Chaudhry Muhammad Ali (1955 - 1956) : Pakistan's First Constitution and Controversial One -Unit

Chaudhry Muhammad Ali (1955–1956): Pakistan’s First Constitution & the Controversial One-Unit

When seasoned civil servant Chaudhry Muhammad Ali became prime minister on 12 August 1955, Pakistan was a state without a constitution, a budget in deficit, and provinces itching for autonomy. He was neither a spell-binding orator nor a mass-mobiliser, but his administrative acumen would gift Pakistan its first charter—and ignite a provincial identity storm.

1. Mission: A Written Constitution

Eight Years, Zero Charter: By 1955 India had long been running on its 1950 constitution, while Pakistan fumbled with draft after draft. Muhammad Ali declared, “No more delays.” Through marathon sessions and back-room bargaining, he delivered the landmark 23 March 1956 Constitution. For the first time Pakistan was officially styled the “Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”

  • 234 Articles defined citizen rights, Islamic injunctions, and federal structures.
  • President: Muslim, at least 40 years old.
  • Unicameral National Assembly: 300 members elected on parity East-West lines.
  • Voting age: 21 years.

The document won applause abroad—but raised fresh expectations at home.

2. One-Unit Scheme: Efficiency vs. Identity

To balance numbers with East Pakistan, Muhammad Ali merged Punjab, Sindh, NWFP, and Balochistan into West Pakistan One-Unit. Bureaucrats called it “administrative genius”; Sindhi, Baloch, and Pashtun voices called it cultural erasure. Streets of Karachi and Quetta echoed with slogans against the “death of provincial soul.”

3. Bengali Language Tension

Meanwhile East Pakistan’s majority pushed the Bengali language question to boiling point. They demanded co-national-language status—the new constitution offered symbolic recognition but little legislative bite. The gap between Dhaka’s aspirations and Karachi’s allocations widened.

4. Resignation & Assessment

Under mounting dissent from President Iskander Mirza and provincial lawmakers, Muhammad Ali resigned on 12 September 1956. He left behind Pakistan’s inaugural legal framework, but also a West Pakistan unit the smaller provinces never owned. Historians debate: Did he rescue statehood or draft its next crisis?

🗣️ Comment Corner: Was One-Unit a visionary fix or the seed of future disintegration? Share below.

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