Iskandar Ali Mirza
Iskander Mirza | |
|---|---|
| File:Iskander mirza.jpg | |
| 1st President of Pakistan | |
| In office 23 March 1956 – 27 October 1958 | |
| Prime Minister | Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar, Feroz Khan Noon and Mohammad Ayub Khan |
| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | Ayub Khan |
| 4th Governor-General of Pakistan | |
| In office 6 October 1955 – 23 March 1956 | |
| Prime Minister | Chaudhry Muhammad Ali |
| Preceded by | Ghulam Muhammad |
| Succeeded by | Office Abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 November 1899 File:Imperial-India-Blue-Ensign.svg Murshidabad, British India |
| Died | November 12, 1969 (aged 69) London, UK |
| Political party | Republican Party |
Syed Iskander Ali Mirza or Iskander Mirza (Urdu: اسکندر مرزا) (November 13, 1899 – November 12, 1969) was the first President of Pakistan and held that position from 1956 until 1958. He was also the fourth Governor-General of Pakistan before it was replaced by the Presidency. Syed Iskander Ali Mirza was responsible for ending constitutional democracy and starting martial law and dictatorship in Pakistan.
Early life
Syed Iskander Ali Mirza was born in Murshidabad, Bengal. He was born in 1899 to a Syed feudal family and was direct descendant of Mir Jafar. He grew up in Bombay. After completing his early education, he was educated at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, becoming the first graduate from the Indian subcontinent at the academy, and commissioned into the British Indian Army in 1920. Mirza only served in the army for six years, after which he was the first Indian to be accepted in the elite Indian Political Service, eventually becoming a joint secretary in the Ministry of Defence of British India. In this position he was responsible for dividing the British Indian Army into the future armies of Pakistan and India.
Defence Secretary and Governor-General
Upon the formation of Pakistan, Mirza was made the Defence Secretary of the new nation, this appointment owed to Mirza's ranking as the highest Muslim civil servant in India at the time. In 1954 he was made governor of East Pakistan to bring order to a politically distressed region. This position was followed by his being appointed Minister of Interior and Frontier Regions in Prime Minister Bogra's cabinet. In 1955 he became acting Governor-General, before becoming the last Governor-General of Pakistan. Iskander Mirza was also a great advocate of the One Unit scheme and believed in the separation of state and religion. When Mirza succeeded the ailing Ghulam Mohammad as Governor-General, he was married to his second wife, Mrs Nahid Mirza, an Iranian lady. Coincidentally he was her second husband. Nahid Mirza was previously the wife of the Military Attaché of Iran in Pakistan.
President of Pakistan
In 1956, Pakistan established its first constitution, and the position of Governor-General was replaced by that of President. The two were essentially the same, but Mirza was officially elected as President by the Assembly. During his presidency, Pakistan was politically unstable, this was marked by four different prime ministers in two years.
Military Coup D'état
By 1958, realising that the 1956 Constitution was contributing to political instability, Mirza declared martial law on October 7th with the view to introducing a new constitution "more suited to the genius of the Pakistani people" in November. However, it is disputed that even though, he became the first President of Pakistan under the new constitution, he was not very fond of it. He is quoted in the book Shahabnama [1], holding the constitution in his hand, and referring it as a "trashy book." Mirza's efforts and energies, as Shahab relates, were geared to one principal purpose, his continuation in office. Mirza was apprehensive that general elections could lead to a change in the Office of President and so elections had to be deferred under some pretext or other, which lead to his declaration of Martial Law on October 7, 1958. He appointed the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army, Ayub Khan as the martial law administrator. Once the deed was done he realized that he forfeited his own political legitimacy. Less than three weeks into Martial Law he was ushered out of the Presidential Palace, first to Quetta and then to exile in London. He thus precipitated his departure from the Office of President rather than prolong his tenure. Ayub Khan declared himself President on October 27th after a bloodless coup d'état.
Death
Mirza lived in exile in London till his death in 1969. He died of heart-attack in London about 5:30 pm just a day before his 70th birthday on the 12th November 1969. After Yahya Khan's military government refused to allow him to be buried in his own country, his body was flown to Tehran where the Shah of Iran gave him a State Funeral befitting a Head of State.
From Plassey To Pakistan
His son Syed Humayun Mirza wrote a book 'From Plassey to Pakistan' describing his family history.
Major-General Iskander Mirza Photo Gallery
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Great GrandFather with British Officers.
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The Head of British Naval Commands in the center. Major-General Iskander Mirza on the Left and one his officers and The Right.
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Major Syed Iskander Mirza First Indian Officer in Politics. Capt Syed Iskander Ali Mirza Cavalry Officer Poona horse. Major Iskander Mirza, First Indian Political Agent Khyber 1936-41 . Major Iskander MIrza with Sons. (From Left To Right .. Buttom: Left To fight)
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Copy Right Dawn News Paper
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Major-General Iskander Mirza
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Major-General Iskander Mirza's Family Crest
See Also
References
- Shahab, Qudrat-Ullah (2005 (21st Edition)). Shahabnama. Karachi: Sang-e-Meel. ISBN 969-35-0025-3.
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See also
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Italics indicate acting Presidents | |||