Pakistan Documentary (<---link)
Battles and Wars Throughout the History of the Subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent has a history that is marked by wars and invasions of countless armies and empires. One of the first invasions that occurred about a hundred years after the advent of Islam was the Arab invasion of Sindh under Muhammad bin Qasim. The rise of Islam in India began with the conquest of Sindh by the Arabs in 711-712 AD. The foundation of Arab domination in Sind in 712 A.D. was the result of a number of efforts to enter India. The Arabs had turned their attention to India after their conquests of Persia and Herat. Factors that lead the Arabs to invade Sindh included the vast wealth of India and the desire to spread Islam and to form an Islamic empire. The immediate cause of India's invasion was when some Sindhi pirates plundered some Arab ships near the coast of Debal. After two failed attempts, the Governor of Iraq, Hajaj, entrusted the responsibility to his son-in-law Muhammad-bin-Qasim, with a powerful army to attack King Dahir of Sindh. He arrived at the coast in 712 A.D. and was successful in defeating and killing Dahir and thus, Debal was occupied. The conquest of Sind by the Arabs laid the foundation of Islam religion in India, and their rule led to the mingling of two essentially different cultures.
The first battle of Panipat in 1526 AD was the event that marked the end of the Lodhi dynasty and the beginning of the Mughal dynasty in India. It was fought between the last ruler of Lodhi dynasty, Ibrahim Lodhi and the ruler of Kabul, Babur. Babur was not satisfied for long with ruling over Kabul and the surrounding districts alone, however. Throughout the early sixteenth century, he made several movements northward into his ancestral lands, but never was able to hold them for long. Therefore by 1521, he had set his sights on India, which was under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate and Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. At Panipat, Babur and his men were armed with gunpowder firearms and field artillery. Although the Sultan’s army outnumbered the Mughals’, it was unused to the wheeling tactics of the cavalry and suffered from deep divisions. Ibrahim was killed, and his army was defeated. The battle of Panipat was militarily a decisive victory, and it initiated a new phase of his establishment of the Mughal Empire, an era that was to be one of India’s finest.
The second battle of Panipat was fought between the forces of Hemu, the Hindu king who was ruling North India from Delhi and the army of the third Mughal emperor Akbar in 1556. This was a very significant war not only for Akbar, but also for his generals Khan Zaman 1 and Bairam Khan. Akbar was campaigning in Kabul with his guardian Bairam Khan. Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya was a Hindu king in Delhi and made his intention of winning Delhi for himself known to his commanders. Hemu went to war with the Mughals in November 1556, and his armies were on the brink of winning until the Mughal army made a cavalry charge, effectively turning the tables. The battle raged in full fury, and Hemu was killed, resulting in the victory of the Mughals. The second battle of Panipat marked the real beginning of the Mughal Empire in India, and the history of its expansion began. The political significance of this battle was all the more far-reaching, for it shattered the military power of Himu on the one hand and put an end to the Afghan pretensions to sovereignty in Hindustan forever.
The Battle of Plassey of 1757 was a major battle by the British on India. It was an important British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies, allowing the British East India Company take control of a part of South Asia. The battle was between Siraj-ud-daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, and the British East India Company. The battle took place after the attack and plunder of Calcutta by Siraj-ud-daulah and the Black Hole tragedy. The troubles between Siraj-ud-daulah and the British led to the Battle of Plassey. The battle was waged during the period when the British and French governments were fighting the Seven Years’ War in Europe. Siraj-ud-daulah's army was beaten by about 3,000 soldiers of Colonel Robert Clive. Part of the reason the British won was because Siraj-ud-daulah fled from the battlefield and the worry caused by the close by soldiers due to the conspiracy formed by members of the Bengali army. The British victory both eliminated French competition in India and resulted in a treaty arrangement with the Mughal Empire that left the East India Company de facto ruler of the province of Bengal. The Battle of Plassey was one of the major steps that brought England to dominate and conquer India.
The Third Battle of Panipat fought on January 14, 1761 between the Marathas and forces of the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali and his allies was one of the biggest and most significant battles of the 18th century in India. After the Mughal Empire began to decline, the Marathas had gained control of a considerable part of India in the intervening period. However, Delhi still remained under the nominal control of Mughals, key Muslim intellectuals including Shah Waliullah and other Muslim clergy in India who were alarmed at these developments. In desperation, the Mughals appealed to Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of Afghanistan, to halt the threat. The battle lasted for several days and involved over 125,000 troops. The forces led by Ahmad Shah Durrani came out victorious after destroying several Maratha flanks. The Maratha army, under the Bhao Sahib, uncle of the chief minister, was trapped and destroyed by the Afghan chief Ahmad Shah Durrani. The battle ended the Maratha attempt to succeed the Mughals as rulers of India and marked the virtual end of the Mughal empire. This began forty years of anarchy in northwestern India and cleared the way for later British supremacy.
The Mughal Empire began to decline after the death of Aurangzeb, but the final nail hit its proverbial coffin when a private company that first entered India to trade in the 1600s, and the East India Company had gradually gained control of much of India by the 1850s. However, tensions among the British and Indians had arisen, and the 1857 Rebellion came about due to a mutiny of sepoys from the British East India Company who revolted against the British officers. This occurred because the coating of paper cartridges in rifles with pig and cow fat interfered with the beliefs of the Hindu and Muslim soldiers and greatly angered them. Their mutiny encouraged rebellion by considerable numbers of Indian civilians in a great part of northern and central India. The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II, had supported the rebellion and was therefore tried and imprisoned by the British for treason, and the remnants of the Mughal empire were thus in the hands of the British.
The first Indo-Pakistani war started after armed tribesmen from Pakistan's northwest frontier province invaded Kashmir in October 1947, an insurgency that Pakistan supported. Besieged both by a revolt in his state and by the invasion, the Maharaja requested armed assistance from the government of India. In return, he acceded to India, handing over powers of defense, communication and foreign affairs. The war ended on 1 January 1949, with the establishment of a ceasefire line by the United Nations. To the west of the ceasefire line, Pakistan controls roughly one third of the state. A small region, which the Pakistanis call Azad (Free) Jammu and Kashmir, and the Indians call Pakistani-occupied Kashmir, is semi-autonomous. The status of the territory remained in dispute because an agreed referendum to confirm the accession was never held.
The 1965 war between India and Pakistan was the second conflict between the two countries over the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Conflict had resumed again in early 1965, when Pakistani and Indian forces clashed over disputed territory along the border between the two nations. Hostilities intensified that August when the Pakistani army attempted to take Kashmir by force. The attempt to seize the state was unsuccessful, and the second India-Pakistan War reached a stalemate. This time, the international politics of the Cold War affected the nature of the conflict. The clash did not resolve this dispute, but it did engage the United States and the Soviet Union in ways that would have important implications for following superpower involvement in the region. Both sides accepted the Soviet Union as a third-party mediator. Negotiations in Tashkent concluded in January 1966, with both sides giving up territorial claims, withdrawing their armies from the disputed territory. Nevertheless, although the Tashkent agreement achieved its short-term aims, conflict in South Asia would reignite a few years later.
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was the direct military confrontation between India and Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to have been Operation Chengiz Khan, when Pakistan launched pre-emptive air strikes on 11 Indian airbases on 3 December 1971, leading to India's entry into the war of independence in East Pakistan on the side of Bangladeshi nationalist forces, and the commencement of hostilities with West Pakistan. During the course of the war, Indian and Pakistani forces clashed on the eastern and western fronts. The war effectively came to an end after the Eastern Command of the Pakistani Armed Forces signed the Instrument of Surrender in December 1971, marking the liberation of the new nation of Bangladesh. Lasting just 13 days, it is considered to be one of the shortest wars in history.
The Siachen Conflict is a military conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed Siachen Glacier region in Kashmir. A ceasefire went into effect in 2003. The conflict in Siachen stems from the incompletely established territory on the map beyond the map coordinates NJ9842. The 1972 Simla Agreement did not clearly mention who controlled the glacier, only stating that from the NJ9842 location the boundary would proceed north of the glaciers. The conflict began in 1984 with India's Operation Meghdoot during which it gained control of the Siachen Glacier. India has established control over all of the 70 kilometers long Siachen Glacier and all of its tributary glaciers, as well as the three main passes of the Saltoro Ridge immediately west of the glacier—Sia La, Bilafond La, and Gyong La. Pakistan controls the glacial valleys immediately west of the Saltoro Ridge. India gained more than 1,000 square miles of territory because of its military operations in Siachen.
The Kargil War was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LOC). The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the LOC, which serves as the de facto border between the two states. The Indian Army, later on supported by the Indian Air Force, recaptured a majority of the positions on the Indian side of the LOC infiltrated by the Pakistani troops and militants. With international diplomatic hostility, the Pakistani forces withdrew from the remaining Indian positions along the LOC. The war is one of the most recent examples of high altitude warfare in mountain terrain, which posed significant problems for the combating sides. To date, it is also the only instance of direct and conventional warfare between states possessing nuclear weapons.
The Indian subcontinent has a history that is marked by wars and invasions of countless armies and empires. One of the first invasions that occurred about a hundred years after the advent of Islam was the Arab invasion of Sindh under Muhammad bin Qasim. The rise of Islam in India began with the conquest of Sindh by the Arabs in 711-712 AD. The foundation of Arab domination in Sind in 712 A.D. was the result of a number of efforts to enter India. The Arabs had turned their attention to India after their conquests of Persia and Herat. Factors that lead the Arabs to invade Sindh included the vast wealth of India and the desire to spread Islam and to form an Islamic empire. The immediate cause of India's invasion was when some Sindhi pirates plundered some Arab ships near the coast of Debal. After two failed attempts, the Governor of Iraq, Hajaj, entrusted the responsibility to his son-in-law Muhammad-bin-Qasim, with a powerful army to attack King Dahir of Sindh. He arrived at the coast in 712 A.D. and was successful in defeating and killing Dahir and thus, Debal was occupied. The conquest of Sind by the Arabs laid the foundation of Islam religion in India, and their rule led to the mingling of two essentially different cultures.
The first battle of Panipat in 1526 AD was the event that marked the end of the Lodhi dynasty and the beginning of the Mughal dynasty in India. It was fought between the last ruler of Lodhi dynasty, Ibrahim Lodhi and the ruler of Kabul, Babur. Babur was not satisfied for long with ruling over Kabul and the surrounding districts alone, however. Throughout the early sixteenth century, he made several movements northward into his ancestral lands, but never was able to hold them for long. Therefore by 1521, he had set his sights on India, which was under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate and Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. At Panipat, Babur and his men were armed with gunpowder firearms and field artillery. Although the Sultan’s army outnumbered the Mughals’, it was unused to the wheeling tactics of the cavalry and suffered from deep divisions. Ibrahim was killed, and his army was defeated. The battle of Panipat was militarily a decisive victory, and it initiated a new phase of his establishment of the Mughal Empire, an era that was to be one of India’s finest.
The second battle of Panipat was fought between the forces of Hemu, the Hindu king who was ruling North India from Delhi and the army of the third Mughal emperor Akbar in 1556. This was a very significant war not only for Akbar, but also for his generals Khan Zaman 1 and Bairam Khan. Akbar was campaigning in Kabul with his guardian Bairam Khan. Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya was a Hindu king in Delhi and made his intention of winning Delhi for himself known to his commanders. Hemu went to war with the Mughals in November 1556, and his armies were on the brink of winning until the Mughal army made a cavalry charge, effectively turning the tables. The battle raged in full fury, and Hemu was killed, resulting in the victory of the Mughals. The second battle of Panipat marked the real beginning of the Mughal Empire in India, and the history of its expansion began. The political significance of this battle was all the more far-reaching, for it shattered the military power of Himu on the one hand and put an end to the Afghan pretensions to sovereignty in Hindustan forever.
The Battle of Plassey of 1757 was a major battle by the British on India. It was an important British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies, allowing the British East India Company take control of a part of South Asia. The battle was between Siraj-ud-daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, and the British East India Company. The battle took place after the attack and plunder of Calcutta by Siraj-ud-daulah and the Black Hole tragedy. The troubles between Siraj-ud-daulah and the British led to the Battle of Plassey. The battle was waged during the period when the British and French governments were fighting the Seven Years’ War in Europe. Siraj-ud-daulah's army was beaten by about 3,000 soldiers of Colonel Robert Clive. Part of the reason the British won was because Siraj-ud-daulah fled from the battlefield and the worry caused by the close by soldiers due to the conspiracy formed by members of the Bengali army. The British victory both eliminated French competition in India and resulted in a treaty arrangement with the Mughal Empire that left the East India Company de facto ruler of the province of Bengal. The Battle of Plassey was one of the major steps that brought England to dominate and conquer India.
The Third Battle of Panipat fought on January 14, 1761 between the Marathas and forces of the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali and his allies was one of the biggest and most significant battles of the 18th century in India. After the Mughal Empire began to decline, the Marathas had gained control of a considerable part of India in the intervening period. However, Delhi still remained under the nominal control of Mughals, key Muslim intellectuals including Shah Waliullah and other Muslim clergy in India who were alarmed at these developments. In desperation, the Mughals appealed to Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of Afghanistan, to halt the threat. The battle lasted for several days and involved over 125,000 troops. The forces led by Ahmad Shah Durrani came out victorious after destroying several Maratha flanks. The Maratha army, under the Bhao Sahib, uncle of the chief minister, was trapped and destroyed by the Afghan chief Ahmad Shah Durrani. The battle ended the Maratha attempt to succeed the Mughals as rulers of India and marked the virtual end of the Mughal empire. This began forty years of anarchy in northwestern India and cleared the way for later British supremacy.
The Mughal Empire began to decline after the death of Aurangzeb, but the final nail hit its proverbial coffin when a private company that first entered India to trade in the 1600s, and the East India Company had gradually gained control of much of India by the 1850s. However, tensions among the British and Indians had arisen, and the 1857 Rebellion came about due to a mutiny of sepoys from the British East India Company who revolted against the British officers. This occurred because the coating of paper cartridges in rifles with pig and cow fat interfered with the beliefs of the Hindu and Muslim soldiers and greatly angered them. Their mutiny encouraged rebellion by considerable numbers of Indian civilians in a great part of northern and central India. The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II, had supported the rebellion and was therefore tried and imprisoned by the British for treason, and the remnants of the Mughal empire were thus in the hands of the British.
The first Indo-Pakistani war started after armed tribesmen from Pakistan's northwest frontier province invaded Kashmir in October 1947, an insurgency that Pakistan supported. Besieged both by a revolt in his state and by the invasion, the Maharaja requested armed assistance from the government of India. In return, he acceded to India, handing over powers of defense, communication and foreign affairs. The war ended on 1 January 1949, with the establishment of a ceasefire line by the United Nations. To the west of the ceasefire line, Pakistan controls roughly one third of the state. A small region, which the Pakistanis call Azad (Free) Jammu and Kashmir, and the Indians call Pakistani-occupied Kashmir, is semi-autonomous. The status of the territory remained in dispute because an agreed referendum to confirm the accession was never held.
The 1965 war between India and Pakistan was the second conflict between the two countries over the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Conflict had resumed again in early 1965, when Pakistani and Indian forces clashed over disputed territory along the border between the two nations. Hostilities intensified that August when the Pakistani army attempted to take Kashmir by force. The attempt to seize the state was unsuccessful, and the second India-Pakistan War reached a stalemate. This time, the international politics of the Cold War affected the nature of the conflict. The clash did not resolve this dispute, but it did engage the United States and the Soviet Union in ways that would have important implications for following superpower involvement in the region. Both sides accepted the Soviet Union as a third-party mediator. Negotiations in Tashkent concluded in January 1966, with both sides giving up territorial claims, withdrawing their armies from the disputed territory. Nevertheless, although the Tashkent agreement achieved its short-term aims, conflict in South Asia would reignite a few years later.
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was the direct military confrontation between India and Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to have been Operation Chengiz Khan, when Pakistan launched pre-emptive air strikes on 11 Indian airbases on 3 December 1971, leading to India's entry into the war of independence in East Pakistan on the side of Bangladeshi nationalist forces, and the commencement of hostilities with West Pakistan. During the course of the war, Indian and Pakistani forces clashed on the eastern and western fronts. The war effectively came to an end after the Eastern Command of the Pakistani Armed Forces signed the Instrument of Surrender in December 1971, marking the liberation of the new nation of Bangladesh. Lasting just 13 days, it is considered to be one of the shortest wars in history.
The Siachen Conflict is a military conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed Siachen Glacier region in Kashmir. A ceasefire went into effect in 2003. The conflict in Siachen stems from the incompletely established territory on the map beyond the map coordinates NJ9842. The 1972 Simla Agreement did not clearly mention who controlled the glacier, only stating that from the NJ9842 location the boundary would proceed north of the glaciers. The conflict began in 1984 with India's Operation Meghdoot during which it gained control of the Siachen Glacier. India has established control over all of the 70 kilometers long Siachen Glacier and all of its tributary glaciers, as well as the three main passes of the Saltoro Ridge immediately west of the glacier—Sia La, Bilafond La, and Gyong La. Pakistan controls the glacial valleys immediately west of the Saltoro Ridge. India gained more than 1,000 square miles of territory because of its military operations in Siachen.
The Kargil War was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LOC). The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the LOC, which serves as the de facto border between the two states. The Indian Army, later on supported by the Indian Air Force, recaptured a majority of the positions on the Indian side of the LOC infiltrated by the Pakistani troops and militants. With international diplomatic hostility, the Pakistani forces withdrew from the remaining Indian positions along the LOC. The war is one of the most recent examples of high altitude warfare in mountain terrain, which posed significant problems for the combating sides. To date, it is also the only instance of direct and conventional warfare between states possessing nuclear weapons.
Constitutional History of Pakistan till 1972
After India adopted their own constitution in 1950, Pakistan's lawmakers began work on their constitution. Prime Minister Muhammad Ali and his government officials worked with the opposing parties in the country to devise a constitution for Pakistan. The joint work led to the declaration of the first set of the constitution on 23 March 1956. The Constitution provided for parliamentary form of government with a unicameral legislature. Iskander Mirza assumed the presidency, but his constant involvement in national affairs, as opposed to Constitution, dismissed four elected Prime Ministers in mere two years. Under public pressure, Iskander Mirza upheld the coup d’état in 1958, virtually suspending the constitution. Shortly afterwards, General Ayub deposed Iskandar and declared himself president.
General Ayub Khan appointed a Constitution Commission, to draft another part of the constitution, Chief Justice Muhammad Shahabuddin, ultimately altering the entire version of the constitution in 1962 that was entirely different from the one recommended by Chief Justice Muhammad Shahabuddin. President Ayub Khan invited Chief of Army Staff General Yahya Khan to enforce the martial law in country. On assuming the presidency, General Yahya Khan complied with popular demands by abolishing the one-unit system in West Pakistan and ordering general elections. The military government and President Yahya himself made no efforts to frame a constitution, aside from issuing the extrajudicial order in 1970. President Yahya declared a Legal Framework Order on 30 March 1970 that also indicated out the fundamental principles of the proposed constitution and the structure and composition of the national and provincial assemblies.
In December 1970, general elections were held simultaneously for both the national and five provincial assemblies. The polling results turned were simply disastrous according to the standpoint of national unity and revealed the failure of national integration. There was not a single party that held the full confidence of the people of Pakistan. The general elections reflected the unpleasant political reality, which was the Pakistani People’s Party’s mandate in Pakistan and Awami League’s mandate in East Pakistan. Constitutional crises grew further when Awami League refused to make concessions over its six points to draft the constitution and instead maintaining that all that the Awami League (AL) had was the ability to frame a constitution and to form a central government on its own.
The PPP was not willing to decrease the authority of the federal government in spite of assuring full provincial autonomy for all the provinces of Pakistan. Negotiations on framing the work on constitution were held between January and March 1971 between leaders of PPP, AL, and the military government of Yahya Khan, which turned out to be a failure. By February 1971, President Yahya announced that the National Assembly was to meet at Dhaka in March 1971. By this time the differences between the main parties to the conflict had already set. Over the six point issue, the PPP was convinced that a federation based on six points would lead to a feeble confederation in name only and was part of larger Indian plan to break up the Pakistan. On 14 January, President Yahya announced Mujibur Rahman as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, an act that prompted Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to boycott the National Assembly on 15 February. Talking to the news media, Mujibur Rahman asserted that the constitution would be framed on the basis of the six points.
This led the PPP to demand the removal of the National Assembly session or opening session to be postponed. The PPP threatened to stage a large-scale general strike in all over the country. Under pressured by PPP, President Yahya postponed the National Assembly session in March, which came as a shattering disillusionment to the AL and their supporters throughout East Pakistan, resulting in the outbreak of violence in East Pakistan. The Awami League launched a noncooperation movement and virtually, they controlled the entire province. Due to disturbances in East Pakistan, no National Assembly session was called and the military moved in East Pakistan to control the situation. The civil disobedience movement turned into armed liberation movement backed by the India.
With India successfully intervening in the conflict, the Pakistan military surrendered to the Indian military, and thousands of military personnel were taken as prisoners of war in December 1971. Demoralized, gaining notoriety in the country, and finding himself unable to control the situation, President Yahya ultimately handed over the national power to PPP, of which Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was sworn in on 20 December 1971 as President and as Chief Martial Law Administrator. As Pakistan surrendered to India and Bangladesh being formed in 1971, the PPP formed the government and partially enacted the 1962 Constitution. President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto called for the constitutional convention and invited the leaders of all political parties to meet him on 17 April 1972.
The law experts, constitutional analysts, and country's clergymen worked on formulating the constitution that represents the will and desire of people. The Constitution ultimately established the Bicameral Parliament. It also established the parliamentary form of government with Prime Minister as its head of government, the elected National Assembly genuinely representing the will of the people. The Constitution maintained a balance between traditionalism and modernism and reflected heavy compromises on fundamental religious rights in the country. The fundamental rights, which were freedoms of speech, religion, press, movement, association, thought, and intellectual, as well as life, liberty, property, and right to bear arms were introduced in the new Constitution. Islam was declared as the State religion of Pakistan. Geography and border statue of the country was redefined and Pakistan was to be a federation of four provinces. The Constitution was written in the point of representing the conservative Islam as well as reflecting a compromise over the religious rights and humanist ideas.
On 20 October 1972, the draft was revived by all leaders of the political parties and signed the declaration of adopting the Constitution in the National Assembly in February 1973. Ratified unanimously in April 1973, the Constitution came into full effect on 14 August 1973. On the same day, the successful vote of confidence movement in the Parliament promoted Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as the elected Prime Minister.
After India adopted their own constitution in 1950, Pakistan's lawmakers began work on their constitution. Prime Minister Muhammad Ali and his government officials worked with the opposing parties in the country to devise a constitution for Pakistan. The joint work led to the declaration of the first set of the constitution on 23 March 1956. The Constitution provided for parliamentary form of government with a unicameral legislature. Iskander Mirza assumed the presidency, but his constant involvement in national affairs, as opposed to Constitution, dismissed four elected Prime Ministers in mere two years. Under public pressure, Iskander Mirza upheld the coup d’état in 1958, virtually suspending the constitution. Shortly afterwards, General Ayub deposed Iskandar and declared himself president.
General Ayub Khan appointed a Constitution Commission, to draft another part of the constitution, Chief Justice Muhammad Shahabuddin, ultimately altering the entire version of the constitution in 1962 that was entirely different from the one recommended by Chief Justice Muhammad Shahabuddin. President Ayub Khan invited Chief of Army Staff General Yahya Khan to enforce the martial law in country. On assuming the presidency, General Yahya Khan complied with popular demands by abolishing the one-unit system in West Pakistan and ordering general elections. The military government and President Yahya himself made no efforts to frame a constitution, aside from issuing the extrajudicial order in 1970. President Yahya declared a Legal Framework Order on 30 March 1970 that also indicated out the fundamental principles of the proposed constitution and the structure and composition of the national and provincial assemblies.
In December 1970, general elections were held simultaneously for both the national and five provincial assemblies. The polling results turned were simply disastrous according to the standpoint of national unity and revealed the failure of national integration. There was not a single party that held the full confidence of the people of Pakistan. The general elections reflected the unpleasant political reality, which was the Pakistani People’s Party’s mandate in Pakistan and Awami League’s mandate in East Pakistan. Constitutional crises grew further when Awami League refused to make concessions over its six points to draft the constitution and instead maintaining that all that the Awami League (AL) had was the ability to frame a constitution and to form a central government on its own.
The PPP was not willing to decrease the authority of the federal government in spite of assuring full provincial autonomy for all the provinces of Pakistan. Negotiations on framing the work on constitution were held between January and March 1971 between leaders of PPP, AL, and the military government of Yahya Khan, which turned out to be a failure. By February 1971, President Yahya announced that the National Assembly was to meet at Dhaka in March 1971. By this time the differences between the main parties to the conflict had already set. Over the six point issue, the PPP was convinced that a federation based on six points would lead to a feeble confederation in name only and was part of larger Indian plan to break up the Pakistan. On 14 January, President Yahya announced Mujibur Rahman as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, an act that prompted Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to boycott the National Assembly on 15 February. Talking to the news media, Mujibur Rahman asserted that the constitution would be framed on the basis of the six points.
This led the PPP to demand the removal of the National Assembly session or opening session to be postponed. The PPP threatened to stage a large-scale general strike in all over the country. Under pressured by PPP, President Yahya postponed the National Assembly session in March, which came as a shattering disillusionment to the AL and their supporters throughout East Pakistan, resulting in the outbreak of violence in East Pakistan. The Awami League launched a noncooperation movement and virtually, they controlled the entire province. Due to disturbances in East Pakistan, no National Assembly session was called and the military moved in East Pakistan to control the situation. The civil disobedience movement turned into armed liberation movement backed by the India.
With India successfully intervening in the conflict, the Pakistan military surrendered to the Indian military, and thousands of military personnel were taken as prisoners of war in December 1971. Demoralized, gaining notoriety in the country, and finding himself unable to control the situation, President Yahya ultimately handed over the national power to PPP, of which Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was sworn in on 20 December 1971 as President and as Chief Martial Law Administrator. As Pakistan surrendered to India and Bangladesh being formed in 1971, the PPP formed the government and partially enacted the 1962 Constitution. President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto called for the constitutional convention and invited the leaders of all political parties to meet him on 17 April 1972.
The law experts, constitutional analysts, and country's clergymen worked on formulating the constitution that represents the will and desire of people. The Constitution ultimately established the Bicameral Parliament. It also established the parliamentary form of government with Prime Minister as its head of government, the elected National Assembly genuinely representing the will of the people. The Constitution maintained a balance between traditionalism and modernism and reflected heavy compromises on fundamental religious rights in the country. The fundamental rights, which were freedoms of speech, religion, press, movement, association, thought, and intellectual, as well as life, liberty, property, and right to bear arms were introduced in the new Constitution. Islam was declared as the State religion of Pakistan. Geography and border statue of the country was redefined and Pakistan was to be a federation of four provinces. The Constitution was written in the point of representing the conservative Islam as well as reflecting a compromise over the religious rights and humanist ideas.
On 20 October 1972, the draft was revived by all leaders of the political parties and signed the declaration of adopting the Constitution in the National Assembly in February 1973. Ratified unanimously in April 1973, the Constitution came into full effect on 14 August 1973. On the same day, the successful vote of confidence movement in the Parliament promoted Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as the elected Prime Minister.
Constitution Questionnaire
1. Who established the groundwork for Pakistan's foreign policy?
Liaqat Ali Khan
2. Who presented “The Objectives Resolution”, a prelude to future constitutions, in the Legislative Assembly?
Liaqat Ali Khan
3. Who is known as “Shaheed-e-Millat” and when did he pass away?
Liaqat Ali Khan; 1951
4. When did the history of formulation of the constitution of Pakistan begin?
It began with the Lahore Resolution in 1940.
5. When did the constituent assembly adopt first resolution and what was it called?
12 March 1949; Lahore Resolution.
6. “Objectives Resolution”, what did it proclaim?
The constitution would be modeled on the ideology and democratic faith of Islam.
7. What is considered to be the "Magna-Carta" of Pakistan's constitutional history?
The Objectives Resolution
8. The Constitution Assembly made up a number of committees; give name of the most important among those committees and who set this committee and when?
The Basic Principles Committee, which was set up on March 12, 1949 by Khawaja Nazimuddin
9. What was called a serious deadlock in making of the constitution during 1950?
The Report of the Basic Principles Committee.
10. Who was the prime minister when the second draft of the Basic Principles Committee was presented to the Constituent Assembly? Give the date also.
Khawaja Nazimuddin was the Prime Minister and it was presented on December 22nd 1952.
11. Who brought the first constitution that was enforced in the country?
Prime Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
12. When the first constitution was enforced in the country?
March 23rd 1956.
13. What was the year of The Constitution and it consisted of how many articles?
1956; It consisted of 234 articles.
14. Which Constitution of Pakistan proved to be short lived and Martial Law was promulgated and the constitution was abrogated?
The Constitution of 1956
15. When and how did Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy replace Chaudhry Muhammad Ali as Prime Minister?
Soon after the adoption of the 1956 Constitution by forging an alliance with the Republican party
16. How did Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was removed from the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan?
He resigned under the threat of dismissal on October 10, 1957.
17. How did Iskendar Mirza became the president of Pakistan?
Governor General Ghulam Muhammad's dictating policy led Iskander Mirza and his collaborators to force him out of power. Although his removal was necessary, 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.
18. What was the philosophy of “ONE UNIT”?
Combination of the four provinces and the states of West Pakistan into a single province
19. Who became the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1957 and how did he become Prime Minister of Pakistan?
President Iskander Mirza appointed I. I. Chundrigar as the interim Prime Minister after Suhrawardy resigned.
20. Who was Malik Feroz Khan Noon?
Malik Feroz Khan Noon was the last in the line of Prime Ministers under the Presidentship of Iskander Mirza.
1. Who established the groundwork for Pakistan's foreign policy?
Liaqat Ali Khan
2. Who presented “The Objectives Resolution”, a prelude to future constitutions, in the Legislative Assembly?
Liaqat Ali Khan
3. Who is known as “Shaheed-e-Millat” and when did he pass away?
Liaqat Ali Khan; 1951
4. When did the history of formulation of the constitution of Pakistan begin?
It began with the Lahore Resolution in 1940.
5. When did the constituent assembly adopt first resolution and what was it called?
12 March 1949; Lahore Resolution.
6. “Objectives Resolution”, what did it proclaim?
The constitution would be modeled on the ideology and democratic faith of Islam.
7. What is considered to be the "Magna-Carta" of Pakistan's constitutional history?
The Objectives Resolution
8. The Constitution Assembly made up a number of committees; give name of the most important among those committees and who set this committee and when?
The Basic Principles Committee, which was set up on March 12, 1949 by Khawaja Nazimuddin
9. What was called a serious deadlock in making of the constitution during 1950?
The Report of the Basic Principles Committee.
10. Who was the prime minister when the second draft of the Basic Principles Committee was presented to the Constituent Assembly? Give the date also.
Khawaja Nazimuddin was the Prime Minister and it was presented on December 22nd 1952.
11. Who brought the first constitution that was enforced in the country?
Prime Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
12. When the first constitution was enforced in the country?
March 23rd 1956.
13. What was the year of The Constitution and it consisted of how many articles?
1956; It consisted of 234 articles.
14. Which Constitution of Pakistan proved to be short lived and Martial Law was promulgated and the constitution was abrogated?
The Constitution of 1956
15. When and how did Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy replace Chaudhry Muhammad Ali as Prime Minister?
Soon after the adoption of the 1956 Constitution by forging an alliance with the Republican party
16. How did Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was removed from the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan?
He resigned under the threat of dismissal on October 10, 1957.
17. How did Iskendar Mirza became the president of Pakistan?
Governor General Ghulam Muhammad's dictating policy led Iskander Mirza and his collaborators to force him out of power. Although his removal was necessary, 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.
18. What was the philosophy of “ONE UNIT”?
Combination of the four provinces and the states of West Pakistan into a single province
19. Who became the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1957 and how did he become Prime Minister of Pakistan?
President Iskander Mirza appointed I. I. Chundrigar as the interim Prime Minister after Suhrawardy resigned.
20. Who was Malik Feroz Khan Noon?
Malik Feroz Khan Noon was the last in the line of Prime Ministers under the Presidentship of Iskander Mirza.
Constitutional Journey of Pakistan Q&A
1. When did India adopt its own constitution?
1950
2. When was the first version of the Pakistan Constitution formed?
23 March 1956
3. How many elected Prime Ministers did Iskander Mirza dismiss within two years?
Four
4. Who disposed of Iskander and declared himself as President?
General Ayub Khan
5. Who did President Ayub Khan invite to enforce martial law in Pakistan?
Chief of Army Staff General Ayub Khan
6. What did Yahya Khan declare in March 1970?
A Legal Framework Order
7. What were the results of the 1970 general elections?
There was not a single party that held the entire confidence of Pakistan
8. Where was the Awami League’s mandate?
East Pakistan
9. Where was the Pakistan People’s Party’s mandate?
Pakistan
10. What did Yahya Khan announce in February 1971?
The National Assembly would meet in Dhaka
11. What was the PPP’s opinion of a federation based on six points?
It would lead to a feeble confederation
12. Who was announced Prime Minister by Yahya Khan?
Mujibur Rahman
13. Why did Zulfikar Ali Bhutto boycott the National Assembly?
Yahya Khan announced Mujibur Rahman as Prime Minister
14. How did the PPP pressure President Yahya?
They threatened to stage a large-scale general strike in all over the country.
15. Why was there an outbreak of violence in East Pakistan?
President Yahya postponed the National Assembly session in March
16. What did the Awami League do during this violent outbreak?
They launched a noncooperation movement
17. Why did the military move in East Pakistan?
There were several disturbances in East Pakistan
18. What did the civil disobedience movement in India become?
An armed liberation movement backed by India
19. What was the result of the Pakistan military surrender to the India military?
Thousands of military personnel were taken as prisoners of war
20. When was Bangladesh formed?
1971
21. As Pakistan surrendered to India, who formed the government?
PPP
22. Who was sworn in as President and Chief Martial Law Administrator?
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
23. When did President Bhutto call for a constitutional convention?
17 April 1972
24. What did the new constitution try to reflect?
The will and desire of the people
25. Name one new establishment in the Constitution.
The Bicameral Parliament
26. What did the new Constitution reflect?
A balance between traditionalism and modernism
27. What was declared as the state religion of Pakistan?
Islam
28. When was the declaration of adopting the new constitution signed?
February 1973
29. When did the new constitution come into full effect?
14 August 1973
30. Who was promoted as the elected Prime Minister?
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
1. When did India adopt its own constitution?
1950
2. When was the first version of the Pakistan Constitution formed?
23 March 1956
3. How many elected Prime Ministers did Iskander Mirza dismiss within two years?
Four
4. Who disposed of Iskander and declared himself as President?
General Ayub Khan
5. Who did President Ayub Khan invite to enforce martial law in Pakistan?
Chief of Army Staff General Ayub Khan
6. What did Yahya Khan declare in March 1970?
A Legal Framework Order
7. What were the results of the 1970 general elections?
There was not a single party that held the entire confidence of Pakistan
8. Where was the Awami League’s mandate?
East Pakistan
9. Where was the Pakistan People’s Party’s mandate?
Pakistan
10. What did Yahya Khan announce in February 1971?
The National Assembly would meet in Dhaka
11. What was the PPP’s opinion of a federation based on six points?
It would lead to a feeble confederation
12. Who was announced Prime Minister by Yahya Khan?
Mujibur Rahman
13. Why did Zulfikar Ali Bhutto boycott the National Assembly?
Yahya Khan announced Mujibur Rahman as Prime Minister
14. How did the PPP pressure President Yahya?
They threatened to stage a large-scale general strike in all over the country.
15. Why was there an outbreak of violence in East Pakistan?
President Yahya postponed the National Assembly session in March
16. What did the Awami League do during this violent outbreak?
They launched a noncooperation movement
17. Why did the military move in East Pakistan?
There were several disturbances in East Pakistan
18. What did the civil disobedience movement in India become?
An armed liberation movement backed by India
19. What was the result of the Pakistan military surrender to the India military?
Thousands of military personnel were taken as prisoners of war
20. When was Bangladesh formed?
1971
21. As Pakistan surrendered to India, who formed the government?
PPP
22. Who was sworn in as President and Chief Martial Law Administrator?
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
23. When did President Bhutto call for a constitutional convention?
17 April 1972
24. What did the new constitution try to reflect?
The will and desire of the people
25. Name one new establishment in the Constitution.
The Bicameral Parliament
26. What did the new Constitution reflect?
A balance between traditionalism and modernism
27. What was declared as the state religion of Pakistan?
Islam
28. When was the declaration of adopting the new constitution signed?
February 1973
29. When did the new constitution come into full effect?
14 August 1973
30. Who was promoted as the elected Prime Minister?
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto