Centralization became firmly established in Pakistan's political system from 1947 onwards. Muhammad Ali Jinnah first centralized power by dissolving provincial governments and concentrating authority in the central government. Successive military rulers, including Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, and Zia-ul-Haq, further reinforced centralization through various constitutional amendments and policies that disempowered provincial and local governments. By 2000, Pakistan was highly centralized, with institutionalized clientelism, personalized politics, and the circumscription of power for elected provincial and local bodies, leaving political power concentrated at the federal level.