Excerpt: This post answers the questions “Who imposed the first martial law in Pakistan? Who was the first martial law administrator in Pakistan? When was the first martial law imposed in Pakistan?”
Pakistan has a long history of military coups and dictatorship. The country has remained for more than 35 years under the rule of military dictators. It is part of the history that under every dictator’s rule, Pakistan has suffered both during his rule and in the years that followed. In Pakistan, political leaders, judiciary, and media have always played an important role in the successive military dictatorship in the country. A short description of the role of each group is given below.
- Politicians are incompetent, who cannot resolve their mutual political conflicts and let the military involve in it.
- The judiciary has always provided a legal ground to dictatorship and has always legalized it.
- While the media has always hidden dictators’ mess-ups and praised their decisions.
In 1958, a political mess-up was created by all three parties, which gave the military a chance to jump in and take control of the country’s state affairs.
Who imposed the first martial law in Pakistan?
On October 7, President Iskander Mirza declared martial law in the country. He annulled the 1956 Constitution by describing it as “unworkable” and full of “dangerous compromises.” He dismissed the government of Sir Feroz Khan Noon and dissolved the National and Provincial Assemblies of the country. Both Iskander Mirza and Ayub Khan had very different points of view, and they did not work out together. Considering this, the Chief Martial Law Administrator, Ayub Khan, on the night of 26/27 October, carried out his own coup d’état against Iskander Mirza and sent him into exile to England. Most of the country’s politicians of that time only became aware of the coup the next morning. Only the then U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, James M. Langley, was kept fully informed of political developments in the country.
What were the factors that led to the imposition of the first martial law in Pakistan?
In 1958, the first President of Pakistan, Major General Iskander Ali Mirza, had political and ideological conflicts with the then political parties and politicians. He was against the republican form of government within the country. His differences with the opponents had reached the extent that he had dismissed four elected prime ministers within a short period of two years after the promulgation of the constitution in 1956. His instant decisions and dismissals had created a political disrupt in the country. In the last days of his presidency, he appointed Sir Feroz Khan Noon from his own political party, the Republican Party, as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan. He could not work with the new prime minister, and so he abrogated the constitution.
Following Martial Laws in the country
The 1958 military coup paved the way for future military interventions in the country. President Ayub Khan, due to public pressure, resigned from the office and handed over the government to Yahya Khan, another military dictator, which led to the 1971 tragedy. In 1977, another coup d’état was conducted at midnight on July 4, 1977, on the order of Chief of Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq, to overthrow the government of then-Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. In October 1999, the military took down the government of Nawaz Sharif after he tried to dismiss Musharraf and prevented his plane from landing in Pakistan.
The imposition of the first martial law in Pakistan by President Iskander Mirza in 1958 marked the beginning of a long history of military interventions in the country’s political affairs. The subsequent coups and dictatorships have left an indelible mark on Pakistan’s socio-political landscape. Understanding the factors that led to these events is crucial for comprehending the country’s complex political history and the challenges it continues to face. As Pakistan moves forward, it is essential to reflect on these past events to build a more stable and democratic future.
Source: The above answer is based on the information shared by
- Wikipedia, 1958 Pakistani Military Coup
- Britannica, Muhammad Ayub Khan | Biography, Reforms and Martial Law
- Legal Law Firm, Martial Laws in Pakistan
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