking, kidnapping and attempted murder in the "Plane Conspiracy" case. The prosecution's
case was based on a police report filed by an Army Colonel. Nawaz Sharif, in his capacity as
Prime Minster, was accused of giving orders to the Civil Aviation Authority to prevent a
Colombo-Karachi Pakistan International Airlines commercial flight, with Musharraf on board,
from landing at Karachi or anywhere else in Pakistan.
Pervez Musharraf Becomes President [June, 2001] General Pervez Musharraf while he was also Chief Executive took over the office of the
President of Pakistan on June 20, 2001, under the Provincial Constitutional Order (PCO) by
removing Rafiq Tarar before he was allowed to complete his five-years tenure. With immediate
effect he dissolved the suspended Senate, National and Provincial Assemblies and dismissed
the Chairman of the Senate and the Speaker of the National Assembly.
Referendum 2002
After General Pervez Musharraf sacked the civilian Government headed by Prime Minister
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on October 12, 1999, he had assumed the title of Chief
Executive. It was claimed that the Army was forced to take this step to save the country from
"turmoil and uncertainty". The General later on also ousted President Rafiq Tarar and himself
became the President of Pakistan. After becoming the President, he reiterated his stance of
holding elections as prescheduled by his Government in October 2002. But before the general
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elections, a referendum was held on April 30, 2002 for General Pervez Musharraf to be elected
as the President of Pakistan for another five years.
General Elections 2002 After three years of military rule, Pakistan again headed towards democracy on October 10,
2002. More than 70 parties, big and small, contested the eighth national parliamentary
election.
The National and Provincial elections were held on the same day. More than 72 million
registered voters aged 18 and above from a population of 140 million, elected members for the
342 National Assembly seats and 728 seats of the four Provincial Assemblies.
The election results issued after inexplicable delay not only led to no major party having an
overall majority in the new National Assembly, but also were surprising with an unexpectedly
large number of seats won by the Islamic parties. The Islamic parties, which previously had
actually won fewer seats, came in strong this time by capitalizing on opposition to Pakistan's
partnership with the United States in the bombing of Afghanistan and in the war against
terrorism. The MMA got a clear-cut majority in NWFP and Baluchistan provinces where it
easily formed a government on its own. In the rest of the Provincial Assemblies coalition
governments were formed as no party had come in with a complete majority.
With no party emerging with a simple majority Pakistan faced menace of a hung parliament. A
coalition government was, however, set up with Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, the candidate of
PML (Q) as the Prime Minister of Pakistan with the help of MQM, a number of independent
candidates and 10 members of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians who defected
from the party to form their own Forward Block.
Zafarullah Khan Jamali Becomes Prime Minister [2002] Zafarullah Khan Jamali was elected the 21st Prime Minister of Pakistan by the newly elected
Parliament on November 21, 2002. President General Pervez Musharraf administered the oath
to the new Prime Minster at the Aiwan-i-Sadr on November 23. The October elections resulted
in a political deadlock as no party won with an overall majority. This led to the delay in the
appointment of the Prime Minister. On December 29, 2002, Mir Zaffarullah Khan Jamali won
the vote of confidence of 188 members out of the 342-seat House.
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Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain Becomes Prime Minister [2004] Ch. Shujaat Hussain, who heads the ruling faction of the Pakistan Muslim League, PML (QA)
took the post in a caretaker position on June 30, 2004 four days after Zafarullah Jamali
resigned all of a sudden.
Shaukat Aziz Becomes Prime Minister [2004] Shaukat Aziz became the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan on August 23, 2004 after he won
two National Assembly seats from Attock and Tharparkar on August 18 by-elections and took
oath as Member of National Assembly on August 20. He retained the Attock seat, he took over
the charge of premiership of Pakistan.