CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS OF PAKISTAN: A HISTORICAL STUDY

Abstract

After a long struggle of Muslims of All India, Pakistan came into being on 14th August 1947. Indian Independence Act 1947 gave power to the two states India and Pakistan to partially modify the Govt of India Act 1935. That’s why Pakistan was ruled under Indian Independence Act which was an amended version of Govt. Of India Act 1935. Under this Act, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinah took oath as the first Governor General of Pakistan while Quaid-i-Millat Liaqat Ali Khan took oath as the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. Under this Act, the Governor General of Pakistan would have to be the representative of British Crown until Pakistan formulates its own Constitution. So, immediate formulation of its own constitution was a challenge for the new born country. According to Indian Independence Act, the first constitutional Assembly of Pakistan was formulated in 1947. Its responsibility was to work rapidly for the formulation of new constitution for Pakistan. First Constitutional Assembly further, framed a Basic Principles Committee to decide the lines on which the new constitution should be based. The findings of the Basic Principles Committee were contained in a document called the Objective Resolution, which was passed on 12 March 1949. Basic Principles Committee presented two reports which were thought controversial and no result could be reached. On 24 October 1954, Ghulam Muhammad the then Governor General of Pakistan dissolved the first Constitutional Assembly without reaching the objectives of constitution formation. A second Constitutional Assembly was formulated by Governor General Ghulam Muhammad. After the death of Ghulam Muammad, Iskandar Mirza became new Governor General of Pakistan. He brought revolutionary changes in Pakistan’s administration in order to reach the first constitution for Pakistan. Finally, on 29 February 1956 Pakistan’s first constitution was adopted, which was enforced on 23 March 1956.