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Suhrawardy government

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Central Government of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy

6th Cabinet of Pakistan
1956-1957
Prime Minister Suhrawardy on the leftmost, alongside his President, Iskander Mirza at the rightmost, in a government office.
Date formed12 September 1956
Date dissolved17 October 1957
People and organisations
Head of stateIskander Mirza
Head of governmentHuseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Member party  Awami League
Coalition members:
Republican Party
Opposition party  Muslim League
Opposition leaderI.I. Chundrigar
History
Legislature terms2nd Constituent Assembly of Pakistan
SuccessorChundrigar government

The Suhrawardy government also called the Suhrawardy administration was the sixth government and cabinet of Pakistan which was formed by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy on 12 September 1956 after the resignation of Chaudhry Muhammad Ali.[1]

The government was dominated by Bengali politicians from East Pakistan and members of the ruling Awami League. The Awami League joined a coalition with the Republican Party to form the government. Growing animosity between West and East Pakistan as well as between Suhrawardy’s coalition partners and his own party members led to Suhrawardy’s resignation and succession by the Chundrigar government in October 1957.

History[edit]

Policies[edit]

On 12 September 1956, the government led by HS Suhrawardy was established.[2] A significant conflict emerged between this administration and major business interests over maritime commerce between East and West Pakistan.[2] The Ministry of Commerce and Industry proposed the creation of a public Shipping Corporation to manage coastal trade, which was controlled by a few shipping tycoons.[2] This proposal aimed to address problems such as the black-market sales of shipping space by the Shipping Space Allocation Board and the significant foreign currency costs incurred by chartering foreign vessels due to the insufficient capacity of private ships to handle the entire coastal trade.[2]

The Economic Appraisal Committee of the Central Government and the First Five Year Plan drafters had both recommended the establishment of a Shipping Corporation.[2] However, when the proposal was advanced, it faced strong opposition from the Pakistan Ship-owners' Association and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries, supported by industrialist Yusuf Haroon, a member of the National Assembly.[2] In contrast, traders and industrialists from East Pakistan generally supported the initiative.[2]

The opposition escalated as the Pakistan Ship-owners' Association conducted a campaign against the proposed National Shipping Corporation, labeling it as monopolistic through advertisements in major national newspapers.[2] These ads questioned the move's implications for a free society.[2] The sustained opposition contributed to Suhrawardy's resignation, as influential business groups and Republican landlords persuaded President Iskander Mirza to demand and accept his departure from office.[2]

Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy as prime minister, 1957.

Issues and Collapse[edit]

The government was originally founded when the President, Iskander Mirza who himself was from the Republican Party, invited the Awami League to form the central government that appointed Huseyn Suhrawardy as the Prime Minister.[3] Despite Mirza and Suhrawardy both being Bengalis and hailing from West Bengal, the two leaders had very different views of running the central government and both leaders were in brief conflict, causing harm to the unity of the nation. Prime Minister Suhrawardy found it extremely difficult to govern effectively due to the issue of One Unit, alleviating the national economy, and President Mirza's constant unconstitutional interference in the Suhrawardy’s administration.[3]

President Mirza demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Suhrawardy and turned down his request to seek a motion of confidence in the National Assembly.[3] Threatened by President Mirza's dismissal, Prime Minister Suhrawardy tendered his resignation on 17 October 1957 and was succeeded by I. I. Chundrigar but he too was forced to resign in a mere two months.[4]

Cabinet[edit]

Federal ministers[edit]

Minister Portfolio Period
H. S. Suhrawardy 1. Defence
2. Kashmir Affairs
3. States & Frontier Regions
4. Economic Affairs
5. Law
6. Refugees & Rehabilitation
7. Education
8. Health 		12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
12 September 1956 to 13 December 1956
12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
12 September 1956 to 17 September 1956
12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
Feroz Khan Noon Foreign Affairs & Commonwealth Relations 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
Abul Mansur Ahmad 1. Commerce
2. Industries 		12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
Syed Amjad Ali Finance 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
Muhammad Abdul Khaleque 1. Labour
2. Works 		12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur Interior 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
A. H. Dildar Ahmad 1. Food
2. Agriculture 		12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957
Amir Azam Khan 1. Information & Broadcasting
2. Parliamentary Affairs
3. Law 		12 September 1956 to 5 September 1957
12 September 1956 to 5 September 1957
13 December 1956 to 5 September 1957
Syed Misbahuddin Hussain Communications 18 October 1957 to 16 December 1957
Mian Jaffer Shah 1. States & Frontier Regions
2. Information & Broadcasting 		18 October 1957 to 16 December 1957
Abdul Aleem 1. Rehabilitation
2. Works 		18 October 1957 to 24 October 1957
24 October 1957 to 16 December 1957
Yusuf Haroon 1. Kashmir Affairs
2. Parliamentary Affairs 		18 October 1957 to 16 December 1957
Lutfur Rahman Khan 1. Health
2. Education 		18 October 1957 to 16 December 1957
Farid Ahmad Labour 23 October 1957 to 16 December 1957

Ministers of State[edit]

Minister Portfolio Period
Haji Moulabuksh Soomro Rehabilitation 24 October 1957 to 16 December 1957
Akshay Kumar Das Commerce 5 November 1957 to 16 December 1957

References[edit]

  1. ^ https://cabinet.gov.pk/SiteImage/Misc/files/Federal%20Cabinet%201947/05%20Huseyn%20Shaheed%20Suhrawardy.pdf
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Maniruzzaman, Talukder (1966). "Group Interests in Pakistan Politics, 1947-1958". Pacific Affairs. 39 (1/2): 83–98. doi:10.2307/2755183 – via JSTOR.
  3. ^ a b c "H. S. Suhrawardy Becomes Prime Minister". Story of Pakistan. 1 July 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  4. ^ "I. I. Chundrigar Becomes Prime Minister". Story of Pakistan. 1 June 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
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