d Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. General Pervez Musharraf, assumed the office of President of Pakistan for an indefinite period on June 20, 2001.
General Musharraf got married in 1968 and has two children, a son and a daughter.  [Top]

Data Collected By Muhammad Jahangir n="2">
Muhammad Jahangir Ahmed Web.               
 
Pakistan Section

Complete Pakistani Info
Personalities Of Pakistan

 

 
Quick Links

* Islamic Information
* Pakistani Information
* Muhammad Jahangir
* Incredible Articles

 

 
About

Last Updated:
Sunday November 23, 2003
Copyright:
1998-2004 by Softvision.
 
PERSONALITIES OF PAKISTAN

1.      Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

2.      Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk

3.      Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk

4.      Aga Khan

5.      Ali Brothers

6.      Liaquat Ali Khan

7.      Muhammad Ali Jinnah

8.      Allama Iqbal

9.      Fatima Jinnah

10.  Begum Shah Nawaz

11.  Begum Viqar-un-Nisa

12.  Choudhary Rahmat Ali

13.  H. S. Suhrawardy

14.  Chaud Muhammad Ali

15.  Khawaja Nazimuddin

16.  Ghulam Muhammad

17.  I. I. Chundrigar

18.  Muhammad Ali Bogra

19.  Feroz Khan Noon

20.  Iskander Mirza

21.  Yahya Khan

22.  Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

23.  Muhammad Ayub Khan

24.  Gen. M. Zia-ul-Haq

25.  Muhammad Khan Junejo

26.  Ghulam Ishaq Khan

27.  Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi

28.  Benazir Bhutto

29.  Farooq Ahmad Leghari

30.  Malik Meraj Khalid

31.  Mian M. Nawaz Sharif

32.  Muhammad Rafiq Tarar

33.  Gen. Pervez Musharraf

 

1.  Sir Syed Ahmad Khan [1817-1898]
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, an educational, political and religious reformer was the major formulator of the concept of the "Two-Nation Theory" among Muslims of India in the latter half of the 19th century. As founder of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh and leader of the Aligarh movement, he attempted to acquaint the British with the Indian mind, his next anxiety was to open the minds of his countrymen to European literature, science and technology.
Born in a leading family of Syeds in Delhi in 1817, Syed Ahmad was raised in the religious and cultural style of the Mughal literati and scholastic tradition associated with Shah Wali-Ullah. In defiance of the wishes of his elders, he took service as a subordinate official of the British regime in 1836 and spent the next forty years of his life posted in a series of small North Indian towns. At the same time, he took seriously to writing books and pamphlets which established his reputation as a writer and thinker.
During the 1857 Revolt, he remained a staunch supporter of British rule, but afterwards published a sharp critique of British policies and attitudes. The most significant of his literary works of this period were his pamphlets "Loyal Mohammadans of India" and "Cause of Indian Revolt."  [Top]

2.  Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk [1841-1917]
Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk, born on March 24, 1841, was named Mushtaq Hussain. He started his education at a Maktab and later on became a pupil of Maulvi Rahat Ali Amrohi, under whom he learned advanced Arabic, Hadith and Fiqh. He later joined the government service and therefore came in contact with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in 1861 in "United Provinces."
In 1866, he started his career as a humble worker of the Aligarh movement and also became a member of the scientific society. In 1870, he was awarded second prize in a essay competition arranged by the Society for the Promotion of Education among Muslims on bringing about an educational renaissance among the Muslims.
In 1875, he was invited to serve in Hyderabad state under the British. He continued to serve for 17 years and as a result for his meritorious services was elevated to the rank of a Nawab, and his full title was Nawab Mushtaq Hussain Viqar-ul-Mulk.
Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk was a member of the Simla Deputation in 1906. He wanted the Muslims to organize themselves politically and to safeguard their political rights. He also played an active role in the establishment of the Muslim League.
Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk, starting his political career with the Aligarh movement, also represented and guarded the Indian Muslim cause at two significant events - the Simla Deputation and the other being the establishment of the Muslim League.
By 1915, he had a stroke of paralysis and passed away on January 27, 1917, and was buried in his family graveyard at Amroha.  [Top]

3.  Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk [1837-1907]
Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk (1837-1907), fondly known as Sayed Mehdi Ali, was born to a family of Barah Syeds on December 9, 1837 at Etawah. Mehdi Ali received the best of early education in and around Etawah. He was given a thorough grounding both in Persian and Arabic.
In 1867, he sat for Provincial Civil Service examination and topped the list of successful candidates and was appointed deputy collector in U.P. Here he came to know Sir Syed. In 1874, Mehdi Ali proceeded to Hyderabad and was conferred the titles of Munir Nawaz Jang and Nawab Mohsin-ud-Daula by the Nizam of Hyderabad, for his meritorious services.
In 1893, Mehdi Ali came to Aligarh and offered his services to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan to assist him in spreading the message of Aligarh. Mohsin-ul-Mulk assumed the secretaryship of the Muslim Educational Conference upon the death of Sir Syed. Towards the beginning of the twentieth century, the Hindi-Urdu controversy arose in the "United Provinces." Mohsin-ul-Mulk took up the pen in defense of Urdu in collaboration with the Urdu Defense Association.
Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk, being a far-sighted and politically conscious leader, carried on correspondence with the private secretary of the viceroy to give his point of view on the necessity of separate representation to the Muslims in all the legislatures and in all local bodies. In 1906, he, along with Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk, was asked to draft the constitution of the Muslim League.
Being a chronic victim of diabetes he died on October 16, 1907.  [Top]

4.  Aga Khan [1877-1957]
His Highness the Aga Khan, (1877-1957) came from a very illustrious family, which has left its mark in the pages of history. The history of the Aga Khan family in India begins from the year 1842, when his grandfather, Aga Khan, Aga Hassan Alyshah reached with his band of followers from Kandhar, as a political refugee, and later settled in Bombay. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Alyshah Aga Khan II, who met an untimely death in 1895.
Aly Shah was succeeded by his son, Sultan Mohammed Shah, as Agha Khan III, at the age of seven. Educated in both traditions, the Aga Khan showed special aptitude for philosophy, theology and Persian poetry.
In his presidential address to the Mohammadan Educational Conference, held in Dehli in 1902, he promoted the idea of establishing a great central Muslim University at Aligarh.
In 1906, Sir Aga Khan led the Simla deputation and very adequately represented the Muslim demands for separate electorates, later reflected in the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909. When All-India Muslim League was established in 1906, Aga Khan was elected its first President and continued to hold this post until 1912, when he submitted his resignation.
On January 1929, All-Parties Muslim conference, which met in Dehli with Aga Khan in the chair, made efforts to forge unity amongst the two warring parties of the Muslim league (the Shafi Group and Jinnah Group.) In his presidential address the Aga Khan advised Muslim leaders to sink their differences and to join hands.
In the Round Table conferences held in London 1930-1932, His Highness the Aga Khan played his cards remarkably as a skillful negotiator and a far-sighted statesman. In 1932, Aga Khan was nominated to represent India at the League of Nations and was unanimously elected President of the League of Nations in July 1937.
At the age of eighty, he died on July 11, 1957 in Geneva.  [Top]

5.  Ali Brothers:
Maulana Mohammad Ali [1878-1931]
Maulana ShaukatAli [1873-1938]
The Ali Brothers: Maulana Shaukat Ali and Maulana Mohammad Ali, were among the leading Indian Muslim political activists of their generation. They both attended Aligarh College and gained renown in the union debating society. Mohammad Ali studied at Oxford but failed to be selected for the Indian Civil Service. Both brothers entered government service.
Mohammad Ali frequently wrote articles for the cause of Aligarh University and Muslim involvement in national politics. In 1911, he started his famous English weekly , Comrade, and a year later an Urdu journal, Hamdard.
The Ali brothers became firm opponents of British rule under the combined shock of the Balkan wars, and British refusal of university status to Aligarh College in 1913. They were interned for four years during World War I for their pro-Turkish activities. Released in 1919, they led the Khilafat Movement but were again imprisoned in 1921.
In 1923, Mohammad Ali served as president of the Indian National Congress. After giving a soul-stirring speech at the First Roundtable Conference in 1930, he died in London, and as he said "Give me freedom or give me my grave" he did not wish to return to India which was unfree and was buried in Jerusalem.  [Top]

6.  Liaquat Ali Khan [1896-1951]
Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan was born on October 1, 1896 in a zamindari family of East Punjab. He was the second son of Nawab Rustam Khan. The Nawabzada graduated in 1918 from Mohammadan Anglo Oriental College of Aligarh. In the same year he married his cousin Jehangira Begum. In 1921, he obtained degree in Law and was called to Bar at Inner Temple in 1922.
Liaquat Ali Khan returned to India in 1922 and in 1923 joined the All India Muslim League. In 1925, he was elected to the U.P. Legislative Council, where he sat for fourteen years. He was a member of the Muslim League delegation which attended the National Convention held at Calcutta to discuss the Nehru Report, in December 1928.
In 1933, he married Begum Ra'ana, who was a distinguished economist and an educationalist.
On April 26, 1936, he was elected Honorary Secretary of the All India Muslim League and held this office till the establishment of Pakistan. In 1940, Liaquat Ali Khan was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly, where he became the deputy leader of the Muslim League. On December 6, 1943, Quaid-i-Azam appointed him General Secretary of the Muslim League. In 1945, he was elected Chairman of League's Central Parliamentary Board.
In 1946, he was appointed as Finance Minister in the interim government where he presented the famous "poor man's budget'.After independence, the Nawabzada was appointed as Prime Minister. His major achievements as first Prime Minister were passing of Objectives Resolution in 1949, an anti-corruption act, and Liaquat-Nehru pact on minorities which was signed in 1950.
In May 1951, he visited USA and set the course of Pakistan's foreign policy towards closer ties with the west.On the fateful day of October 16, 1951, Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated in Rawalpindi. His assassination left a wide gab in the Pakistani politics.  [Top]

7.  Muhammad Ali Jinnah [1876-1948]
Pakistan, one of the biggest Muslim states, is a living monument of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He, with his untiring efforts, indomitable will and dauntless courage united the Indian Muslims under the Muslim League banner and carved out a homeland for them despite stiff opposition from the Hindu Congress and the British government.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was born at Karachi on December 25, 1876. His father, Jinnah Poonja, belonged to a prosperous business community, Isma'ili Khojas of Kathiawar. Muhammad Ali received his early education at the Sind Madrassa and later at the Mission School, Karachi. He went to England for further studies in 1892 at the age of 16. In 1896, Jinnah qualified for the Bar and in 1897 was called to the Bar. Muhammad Ali Jinnah started his political career in 1906, when he attended the Calcutta session of the All-India National Congress as the private secretary of the president of the Congress. Later in 1910, when he was elected to the Imperial Legislative Council, he sponsored the Waqf Validating Bill, which brought him in closer touch with the Muslim leaders. In March 1913, Jinnah joined the All-India Muslim League.
Once a member of the Muslim League, Jinnah began to work for Hindu-Muslim unity. In 1917, the annual sessions of both the Congress and the League were held at Lucknow. The League session, presided over by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, marked the culmination of his efforts towards Hindu-Muslim unity. A joint scheme of reforms was adopted both by the Muslim League and the Congress, known as the Lucknow Pact. On April 19, 1918, Jinnah married Ruttenbai. Their only daughter Dina was born a year later. In 1919, Jinnah resigned his membership of the Imperial Legislative Council as a protest against the "Rowlatt Act".
Till the publication of Nehru Report, Jinnah continued his efforts for Hindu-Muslim unity. The Nehru Report, published in 1928, was severely criticized by all sections of Muslim opinion. In December 1928, when the National Convention, called to consider the Report, turned down the amendment moved by Jinnah, he finally parted ways with the Congress. In 1929, Jinnah gave his famous Fourteen Points. In 1934, he was elected as the permanent president of the Muslim League, which he reorganized on his return from England.
The 1937 provincial assemblies elections brought Congress to power in eight provinces. After almost two years of oppressive rule, Muslims under the leadership of Jinnah celebrated the Day of Deliverance at the end of Congress rule.
Muslim League held its annual session at Lahore in March 1940, which was presided over by Quaid-i-Azam. Here the demand for Pakistan was formally put forward, which was realized on August 14, 1947, with Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as its first Governor General.
The establishment of Pakistan brought great responsibilities for Jinnah. The refugee problem, the withholding of Pakistani assets by India, and the Kashmir problem were a real test for the Quaid. However, his indomitable will prevailed. He also worked out a sound economic policy, established an independent currency and a state bank for Pakistan. He selected Karachi as the federal capital.
However, he did not live long to witness the progress of the state which he had founded. On September 11, 1948, he died after a protracted illness at Karachi. He was buried in Karachi amidst the entire nation mourning over an unpayable loss.  [Top]

8.  Allama Iqbal [1873-1938]
Allama Iqbal, a great poet-philosopher and an active political leader was born in 1873, in Sialkot in the Punjab. He descended from a family of Kashmiri Brahmins, who had embraced Islam about three hundred years earlier.
Iqbal''s first education was in the traditional Mukatab. Later he joined the Sialkot Mission School, from where he passed his matriculation examination. In 1897, he obtained Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Government College, Lahore. Two years later, he secured his Master''s Degree and was appointed in the Oriental College, Lahore, as a lecturer in History, Philosophy and English. Later he proceeded to Europe for higher studies. Having obtained a degree at Cambridge, he later secured his doctorate at Munich and finally he was able to qualify as a barrister.
In 1908, on returning to India, besides teaching and practicing Law, Iqbal continued to write poetry. He resigned from the Government service in 1911 and took to the propagation of his individual thinking to the Muslims through his poetry.
By 1928, his reputation as a great Muslim philosopher was solidly established and he was invited to deliver lectures at Hyderabad, Aligarh and Madras. These series of lectures were later on published as a book - The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. In 1930, Iqbal was invited to preside over the open session of the Muslim League at Allahabad. In his historic Allahabad Address Iqbal visualized an independent and sovereign state for the Muslims of North-Western India. In 1932, Iqbal came to England as a Muslim delegate to the Third Roundtable Conference.
n latter years, when the Quaid had left India and was residing in England, Allama Iqbal wrote to him informing his personal views on political problems and state of affairs of the Indian Muslims and also persuading him to come back. These letters are dated from June 1936 to November 1937 and they now form important historic documents concerning our struggle for freedom.
It was on April 21, 1938, that this great Muslim poet-philosopher and champion of the Muslim cause passed away and lies buried next to the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.  [Top]

9.  Fatima Jinnah [1893-1967]
Miss Fatima Jinnah, younger sister of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was born in 1893. Of his seven brothers and sisters, she was the closest to the Quaid. Jinnah became her guardian upon the death of their father in 1901. Due to her brothers’ keen interest, and despite strident family opposition, Miss Fatima received excellent early education. She joined the Bandra Convent in 1902. In 1919 she got admitted to the highly competitive University of Calcutta where she attended the Dr. Ahmed Dental College. After she qualified, Jinnah went along with her idea of opening a dental clinic in Bombay and helped set it up in 1923.
Miss Fatima Jinnah had first lived with her brother for about eight years until 1918, when he got married to Ruttenbai. Upon Ruttenbai's death in February 1929, Miss Jinnah wound up her clinic, moved into Jinnah's bungalow and took charge of his house. Thus began the life-long companionship that lasted till Jinnah's death on 11 September 1948.
In all, Miss Jinnah lived with her brother for about 28 years - including the last nineteen trying years of his life. Quaid discussed various problems with her, mostly at the breakfast and dinner table. Paying tribute to her sister, the Quaid once said, "My sister was like a bright ray of light and hope whenever I came back home and met her. Anxieties would have been much greater and my health much worse, but for the restraint imposed by her."
Miss Jinnah not only lived with her brother but also accompanied him on his numerous tours. In 1932, she joined him in London when he remained there after the second Round Table Conference.
When the All-India Muslim League was being organized, Miss Fatima Jinnah was taken as a member of the Working Committee of Bombay Provincial Muslim League, and worked in that capacity until 1947.
In March 1940, she attended the Lahore session of the Muslim League. Fatima was convinced that the Hindus intended to subjugate and dominate the Muslims completely. It was primarily due to her initiative that All-India Muslim Women Students Federation was organized in February 1941 at Dehli.
During the transfer of power phase in 1947, she was an inspiration to Muslim women and formed the Women's Relief Committee, which later formed the nucleus for the All Pakistan Women's Association. She also played a significant role in the settlement of refugees in the new state of Pakistan.
Despite her old age, she continued to help social and educational associations. During the Quaid’s illness, she remained passionately attached to him. After his death, she often issued important statements on important occasions, as a reminder to the nation of the ideals on which Pakistan had been established.
In 1964, Miss Fatima Jinnah ran for President as a candidate of the Combined Opposition Party (COP). Even a conservative party like the Jammat-i-Islami accepted her, a women, as a presidential candidate. Miss Jinnah's great advantage was that she was the sister of the founder of Pakistan and had been detached from the political conflicts that had plagued Pakistan after the founder’s death. The sight of this dynamic lady moving in the streets of big cities, and even in the rural areas of a Muslim country, was both moving and unique. She proclaimed her opponent Presidential candidate, Ayub Khan, to be a dictator. Miss Jinnah's line of attack was that by coming to terms with India on the Indus Water dispute, Ayub had surrendered control of the rivers over to India. Her campaign generated such tremendous public enthusiasm that most of the press agreed that if the contest were by direct election, she would won against Ayub.
It seems that the thought of doing a biography of her illustrious brother came to Miss Jinnah about the time when Hector Bolihtos' "Jinnah" was first published in 1954. It was felt that Bolihto had failed to bring out the political aspects of Jinnah’s life in his book. Miss Jinnah started looking for a Pakistani author to do a biography of the Quaid. G. Allana was her choice. G. Allana assisted Miss Jinnah on the assignment but they parted company due to reasons undisclosed. Later both carried on their independent works on Jinnah. Her book “My Brother” was published by the Quaid-i-Azam Academy in 1987.
The people of Pakistan hold Miss Fatima in high esteem. Due to her selfless work for Pakistan, the nation conferred upon her the title of Madar-i-Millat (Mother of the Nation). She died on July 8, 1967 at Karachi. (In some books the date of demise of Miss Fatima Jinnah is indicated as July 2, 1967.)
Madar-i-Millat’s Message to the Nation on Eid-ul Azha, 1967:
“The immediate task before you is to face the problem and bring the country back on the right path with the bugles of Quaid-i-Azam’s message. March forward under the banner of star and the crescent with unity in your ranks, faith in you mission and discipline. Fulfill your mission and a great sublime future awaits your enthusiasm and action. Remember: ‘cowards die many times before death, the valiant never tastes death but once.’ This is the only course of action which suits any self-respecting people and certainly the Muslim Nation.”
Madar-i-Millat’s Message to the Nation on Eid-ul Azha, 1965:
“Let us sink all our differences and stand united together under the same banner under which we truly achieved Pakistan and let us demonstrate once again that we can – united - face all dangers in the cause of glory of Pakistan - the glory that the Quaid-i-Azam envisaged for Pakistan.”
Madar-i-Millat’s Message to the Nation on Quaid-i-Azam’s Birthday, 25 December, 1963:
“The movement of Pakistan which the Quaid-i-Azam launched was ethical in inspiration and ideological in content. The story of this movement is a story of the ideals of equality, fraternity and social and economic justice struggling against the forces of domination, exploitation, intolerance and tyranny”.
References:
Salahuddin Khan, "Speeches, Messages and Statements of Madar-i-Milllat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah (1948-1967)", Research Society of Pakistan, University of the Punjab, Lahore: 1976. Fatima Jinnah, "My Brother", Quaid-i-Azam Academy, Karachi: 1987. Khalib-Bin-Sayeed, "The Political System of Pakistan" Houghton Miflin Company, Boston, U.S.A.: 1967. Sarfaraz Hussain Mirza, "Muslim Women's Role in the Pakistan Movement", Research Society of Pakistan, University of the Punjab, Lahore: 1981.Khawar Mumtaz and Fariha Shaheed, "Women of Pakistan: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back", Vanguard, Lahore: 1987. Extracts of Miss Fatima Jinnah’s Speeches from Salahuddin Khan’s collection of “Speeches, Messages and Statements of Madar-i-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah (1948-1967)”, Research Society of Pakistan: University of Punjab: 1976.  [Top]

10.  Begum Shah Nawaz [1896-1979]
Jehan Ara (Begum Shah Nawaz) was the daughter of the famous Muslim League leader, Sir Muhammad Shafi. Born in April, 1896, she was educated at the Queen Mary College, Lahore. Jehan Ara was married to Mian Shah Nawaz.
With the emergence of the All-India Muslim Women''s Conference, Begum Shah Nawaz devoted all her efforts towards its cause. She was successful in moving the organization to pass a resolution against polygamy in its session held at Lahore in 1918. She was also associated with the educational and orphanage committees of the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam, Lahore. She was an active member of All-India Muslim Women’s Conference and remained President of its provincial branch for seven years. She was Vice-President of the Central Committee of the All-India Muslim Women’s Conference.
Besides being a member of Lahore Municipal Committee, she was also associated with several hospitals and maternity and child welfare committees. She was the first woman to be elected as Vice-President of the Provincial Executive and was a member of the All-Indian General Committee of Red Cross Society. She was a women delegate to the Round Table Conference. In 1935, she founded the Punjab Provincial Women''s Muslim League. In 1937, she was elected as a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Medical Relief and Public Health. In 1938, she was taken on by the Women''s Central Sub-Committee of the All-India Muslim League. In 1942, the Government of India appointed her as a member of the National Defense Council. Meanwhile, the Muslim League called upon the league members to resign from the Defense Council. Upon refusing to abide by the its decision, she was dismissed from the League.
In 1946, she re-joined the League and was elected as a member of the Punjab Assembly. The same year, she was sent along with M. A. H. Isphahani on a goodwill mission to the United States of America. Their mission was to explain the Muslim League's point of view. She played an important role during the civil disobedience movement in Punjab in 1947, and was arrested along with other Muslim League leaders.
She passed away on November 27, 1979 at the age of 82.   [Top]

11.  Begum Viqar-un-Nisa
Begum Viqar-un-Nisa, an Austrian by birth, was married to Sir Feroz Khan Noon in 1945. They left Dehli for Lahore the same year, after Sir Noon resigned from the Viceroy''s Cabinet. Because of her husband''s leading role in Indian politics, Begum Noon had the opportunity of studying the political situation and public opinion very closely. She organized election campaigns and became a member of the Punjab Provincial Women’s Sub-Committee. In pursuance of the League''s cause, she organized a band of the girl students and other women volunteers and made tours of other districts of the province for promotion of the cause of the Muslim League.
During the Civil disobedience movement in Punjab, Begum Noon was one of the leading women leaders responsible for successfully organizing the processions and demonstrations against the British backed Khizar Ministry and courted arrest on three occasions.
During the period of mass transfer of population after the partition, she rendered invaluable assistance to various refugees committees and camps. She has been closely associated with Red Cross and represented Pakistan on various occasions.
After a protracted illness, she passed away on January 16 2000, in Islamabad.  [Top]

12.  Choudhary Rahmat Ali [1895-1951]
Choudhary Rahmat Ali , founder of the Pakistan National Movement, was born in 1895. From his early childhood, Rahmat Ali showed signs of great promise as a student. After completing his schooling, he joined the Islamia College of Lahore in order to get his Bachelor of Arts degree. Rahmat Ali finished education in England, obtaining M. A. and L.L.B. with honors from the universities of Cambridge and Dublin.
It was during the years 1930 and 1933 that he seemed to have established "The Pakistan National Movement" with its headquarters in Cambridge. On January 28, 1933, he issued his first memorable pamphlet "Now or never; Are we to live or perish for ever?" He was the first to coin the word "Pakistan" for 30 million Muslims who live in the five Northern units of India - Punjab, North-West Frontier (Afghan) Province, Kashmir, Sind and Baluchistan. The pamphlet also gave reasons for the establishment of Pakistan as a separate nation. He spoke of independent homeland for the Muslims, "Pakistan", in the Northern units of India, "Bang-i-Islam" for Muslims in Bengal and "Usmanistan" for the Muslims in Hyderabad (Deccan).
Choudhary Rahmat Ali propagated the Scheme of Pakistan with a missionary zeal after it was started in 1933. In August, 1947, Pakistan came to be established and in 1948 Choudhary Rahmat Ali visited Pakistan. Later he proceeded to England to champion the cause of Kashmir through the United Nations.
Sick and weak, he died on February 12, 1951.  [Top]

13.  Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy [1892-1963]
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was born on September 8, 1892 into an illustrious Muslim family from Midnapore in West Bengal, India. Suhrawardy's mother was the first Muslim woman to pass the senior Cambridge examination. He graduated with honors in Science from St. Caviares College. In 1913, he obtained masters degree in Arabic from Calcutta University. Suhrawardy received BCL degree from Oxford University and was called to the Bar from Grey's Inn in 1918.
In 1920, Suhrawardy married Begum Niaz Fatima.
In 1921, he was elected to the Bengal Legislative assembly. For a brief period, he served as secretary, Calcutta Khilafat Committee. In 1923 he was appointed deputy leader of Swaraj party. Next year he was elected deputy mayor of Calcutta. In 1936 he became the General Secretary of the Bengal provincial Muslim League. After the 1937 elections, Suhrawardy was appointed Minister for Labor and Commerce. After serving briefly in the Fazlul Haq's ministry, he joined Khawaja Nazimuddin's ministry in 1943 as Civil Supplies Minister.
After the 1946 elections, Suhrawardy formed government in Bengal, the only Muslim League government in the Sub-continent. In 1949, he formed East Pakistan Awami Muslim League, and in 1953 he renamed it as 'Awami League'.
Suhrawardy along with A. K. Fazlul Haq and Maulana Bhashani established United Front in 1953 in Dhaka, which won the 1954 general elections. The same year he joined Muhammad Ali Bogra's ministry as Law Minister. However, with the change of government in 1955, Suhrawardy took charge of the leadership of opposition.
H. S. Suhrawardy became the fifth Prime Minister of Pakistan on September 12, 1956. During his tenure, he tried to remove economic disparity between the two wings. Suhrawardy resigned from premiership in October 1957, due to president's refusal to convene a meeting of parliament to seek a vote of confidence.
Ailing from heart disease for a long time, Suhrawardy succumbed to death on December 5, 1963.  [Top]

14.  Chaudhary Muhammad Ali
Chaudhary Muhammad Ali was born on July 15, 1905 at Jullundur. He took his M.Sc. degree in 1927 from the university of Punjab. Ch. Muhammad Ali joined Indian Audit and Accounts Service in 1928 and was deputed as Accountant General to Bahawalpur state in 1932. In 1936, he joined government of India as private secretary to Finance Minister, Sir Grigg. In 1945 he was appointed financial advisor for war and supply, a post never before held by an Indian.
During the drafting of the partition plan, Ch. Muhammad Ali was one of the two secretaries to the partition council, presided over by Lord Mountbatten.
On the establishment of Pakistan he become secretary general of the new government and played a key role in it's organization. In 1951, he became Finance Minister and in 1955 Prime Minister of the country. Under his leadership the Constituent Assembly adopted the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.  [Top]

15.  Khawaja Nazimuddin [1894-1964]
Khawaja Nazimuddin was born in July 1894. He was educated at Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College, Aligarh and Cambridge University. He was elected Chairman Dacca Municipality 1922-29 and in 1937 he was appointed as Home Minister. He remained the leader of Muslim League parliamentary party in Bengal legislative assembly from 1942 to 1943. He headed Muslim League Ministry from 1943 to 1945. He also remained member of All India Muslim League working committee from 1937-1947.
Khawaja Nazimuddin was Chief Minister of Bengal in 1947. He then succeeded Jinnah as Governor General in September 1948. After Liaquat Ali Khan's assassination, he was appointed Prime Minister of Pakistan - a post he held from 1951 to 1953.
Khawaja Nazimuddin died in 1964.   [Top]

16.  Ghulam Muhammad
The third Governor General of Pakistan, Ghulam Muhammad was born at Lahore in 1887. He graduated from Aligarh University and joined the Imperial Service. Initially he served in the railway board, during the war he served in the capacity of controller of general supplies and purchase.
During the First Round Table Conference, Ghulam Muhammad represented the Nawab of Bhopal. He also served as advisor finance in the state of Hyderabad Deccan. After independence he joined Central Cabinet as Finance Minister.
After the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan, Ghulam Muhammad became Governor-General by replacing Khawaja Nazimuddin.
In April 1953, he dismissed Khawaja Nazimuddin's cabinet and latter dismissed the constituent Assembly in October 1954 by declaring emergency.  [Top]

17.  Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar
Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar was born in 1897 at Ahmadabad. He passed his B.A and L.L.B examinations from Bombay University and then started practicing law in 1920. In 1937 elections, he was elected as a member of the Bombay Legislative Council on All India Muslim League's ticket. A year later, he was elected as the deputy leader of the party in the legislative assembly. He remained the president of Bombay Muslim League from 1940 to 1945. When Quaid-i-Azam was asked to nominate the members of Muslim League for the interim government in 1946, the Quaid selected I.I Chudrigar as one of his nominees.
After the independence of Pakistan, Chundrigar was appointed as the Minister for Trade and Commerce in the first cabinet of the newly established county. Next he served as the Ambassador of Pakistan at Kabul. After that, he was appointed as the governor of North-West Frontier Province and also served as governor of the Punjab from November 1951 to May 1953. In August 1955 he assumed the charge as the Law Minister in the Federal Cabinet and served in the same capacity till August 1957. After the resignation of Suhrawardy, Iskader Mizra asked I.I. Chundrigar to establish his ministry in the center. Himself, a leader of Muslim League, Chundrigar formed his government on October 18, 1957 with the help of the Republican Party, Krishak Sramik Party and Nizam-i-Islam Party. His tenure as Prime Minister of Pakistan proved to be the shortest one, as he failed to maintain the support of his coalition partners at a time when the president of the country was involved in palace intrigues. He was forced to resign on December 11, 1957 and thus could only remained Prime Minister of Pakistan for less than two months. During his short tenure, he raised his voice in favor of Separate Electorates.
I.I. Chundrigar was more of a lawyer than a politician. He gained a lot of popularity as a constitutional lawyer, when he pleaded the case of Maulvi Tameezuddin for the restoration of the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. He died on September 26, 1960.  [Top]

18.  Muhammad Ali Bogra
Muhammad Ali Bogra was born in East Bengal. He studied at the Calcutta University and in 1937 he was elected to the Bengal legislative assembly. In 1943, Bogra became parliamentary secretary to Khawaja Nazimuddin, the then Chief Minister of Bengal. Later in 1946, he became Finance and Health Minister of the province.
After the establishment of Pakistan, he was appointed Ambassador to Burma in 1948, High Commissioner to Canada in 1949 and Ambassador to USA in 1952.
Muhammad Ali Bogra was appointed Prime Minister in April 1953 by Ghulam Muhammad. After the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly in 1954 by the governor-general, Bogra was again invited to form a new cabinet call "ministry of all talents."
Muhammad Ali Bogra was replaced by Chaudhary Muhammad Ali in August 1955 after the second constituent Assembly was elected. Muhammad Ali again resumed his assignment as ambassador in the USA.  [Top]

19.  Feroz Khan Noon
Malik Feroz Khan Noon belonged to one of the most influential landlord families of the Punjab. He was born in 1893. After receiving his early education from Athison College, Lahore he went to London from where he did his Masters in 1916. During his stay at London he also passed the exam of Bar at Law. On his return, Noon practiced law at Lahore High Court from 1917-1926. Then he joined politics and was appointed as Minister of Health and Education in the Punjab cabinet. He served as High Commissioner for India in London from 1936-1941. He was appointed as the member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council in 1941 and retained the position till 1945. Simultaneously, he held the position of the Defence Minister of India from 1942-1945. He was the first Indian to be raised to that prestigious position during the British rule.
In October 1947, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, with the desire to bring unity among the Muslim Ummah, sent Feroz Khan Noon as his special envoy to some countries of the Muslim World. This one-man delegation was the first official mission sent abroad by the Government of Pakistan. The aim of the mission was to introduce Pakistan, to explain the reasons of its creation, to familiarize the Muslim countries with its internal problems and to get the moral and material support from the brethren countries. Noon performed the role assigned to him in a successful manner. Keeping his political and administrative experience in consideration, Feroz Khan Noon was appointed as the Governor of East Pakistan. However, he himself was more interested in the politics of the Punjab. Along with Nawab of Mamdot and Mumtaz Daultana, he remained one of the main contenders for the Chief Ministership of the Punjab during late 40’s and early 50’s. He finally succeeded in achieving his aim in 1953 and remained Chief Minister of the province till 1955. In 1956, he assumed charge as Foreign Minister of Pakistan in Suhrawardy’s Cabinet.
Being a close friend of Iskander Mirza, Feroz Khan Noon was the key pin in organizing the Republican Party in Punjab. He remained the President of the party and it was also on the platform of this party that Noon was elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, on December 16, 1957. Though President Iskander Mirza’s support played an important role in the establishment of Noon’s Ministry, but later on Mirza considered Noon as an obstacle in his way of obtaining absolute power. When Martial Law was enforced in the country on October 7, 1958, Noon’s tenure as Prime Minister automatically came to an end.
Apart from politics, Feroz Khan Noon also proved his capabilities in the field of academics. He wrote a total of five books, including his autobiography, ‘From Memory’. His wife, Viqar-un-Nisa Noon, though not originally from Pakistan, spent her entire life working for the betterment of people of Pakistan, proving herself to be a great social worker.  [Top]

20.  Iskander Mirza
Iskander Mirza was born in 1899, in a feudal family of Bengal. Educated at Elphinstone College, he was sent by the British to Sandhurst Academy in England for army training in 1918. On his return he was inducted in the British Indian Army in 1919. In 1926 he left the army, joined the Indian political Service and was posted as Assistant Commissioner in North-West Frontier Province. He was promoted to District Officer in 1931. Much of his career as a District Officer was spent in the Tribal Areas. Before the creation of Pakistan, he served the Ministry of Defense, Government of India as a joint secretary. At the time of partition, he was appointed as a member of the team which was to divide the personnel and assets between the Indian and Pakistan Army.
Being the senior most Muslim Civil Servant in the Indian Ministry of Defence, Iskander Mirza was appointed as the first defense secretary of Pakistan at the time of Independence. He served in the same position for about seven years. With the dismissal of the United Front’s ministry in East Pakistan, Governor General Ghulam Muhammad decided to enforce Governor’s rule in the province and appointed Iskander Mirza as Governor in May 1954. Assuming charge of the province, he openly declared that he would not hesitate to use force in order to establish peace in the province. The first step he took as Governor was to order the arrest of 319 persons, including the two most outspoken leaders, Mujib al Rahman and Yusuf Ali Choudhury. By mid June, the number of persons arrested had reached 1051, including 33 assembly members and two Dhaka University Professors. By doing so he might have been able to bring immediate peace but had sown a permanent seed of hatred for the Central government in the hearts of people of East Pakistan.
From October 1954 to August 1955, Iskander Mirza served as the Interior Minister, and then as the Minister of States and Frontier Regions in the cabinet of Prime Minister, Muhammad Ali Bogra. Ghulam Muhammad, due to his illness, went on two months leave and thus Iskander Mirza assumed the duties of acting Governor General on August 7, 1955. However, this acting charge was made permanent in the times to come. He appointed Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, another bureaucrat, as the Prime Minister of the country. When the Constitution of 1956 was adopted, the title of the head of the state of Pakistan was changed from Governor General to President but the duties and powers of the office did not change to a great extent. The Constituent assembly unanimously elected Iskander Mirza as the first President of Pakistan.
Primarily, Iskander Mirza was a Civil Servant and it is widely believed that he lacked parliamentary spirit. He was of the view that because of the lack of training in the field of democracy and low literacy rate among the masses, democratic institutions can not flourish in Pakistan. He never had a very high opinion about Pakistani politicians and once referred to them as ‘mostly crooks and scalawags’. He wanted controlled democracy for Pakistan with more powers for the civil bureaucracy. He believed that the Magistrate should be given the same powers, which he used to enjoy during the British Raj. He thought that politicians should be given the power to make policy but they should not interfere in administration. Iskander Mirza was also a great advocate of the One Unit scheme. In his opinion religion was to be be kept at a distance from politics.
History documents that like his predecessor, Ghulam Muhammad, Iskander Mirza was also a power hungry person and wanted to dominate the political scene of the country by hook or by crook. Being the head of the state, he always remained active in power politics and played the role of a king-maker. He proved to be an expert in palace intrigues. He took full advantage of the weakness of the politicians and played them against each other. To offset the influence of the Muslim League, he played an active role in the creation of Republican Party. During his short span of four years as the head of the state, four Prime Ministers were changed. Most historians believe that Iskander Minza was the one mainly responsible for this political un-stability.
Iskander Mirza felt threatened from the reorganization of Muslim League and the alliance of Awami League with the Punjabi groups in mid 1958. On October 7, he issued a proclamation abrogating the 1956 constitution. According to the proclamation, the central and the provincial assemblies were dissolved and the first Marshal law was enforced in the country. Iskander Mirza himself remained President and appointed Ayub Khan as the Martial Law Administrator and supreme commander of the armed forces. Ayub Khan proved to be smarter than the politicians and refused to act as puppet in the hands of the President. On October 27, Ayub Khan compelled Iskander Mirza to leave the country, assumed the title of President himself and announced that martial law would continue in order to give legal cover to certain reforms he wanted to put through.
Iskander Mirza spent rest of his life in a hotel room in London.  [Top]

21.  Yahya Khan
General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan was born at Chakwal in February 1917. His father, Saadat Ali Khan, was actually from Peshawar. After finishing his studies at the Punjab University, Yahya Khan joined the Indian Military Academy at Dehra Dun. He was commissioned in the Indian Army in 1938. His early postings were in the North-West Frontier Province. During World War II, he performed his duties in North Africa, Iraq and Italy. After independence, Yahya Khan played a major role in setting up Pakistan Staff College at Quetta. During the war of 1965, he commanded an infantry division. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army in 1966 with the rank of General.
In 1969, when the situation went out of Ayub Khan’s control due countrywide agitation, the president decided to hand over power to the Army Chief, General Yahya Khan. Yahya Khan immediately after getting powers declared Martial Law in the country on March 25 1969 and assumed the title of Chief Martial Law Administrator. He terminated the constitution and dissolved National and Provincial Assemblies and Governments. On March 31, he also became president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Unlike other military rulers who ruled Pakistan, Yahya Khan was not interested in prolonging his rule. Immediately after taking the charge of the country, Yahya Khan started looking for the options through which he could hand over power to the elected representatives. On March 29 1970, through an Ordinance, he presented an interim constitution: The Legal Framework Order. The Legal Framework Order was actually a formula according to which the forth-coming elections were to be organized. It goes to the credit of Yahya Khan that the first general elections in the history of Pakistan were held during his regime during December 1970.
The trouble started when the results of the elections were announced. Awami League under the leadership of Sheikh Mujeeb-ur-Rahman swept 160 out 165 seats allocated to East Pakistan. However the party failed to get even a single seat from any province of the Western Wing. On the other hand Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party emerged as the single largest party from Punjab and Sind and managed to win 81 National Assembly seats, all from the Western Wing. This split mandate resulted in political chaos where neither Bhutto nor Mujeeb was ready to accept his opponent as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. When Bhutto and Mujeeb failed to reach an understanding about convening a session of the newly elected National Assembly, the ball fell in Yahya Khan’s court. He handled the situation in a wrong way. He used army and paramilitary forces in East Pakistan to crush the political agitation. This resulted in the beginning of the War between Pakistan and India in the winter of 1971.
Yahya Khan, as president as well as the commander in chief of Pakistan Army, failed to plan the war. This ultimately resulted in the defeat of Pakistan, dismemberment of the country and imprisonment of more than 90,000 Pakistanis. Surrender of Pakistani forces without giving any resistance and the fall of Dacca made Yahya Khan the greatest villain in the country. People from all walks of life started criticizing him and thus he was left with no other option but to hand over the power to the leader of the most popular party of the remaining part of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, on December 20 1971. Later Bhutto placed Yahya Khan under house arrest in 1972.  [Top]

22.  Zulfikar Ali Bhutto [1928-1979]
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was born on January 5, 1928. He was the only son of Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto completed his early education from Bombay's Cathedral High School. In 1947, he joined University of Southern California (USC), and later joined University of California at Berkeley in June 1949. After completing his degree with honors in political science at Berkeley in June 1950, he was admitted to Oxford.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto married Nusrat Isphahani on September 8, 1951. He was called to bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1953 and in the same year his first child, Benazir Bhutto was born on June 21. On his return to Pakistan, Bhutto started practicing law at Dingomal's.
In 1954, when one unit scheme envisaging combining of the four provinces of Punjab, Sind, NWFP and Baluchistan into one unit to be called 'West Pakistan' was enforced, Bhutto opposed the scheme vehemently. In 1958, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto joined President Mirza's cabinet as Commerce minister. After Ayub Khan took over, Bhutto joined the cabinet as the youngest member. In 1963, he took over as Foreign Minister from Muhammad Ali Bogra.
His first major achievement was to conclude Sino-Pakistan boundary agreement on March 2, 1963. In mid 1964, Bhutto helped convince Ayub of the wisdom of establishing closer economic and diplomatic links with Turkey and Iran. The trio formed RCD later on. In June 1966, Bhutto left Ayub's cabinet over differences concerning Tashkent agreement.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto launched Pakistan People's Party (PPP) after leaving the cabinet of Ayub Khan. In the general elections held in December 1970, PPP won a large majority in West Pakistan but, failed to reach an agreement with Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman, the majority winner from East Pakistan. Following the 1971 war and the separation of East Pakistan, Yahya Khan resigned and Bhutto took over as President and Chief Martial Law Administrator on December 20, 1971.
In early 1972, Bhutto nationalized ten categories of major industries, and withdrew Pakistan from Commonwealth of nations and SEATO when Britain and other western countries recognized the new state of Bangladesh. On March 1, he introduced land reforms, and on July 2, 1972, signed Simla Agreement with India which paved way for the return of occupied lands and Pakistani POWs captured in East Pakistan in the 1971 war.
After the National Assembly passed the 1973 constitution, Bhutto was sworn-in as the Prime Minister of the country.
On December 30, 1973, Bhutto laid the foundation of Pakistan's first steel mill at Pipri, near Karachi. On January 1, 1974, Bhutto nationalized all banks. On February 22, 1974, the Second Islamic Summit was inaugurated in Lahore. Heads of States of most of the thirty eight Islamic countries attended.
Following a political crisis in the country, Bhutto was imprisoned by General Zia-ul-Haq who imposed Martial Law on July 5, 1977.
On April 4, 1979, the former Prime Minister was hanged, after the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence passed by the Lahore High Court. The High Court had given him death sentence in the case of murder of the father of a dissident PPP politician.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was buried in his ancestral village, at Garhi Khuda Baksh next to his father's grave.  [Top]

23.  Muhammad Ayub Khan
General Ayub Khan was born on May 14, 1907 in the village of Rehana in Hazara division in NWFP. After his early education in a local school, he completed matriculation in 1922. In 1926, Ayub Khan joined Royal Military College in Sandhurst and got commissioned in the Indian army in 1928.
After independence, he joined the Pakistan Army. In 1951 Ayub Khan was promoted to a full General and Commander-in-Chief of the army. As Commander-in-Chief he played a key role in negotiations concerning Pakistan''s entry into US sponsored military alliances. He also served as the Defense Minister in Muhammad Ali Bogra''s "ministry of all talents" in 1954-55.
General Ayub Khan took over the power when he removed President Iskander Mirza in October 1958. He had earlier imposed martial-law and had abrogated the constitution. Later on he gave himself the rank of Field Marshall.
During his rule, Basic Democracy was introduced along with indirect elections. The 1962 constitution also gave extraordinary powers to the President. After the imposition of the 1962 constitution, Field Marshall Ayub became the second President of the country. He won the 1965 elections, however, he could not complete his term.
During his term, the "Great Decade" was celebrated in 1968, which highlighted the development work executed during ten years of Ayub''s rule. The 1965 war was fought during Ayub''s term and Ayub Khan represented Pakistan in the subsequent Tashkent talks.
In November 1968, widespread protests broke out against Ayub''s rule, who had to hand over power to General Yahya Khan. Ayub Khan resigned in March 1969.
Gohar Ayub Khan, a son of Ayub Khan, has held office of the Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Currently he is active as a politician.  [Top]

24.  General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq [1924-88]
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq was the General who enforced Marshal Law for the third time in the brief history of Pakistan. Second child and the eldest son of Muhammad Akram, a teacher in the Army, Zia-ul-Haq was born on August 12 1924 at Jalundhar. After receiving his early education from Government High School Simla, he did his B.A Honors from St. Stephen College, Delhi. He was commissioned in the British Army in 1943 and served in Burma, Malaya and Indonesia during the Second World War. When the war was over, he decided to join armored core. At the time of Independence, like most of the Muslims officers in the British Army, Zia-ul-Haq opted to join Pakistan Army. As a Major he got an opportunity to do a training course in the Commander and Staff College of United States of America in 1963-64. During the war of 1965, he acted as the Assistant Quarter Master of 101 Infantry Division, which was posted at Kiran sector. He remained posted at Jordon from 1967-70, where he trained military men of the country. He was appointed as Core Commander of Multan in 1975.
On April 1 1976, in a surprise move, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, appointed Zia-ul-Haq as the Chief of the Army Staff. It is interesting to note that five senior Generals were superseded. Bhutto probably wanted somebody as the head of the armed forces, who would not prove to be a threat for him and the best available option was the simple General, who apparently was interested only in offering prayers and playing golf. However, history proved Bhutto wrong, and Zia-ul-Haq proved to be much smarter than he looked. When the political unsuitability reached its climax due to the deadlock between Bhutto and the leadership of Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) on the issue of general elections, Zia-ul-Haq took advantage of the situation. On July 5, 1977, he carried out a bloodless coup overthrowing Bhutto’s government and enforced Marshal Law in the country.
After assuming power as Chief Martial Law Administrator, Zia-ul-Haq promised to hold National and Provincial Assembly elections in the next 90 days and to hand over power to the representatives of the nation. However, in October 1977 he announced the postponement of the electoral plan and decided to start an accountability process of the politicians. In a statement he said that he changed his decision due to the strong public demand for the scrutiny of political leaders who had indulged in malpractice in the past. The Disqualification Tribunal was formulated and many former Members of Parliament were disqualified from participating in politics at any level for the next seven years. A white paper was also issued which criticized the activities of PPP’s government under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
With the retirement of Fazl Ellahi, Zia-ul-Haq also assumed the office of President of Pakistan on September 16 1978. In the absence of a parliament, Zia-ul-Haq decided to set up an alternative system. He introduced Majlis-i-Shura in 1980. Most of the members of the Shura were intellectuals; scholars, ulema, journalists, economists and professionals belonging to different fields of life. The Shura was to act as a board of advisors for the President. The idea of establishing this institution was not bad but the main problem was that all 284 members of the Shura were to be nominated by the President and thus there was no room available for the difference of opinion.
In the mid 1980s, Zia-ul-Haq decided to fulfill his promise of holding elections in the country. But before handing over the power to the public representatives, he decided to secure his position. Referendum was held in the county in December 1985 and the masses were given the option to elect or reject the General as the future president of Pakistan. According to the official result, more than 95% of the vote cast, were in favor of Zia-ul-Haq and he was elected as president for the next five years. Here one should not ignore the fact that the question asked in the referendum was phrased in a way that Zia-ul-Haq’s win was related to the process of Islamization in the country.
After being elected as President, Zia-ul-Haq decided to hold elections in the country in March 1985 on non-party basis. Most of the political parties decided to boycott the elections but election results showed that many victors belonged to one party or the other. To make things easier for him, the General nominated the Prime Minister from amongst the members of the Assembly. To many, his nomination of Muhammad Khan Junejo as the Prime Minister was because he wanted a simple person at the post, who could act as a puppet in his hands. Before handing over the power to the new government he made certain amendments in the constitution and got them endorsed from the parliament before lifting the sate of emergency in the county. Due to this eighth amendment in the constitution, the powers of president were increased and the president possessed complete power to take any step, which he deems fit, on the plea of safeguarding national integrity.
As the time passed, the parliamentarians wanted to have more freedom and power. By the beginning of 1988, rumors about the differences between the Prime Minister and Zia-ul-Haq were in the air. The general feeling was that the President, who had enjoyed absolute power for eight long years, was not ready to share it with anybody else. On May 29, 1988, Zia-ul-Haq finally dissolved the National Assembly and removed the Prime Minister under article 58 (2) B of the amended constitution. Apart from many other reasons, Junejo’s decision to sign the Geneva Accord against the wishes of Zia-ul-Haq proved to be one of the major factors responsible for him going back home. After 11 years, Zia-u-Haq once again made the same promise with the nation to hold fresh elections within next 90 days. With Benazir Bhutto back in the country and Muslim League leadership annoyed with the President over the decision of May 29, Zia-ul-Haq was trapped in the most difficult situation of his political life. The only option left for him was to repeat history and to postpone the elections once again.
However, before taking any decision, Zia-ul-Haq died in an air crash near Bahawalpur on August 17, 1988. The accident proved to be very costly for the country as almost the entire military elite of Pakistan was on the board. Though United States’ Ambassador to Pakistan was also killed in the misfortune, yet many do not rule-out US involvement in the sabotage. They believe that United States could not afford Pakistan to oppose Geneva Accord and thus they removed the biggest hurdle in their way. The remains of Zia-ul-Haq were buried in the premises of Faisal Mosque, Islamabad. The tragic death brought a large number of mourners to attend his funeral, which proved to be one of the biggest in the history of the country.
During his rule, Zia-ul-Haq tried his utmost to maintain close ties with the Muslim World. He made vigorous efforts along with other Muslim States to bring an end to the war between Iran and Iraq. Pakistan joined the Non-Aligned Movement in 1979 during Zia-ul-Haq´s term. It was also he who fought a war by proxy in Afghanistan and saved Pakistan from a direct war with Soviet Union.  [Top]

25.  Muhammad Khan Junejo [1932-92]
Muhammad Khan Junejo was born on August 18, 1932 at Sindhri, Sind. After completing his senior Cambridge, he went to U.K. for a diploma in Agriculture.
Junejo started his political career at the age of twenty one. In 1962, he was elected Member Provincial Assembly, West Pakistan from Sanghar. He was appointed Minister in the West Pakistan cabinet in July 1963 and held the portfolios of Health, Basic Democracies and Local Government, Works, Communications and Railways.
After partyless polls were held for the national and provincial assembles in 1985, Muhammad Khan Junejo was appointed Prime Minister by General Zia. He was however, dismissed on May 29, 1988 by the President using discretionary power given under the eighth amendment.
Muhammad Khan Junejo was elected member of the National Assembly in 1990, and died of illness in 1992.  [Top]

26.  Ghulam Ishaq Khan [1915]
Ghulam Ishaq Khan was born on January 20, 1915 in Ismail Khel, Bannu district of NWFP. He did his graduation in Chemistry and Botany and joined NWFP Civil Service in 1940.
After the unification of West Pakistan into one unit in 1955, Ishaq Khan was appointed Provincial Secretary of West Pakistan for Irrigation Development. In this capacity he represented the provincial government in federal planning commission.
In 1958, he became Member WAPDA. In 1966, he was appointed Federal Finance Secretary and promoted to Secretary General Defense during Bhutto's term.
General Zia appointed him Advisor on Finance and later on as Federal Finance Minister. Ishaq Khan represented his country in various international conferences, which included UN conferences on finance, IMF, OIC and Asian Development Bank.
In February 1985, Ishaq Khan was elected Chairman Senate. After the death of General Zia, Ishaq Khan took over as President of the country on August 17, 1988. He was elected President on December 13, 1988 as he was the consensus candidate of PPP and IJI.
In 1993, Ghulam Ishaq Khan was forced to resign from his office due to differences with the Prime Minister.
During his tenure, Ishaq Khan dismissed the governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, using discretionary powers given to the President of the state under eighth constitutional amendment.  [Top]

27.  Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi [1931]
Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi was born on August 14, 1931, at New Jatoi, Sind. Eldest of the four brothers, Ghulam Mustafa's father, Khan Bahadur Ghulam Rasul Khan Jatoi was member of the Sind legislative assembly.
Ghulam Mustafa was educated at Karachi Grammar School and passed his senior Cambridge. In 1952, he went to England for his bar at law, but had to return home within one year due to his father's serious illness.
He was elected to the first Provincial Assembly of West Pakistan in 1958, and was re-elected in 1965.
Jatoi joined Pakistan People's Party in March 1969. In 1970, he was elected to the National Assembly on PPP ticket. In 1973, he was elected Chief Minister of the Sind, and held this office till 1977. He was re-elected in March 1977. After the imposition of Martial Law, Jatoi remained associated with the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD). Twice he was arrested in 1983 and 1985. Later, he founded the National People's Party.
In 1989, he was elected to the National Assembly in the by-elections from Kot Addu. After joining Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI), Jatoi was elected leader of the combined opposition parties in the National Assembly in 1989.
Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi was appointed care-taker Prime Minister in 1990, by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan. He relinquished his office after Nawaz Shareef was elected as Prime Minister in the October 1990 elections.
He was again elected a Member of the National Assembly as a result of October 1993 elections, but lost his seat in the elections held in February 1997.
His two sons, Tariq Jatoi and Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi are also in politics.  [Top]

28.  Benazir Bhutto [Born 1953]
Benazir Bhutto, the eldest child of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was born on June 21, 1953 in Karachi. She attended Lady Jennings Nursery School and then Convent of Jesus and Mary in Karachi. At age ten, she was sent to the Convent of Jesus and Mary at Murree. Four years later, she was sent to Harvard, USA.
After graduating from Harvard in 1973, Benazir joined Oxford University in the fall of 1973. Just before graduation, Benazir won presidentship of Oxford Union. After completing her postgraduate studies, she returned home in June 1977.
In July 1977, Martial Law was imposed by General Zia-ul-Haq. During the Martial Law, Benazir spent almost five years in detention at various jails and ten months in solitary confinement. After her release in 1984, she went into exile in England for two years.
In August 1985, she came back to bury her youngest brother, Shah Nawaz, who had died under mysterious circumstances in Paris. A year later, she came back to fight general Zia in elections. Her return on April 10, 1986, was welcomed by one million people at Lahore airport. After her return, she attended rallies all over Pakistan and kept a close touch with the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD).
On December 18, 1987, Benazir married Asif Ali Zardari. She become the youngest Prime Minister at age thirty five and the first Muslim woman to lead a Muslim nation in modern times, after winning 1988 general election.
Her government was dismissed by President Ishaq Khan in August 1990. During her first term, she started People's Programme for economic uplift of the masses. SAARC Summit was also held in Islamabad in 1989.
Benazir returned to power again, by winning the October 1993 elections, but her government was dismissed by President Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari on corruption charges in November 1996.
Her publications include "Daughter of the East" and "Pakistan: The Gathering Storm".  [Top]

29.  Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari [Born 1940]
Sardar Farooq was born at D.G. Khan on May 29, 1940. He did his graduation from Aitchison College, Lahore and earned M.A. P.P.E. from Oxford University in 1963. In the same year, he joined the Civil Service of Pakistan, which he left ten years later in 1973, on invitation of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to join the PPP.
In 1975, Farooq Leghari was elected Senator. In the 1977 election, he won the