Liaquat Ali Khan government
First government of Pakistan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Liaquat Ali Khan government, commonly abbreviated as the L.A Khan government or Ali Khan administration was the first government and cabinet of Pakistan[lower-alpha 1] which ruled from 1947 to 1951, and was led by Liaquat Ali Khan.
Liaquat Ali Khan Government | |
---|---|
Cabinet of Pakistan | |
1947-1951 | |
Date formed | 15th August 1947 |
Date dissolved | 16th October 1951 |
People and organisations | |
Governor-General | Muhammad Ali Jinnah Khawaja Nazimuddin |
Head of government | Liaquat Ali Khan |
Member party | Muslim League |
History | |
Legislature term(s) | 1st Constituent Assembly of Pakistan |
Predecessor | Interim |
The government was founded on 15th August, 1947, almost immediately after the Partition of India and Pakistan’s independence. The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah tasked Liaquat Ali Khan, a leading figure in Pakistan’s independence to form an administration and consolidate the new Pakistani governments’ control, while Jinnah himself opted for the more the ceremonial position of head of state (Governor-General).[1]
The administration would be lead by the newly formed Muslim League, while the cabinet would be comprised of several Pakistan movement activists and members of the Muslim League. The government’s main focus was recovering from the bloody partition of India, which took the lives of over 1 million people. The government also faced increasing challenges from Communist opposition, Princely state annexations and mainly the outbreak of war with India.[2] The government tenure of Liaquat Ali Khan oversaw the consolidation of the new state of ‘Pakistan’, he did so effectively by laying the administrative groundwork for Pakistan’s constitution in the 1949 Objectives Resolution.[3]
Liaquat's government would not function as a democracy; instead Muslim League-rule was implemented. The legislature of the government would consist of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. The governor-general, Jinnah died in 1948 and was replaced by Khawaja Nazimuddin who ruled till the governments end in 1951.
The government would dissolve in 1951, when the head of government, Liaquat Ali Khan would be assassinated under mysterious circumstances. Governor-general Khawaja Nazimuddin would then take office as second prime minister of Pakistan and would form the second government in Pakistan’s history after Liaquat died, though the same cabinet and constituent assembly continued from Liaquat’s government.[4]