Iskander Mirza Presentation

ISKANDER MIRZA
1955-1958
ONE UNIT POLICY
 Since independence East Pakistan had been a
single province. While West Pakistan comprised 4
province and 10 princely states.
 In November 1954 Bogra had proposed that
provinces and princely states of West Pakistan
should be merged into one unit.
 On 5th October 1955 Mirza passed an order
unifying, all of West Paksitan in what became
known as ‘One Unit Scheme’.
 Mirza claimed that unification would be a
significant step towards a united country.
 However there were other reason for the policy.
•By dividing Paksitan into two wings, the One Unit
Scheme prevented East Pakistan gaining a majority
in the Assembly.
•The scheme was highly unpopular in East Pakistan
and also was opposed in the individual provinces
of West Pakistan.
•President Mirza had to dismiss the Chief Minister
of Sindh and dissolve the state assemblies of
Bahawalpur and Khairpur province.
•Troops were used to crush the opposition in
Baluchistan.
•Opponents were upset at the loss of provincial
identities.
•Leading provincial politicians and political parties
feared a loss of power.
•People in East Pakistan saw this scheme as a device
to curtail their majority in the National Assembly.
1956 CONSTITUTION
 On 5th June 1955 parliamentary government was
restored.
 In August 1955 Bogra was sent back to Washington
as ambassador.
 Ch. Mohammed Ali, a former finance minister,
was appointed Prime Minister.
 He contributed to the drafting and passing of
Paksitan’s new constitution in February 1956.
 This officially was adopted on 23rd March 1956.
 Pakistan was now an Islamic Republic.
 The constitution was a compromise between the
wishes of the two important parties, the Muslim
League and the United Front, and neither was
completely satisfied.
•However the United Front dropped its opposition
to equal seats in the Assembly and no longer
demanded full provincial autonomy.
•In return Bengali was accepted as an official
language.
SALIENT FEATURES
 The objective resolution was included as

permeable by the constitution.
 The constitution provides for a federal system in
the country. Powers was divided between the
centre and the provinces.
 The President required to be a Muslim of at least
forty years of age. The tenure of his office was 5
years. In case of internal or external danger he
could declare a state of emergency in the
country. He was authorized to appoint the
Governors, the Judges of the Supreme Court,
Auditor General and the Advocate General.
•The Prime Minister was to be the leader of the
Parliamentary group and was thus indirectly elected
by the people. He could choose his cabinet from the
members of the National Assembly; the cabinet was
answerable to the Assembly.
•Provincial Autonomy - Curtailed in the constitution to
a great extent.
•Islamic Law - no law would be passed against the
teachings of the Quran and Sunnah.
•Free Judiciary - An independent judiciary in the
country.
•Urdu & Bengali were made national languages.
•Fundamental Rights included freedom of movement,
freedom of speech and expression, freedom to choose
profession and freedom to profess religion. Right to
life, liberty, and property.
MODERNIZATION
 Karachi Air port was developed by Iskander
Mirza.
 Expanded Railways
 Telephone system expanded

FREQUENT CHANGE OF PM
 He came into conflict with Ch. M. Ali. He
resigned as PM.
 Hussain Shaheed Suharwardy, became PM. From
East Pakistan, A good lawyer and speaker. He
was the first PM of Pakistan, who visited China.
He was a shrewd politician, He asked Mirza to
hold Vote of Confidence in assembly. Instead
dismissed Suharwardy.
 I.I. Chundrigar became the PM for 6 months
only.
 Malik Feroz Khan Noon became the PM.
MIRZA AS PRESIDENT
 When the Constitution of 1956 was adopted,
the title of the head of state of Pakistan was
changed from Governor General to President,
but the duties and powers associated with
the office did not change to a great extent.
The Constituent Assembly unanimously
elected Iskander Mirza as the first President
of Pakistan.
 History documents that like his predecessor
Ghulam Muhammad, Iskander Mirza was a
power hungry person and wanted to
dominate the political scene of the country
by any way possible.
•Being the head of state, he always remained
active in power politics and played the role of a
kingmaker.
•He took full advantage of the weakness of
politicians and played them against each other. To
offset the influence of the Muslim League, he
played an active role in the creation of the
Republican Party.
•During his short span of four years as the head of
state, four Prime Ministers were changed.
•Most historians believe that Iskander Mirza was
responsible for this political instability.
MARTIAL LAW
 The Awami League began negotiating a power
sharing programme with the Muslim League, re-
organizing after the 1954 elections.
 This attempt of the Awami League threatened
Mirza and his political influence nearly bringing
the Muslim League to come to its end.
 Therefore, on 7 October 1958, Mirza issued an
executive decree and a state presidential
proclamation abrogating the 1956 Constitution
of Pakistan.
•The Pakistan Parliament, provisional assemblies
were dissolved, and the civil government of Awami
League was brought to end.
•On 7 October, Mizra appeared on national radio
declaring that he was introducing a new
constitution; "more suited to the genius of the
Pakistan nation“.
• He believed democracy was unsuited to Pakistan
"with its 15% literacy rate“ he imposed Martial
Law.
•This martial law imposed by country's first Bengali
president was first martial law in Pakistan.
•Mirza appointed then-Army Commander of
Pakistan Army, General Ayub Khan, as the Chief
Martial Law Administrator (MLA), which proved his
undoing in less than two weeks.
MILITARY COUP D’ETAT
 Iskander Mirza himself remained President and
appointed Ayub Khan as the Martial Law
Administrator and the Supreme Commander of
the armed forces.
 Ayub Khan proved to be smarter than the
politicians and refused to act as puppet in the
hands of the President.
 On October 27, 1958, Ayub Khan compelled
Iskander Mirza to leave the country, assumed
himself the title of President, and announced that
Martial Law would continue in order to give legal
cover to certain reforms he wanted to put
through.
AYUB KHAN’S VIEW
WHY DID AYUB KHAN IMPOSE
ML NOW IN 1958?

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ISKANDER MIRZA

 The objective resolution was included as

 Telephone system expanded

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