KSB Politics

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 ...

Political History of Pakistan (1951–1955): Khawaja Nazimuddin & Muhammad Ali Bogra – From Assassination Shock to Constitutional Daydreams Pakistan entered 1951 reeling from Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan’s assassination. What followed was a rapid-fire sequence of leadership crises. Khawaja Nazimuddin, a soft-spoken aristocrat, stepped into shoes far larger than his political footing. Two years later, diplomat-turned-premier Muhammad Ali Bogra arrived with foreign charm but the same domestic headaches. Together, their combined era (1951-1954) demonstrates how fragile Pakistan’s polity was before Ayub Khan ever dreamed of a coup. 1. Khawaja Nazimuddin (17 October 1951 – 17 April 1953) Leadership Vacuum: Nazimuddin inherited a nation still moving refugees, balancing budgets, and fighting the First Kashmir War’s diplomatic fallout. Lacking Liaquat’s authority, he faced provincial jealousy and economic shortages—especially Punjab’s food crisis of 1953. Second Draft Constitutio...