The document summarizes the key political and constitutional developments in Pakistan from 1947 to 1958. It discusses Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's role as the first Governor General, the leadership of Liaquat Ali Khan as the first Prime Minister, the passing of the Objectives Resolution in 1949, the work of the Basic Principles Committee to develop constitutional frameworks, and the drafting and passing of Pakistan's first constitution in 1956 before it was abrogated by a military coup in 1958.

1. POLITICAL & CONSTITUTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT OF PAKISTAN (1947-1958)
Lecture no: 16

2. Quaid-e-Azam’s Role as First Governor General (1947 – 1948)
• Pakistan came into being on 14th August 1947, Quaid-e-Azam became
its first Governor General and Liqat Ali Khan was appointed as first
prime minister of Pakistan.
• Quaid-e-Azam worked as Governor General for 13 months. During his
short period, he used his penetrating insight and leadership abilities and
resolved important issues that helped Pakistan stand on its feet.
• Quaid-e-Azam well judged the seriousness of the circumstances and
made Karachi the capital of Pakistan.
• Advised government officials to do their duty with honesty and
faithfulness.
• He launched civil services and made Pakistan Civil Services Academy.
• He also started Accounts and Foreign Service.
• The General Head Quarter was made in order to improve the Armed
Forces.
• Pakistan got the membership of the United Nations. It was due to the
statesmanship of Quaid-e-Azam.
• Quaid-e-Azam served Pakistan till he breathed his last. Despite his
broken health, he would study important files.

3. Liaquat Years (September 1948 – October 1951)
 After Pakistan came into being on August 14, 1947,
Nazimuddin was appointed the first Chief Minister of the
Province of East Bengal. When the founder of Pakistan,
Quaid-i-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah died on September
11, 1948, Nazimuddin was appointed as the second
Governor General of Pakistan.
 Liqat Ali khan, the first prime minister of Pakistan was born
at Karnal, a town in the East Punjab, in 1896. He was
assassinated on Oct 16 1951, while addressing a Public
meeting at Rawalpindi.
 He helped and guided Quaid-e-Azam, the nation and the
government in setting up an effective administrative system,
restoration of economic life, preparation of budget, Kashmir
issue, controlling internal disruption.
 When the nation was demoralized after the death of Quaid-
e-Azam and the Indian leadership was always busy in
planning conspiracies against Pakistan, it was he who
represented and led the nation.
 The nation gave him the title of Quaid-e-Millat.

4. First Constituent Assembly (1947-54)
The first Constituent Assembly came into existence under Indian
Independence Act 1947.
The elections were held in July 1946 to decide the destiny of the
All India Muslim League (AIML)’s claim that it is the only
representative party of the Indian Muslims that desire separate
homeland, Pakistan. The members from the districts that became
part of Pakistan were declared members of the Constituent
Assembly. The number of such members was 69. It increased to 79
after the 1947 when some states joined Pakistan and then increase
in the population.
There were two major parties, Muslim League and Congress in the
Assembly at that time. This Assembly had dual functions to
perform.

5. Objectives Resolution (1949)
The Objectives Resolution was the first constitutional
document that proved to be the ‘foundation’ of the
constitutional developments in Pakistan. It provided
parameters and sublime principles to the legislators. It
made the constitution-making process easy task setting
some particular objectives before them that would be
acceptable to the people of Pakistan who had suffered a
lot under the Hindu-dominated majority. The Resolution
was moved by Liaquat Ali Khan, the then Prime Minister
of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and approved on
March 12, 1949.

6. Objectives Resolution (1949)
Features of the Objectives Resolution
1. Sovereignty over the entire universe belongs to Almighty Allah
alone.
2. The authority which He has delegated to the state of Pakistan
through its people for being exercised within the limits
prescribed by Him is a sacred trust.
3. Constitution will be framed for sovereign, independent state of
Pakistan.
4. The state shall exercise its power through the representatives of
the people.
5. Principles of Democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social
justice as enunciated by Islam will be fully observed.

7. Objectives Resolution (1949)
Objections by Non-Muslims:
The major objection by the Non-Muslims was that the government was
trying to mix the religion and politics that was against the spirit of democracy. The
non-Muslims objected on the ‘Sovereignty of Allah’ and minorities’ rights, saying
it would promote inequality in the society. They were also of view that Shariah
was not adequate for the modern time. They feared that it would encourage the
religious extremists to work for the establishment of a ‘theocratic state.’
Importance:
The Objectives Resolution is a basic and primary document of the
constitutional history of Pakistan. It is a framework that provides mechanism to
achieve goals for a better life of the people of Pakistan. It’s important that it
embraces centrality of Islam to polity sustaining their links with the pre-
independence period. The AIML leaders were modernist Muslims not in favour of
an orthodox religious state. Therefore, they selected the middle way abiding by the
Islamic laws and the international democratic values. The Resolution remained
‘Preamble of all the constitutions due to its importance.

8. Basic Principles Committee
After the Objectives Resolution was passed in 1949, the Constituent Assembly
set up a number of committees to draw the future constitution on the basis of the
principles given in the Objectives Resolution. The most important among those
committees was the Basic Principles Committee set up on March 12, 1949, by
Khawaja Nazimuddin on the advice of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan.
The main function of this committee was to determine the basic principles of the
future Constitution of Pakistan. The committee comprised 24 members. Maulvi
Tamiz-ud-din Khan headed it and Liaquat Ali Khan was its Vice President. The
committee presented its interim report to the Legislative Assembly in 1950. This
was a short document presenting the guidelines and principles of the future
Constitution of Pakistan.
Representatives of East Pakistan raised objections against the report. The main
criticism was against the quantum representation in the Central Legislature. East
Pakistan, with a majority of the population, was given an equal number of seats in
the Upper House as West Pakistan, thus reducing the representation of the majority
of the population in Pakistan by one-fifth. East Pakistan representatives also did not
like Urdu being declared as the only national language of Pakistan

9. Basic Principles Committee
Liaquat Ali Khan agreed to consider the objections with an open
mind. He, therefore, postponed the deliberation of the Constituent
Assembly in order to enable the Basic Principles Committee to
examine and consider suggestions that might be made by the people
regarding the principles of the Constitution. In order to include
public opinion, Liaquat Ali Khan called forth general comments and
suggestions by the public on the report. A large number of proposals
and suggestions were sent by the public, which were examined by a
special subcommittee headed by Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar. The
setting up of the committee was a right and commendable step, but
its working was immensely affected by the assassination of Liaquat
Ali Khan.

10. Basic Principles Committee
 There was to be a High Court for each of the units of East Pakistan,
Punjab, Sindh Baluchistan and the N. W. F. P. A Board of Ulema was
to be set up by the head of state and provincial governors. The Board
of Ulema was to examine the law making process to ensure that no
law was passed that went against the principles of the Quran and
Sunnah. The Objectives Resolution was adopted as a preamble to the
proposed Constitution.
 The Basic Principles Committee’s report was severely criticized
and raised much bitterness between East and West Pakistan. The
Prime Minister, Khawaja Nazimuddin, however, welcomed the report
and commended it as a valuable document according to the
aspirations of the people of Pakistan. But the fact was that the nation
was not satisfied with the report and hence there was a serious
deadlock in making of the constitution.

11. Liaquat-Nehru Pact (1950)
 The two Prime Ministers met in Delhi on April 2, 1950, and discussed the
matter in detail. The meeting lasted for six long days. On April 8, the two
leaders signed an agreement, which was later entitled as Liaquat-Nehru
Pact. This pact provided a ‘bill of rights’ for the minorities of India and
Pakistan. Its aim was to address the following three issues:
• To alleviate the fears of the religious minorities on both sides.
• To elevate communal peace.
• To create an atmosphere in which the two countries could resolve their
other differences.
 According to the agreement, the governments of India and Pakistan
solemnly agreed that each shall ensure, to the minorities throughout its
territories, complete equality of citizenship, irrespective of religion; a full
sense of security in respect of life, culture, property and personal honor.

12. Malik Ghulam Muhammad Years (1951 – 1955)
 Malik Ghulam Muhammad Appointed as 3rd GG
• Dismissal of Khwaja Nazimuddin
• Anti Ahmadiya riots and food shortages.
• Ghulam Muhammad with the support of bureaucracy and
military leadership used the discretionary power given to him
by the provisional constitution and dismissed Nazimuddin.
 Prime Ministers of Pakistan
1. Liqat Ali Khan (14 August 1947-16 Sep:1951)
2. Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin (17 Oct:1951- 17 April 1953)
3. Muhammad Ali Bogra (17 April 1953- 12 August 1955)
4. Chaudary Muhammad Ali (12 Aug: 1955-12 Sep: 1956)
5. Huseyn Shaheed Suharwardy (12 Sep: 1956- 17 Oct 1957)
6. Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar (17 0ct: 1957- 16 Dec: 1957)
7. Sir Feroze Khan Noon(16 Dec: 1957 – 7 0ct: 1958)
 Pakistan as the part of SEATO & CENTO
• Pakistan became member of South East Asian Treaty
Organization in 1954 and also joined Baghdad Pact (Later
CENTO) in 1955

13. Constitution Making(1955-56)
Second Constituent Assembly:
• Malik Ghulam Muhammad called a convention on May 10, 1955.
All its members were to be elected indirectly (by the provincial
assemblies). In this way, the 2nd constituent assembly came into
existence.
One Unit Scheme
• The country was divided into two unequal parts. The east Pakistan
was one unit. It had more population than that of west Pakistan. The
west Pakistan consisted of four Provinces and twelve states.
Therefore the government dissolved all the provinces and states and
merged them into single province.
• This unit Continued till 1970

14. Constitution of 1956
 After the establishment of one unit of the west Pakistan, the task of the
formulation of constitution became easier to a great extent. The first
constituent assembly had already done a lot in this connection. Chaudhary
Muhammad Ali availed of the work already done and formulated such a
formula which the second constituent assembly consisiting of political
groups and provinces expressed their consensus.
The draft of new constitution was presented in the assembly on 9th
January 1956. After the final approval by Governor General, it was
implemented in the country as the first constitution of Pakistan on 23rd
March 1956.
 In October 1958, the then Commander in chief of Pakistan Army
General Muhammad Ayub Khan dismissed the government and setup a
military regime in the country. He assumed all the powers in his own
hands. He abrogated the constitution of 1956. He dissolved all the
assemblies. He took over the charge of the offices of president and Chief
Martial Law administrartor.