Governments and constitution-making, 1948-1958

O Level Pakistan Studies History · Nationhood: 1947 to 1971. A short explanation of the idea, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid, a worked example and practice questions with answers.

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The idea

After Jinnah's death Pakistan needed a constitution, but it took nine years to agree one. The first step was the Objectives Resolution of 1949, which set out the principles: Islam, democracy and rights for minorities. The hard questions were how Islamic the state should be and how to share power between East and West Pakistan.

Meanwhile governments were weak. Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated in 1951. After that the Governor-General, not the Assembly, held real power, and prime ministers were dismissed one after another.

The 1956 Constitution made Pakistan an Islamic Republic, but it lasted only two and a half years. In October 1958 martial law was declared and the army took control.

Rules to remember

Common mistake

Students give the 1956 Constitution a Senate or a President elected by Basic Democrats. It had one house only; the Senate came in 1973, and election of the President by Basic Democrats belongs to the 1962 Constitution.

Worked example

The 1956 Constitution gave East and West Pakistan equal seats in the National Assembly. Which earlier measure prepared the way for this?

  1. East Pakistan was one province, but the western wing had several provinces and states.
  2. In 1955 the One Unit Scheme joined these into a single province, West Pakistan.
  3. Two provinces could then be treated as two equal halves, although the East had more people.

Answer: The One Unit Scheme of 1955. It made parity between the two wings possible.

Practice questions

Try each one, then open the answer.

1. What was the One Unit Scheme of 1955?

  1. A
    the merger of West Pakistan's provinces
  2. B
    the merger of East and West Pakistan's armies
  3. C
    a plan for Urdu as the only teaching language
  4. D
    the merger of East Bengal with West Bengal
Show answer

Answer: A. One Unit made West Pakistan a single province, creating parity with East Pakistan; Yahya Khan ended it in 1970.

2. Why did President Iskander Mirza declare martial law in October 1958?

  1. A
    governments kept changing, causing instability
  2. B
    India had invaded the eastern wing of Pakistan
  3. C
    the 1956 Constitution had still not been passed
  4. D
    Ayub Khan had been dismissed as army chief
Show answer

Answer: A. Seven Prime Ministers held office between 1947 and 1958. Mirza abrogated the 1956 Constitution and made Ayub Khan Chief Martial Law Administrator.

3. How did Khawaja Nazimuddin's time as Prime Minister end in 1953?

  1. A
    he lost a general election to the Awami League
  2. B
    he was assassinated at a rally in Rawalpindi
  3. C
    he resigned to become Governor-General
  4. D
    the Governor-General dismissed him
Show answer

Answer: D. Ghulam Muhammad dismissed him despite his majority in the Assembly, after food shortages and riots in Lahore. Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated in 1951.

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