Political History of Pakistan

Pakistan has had a turbulent history with most of its history it has been ruled by Military aided by corrupt politicians and Mullahs.

Pre-Independence Era (-1947)

The Pakistan Movement as it came to be known was based on the principal of two-nation theory, the outcome of the desire of Muslims of India to establish a separate homeland for Muslims where they are free to live life according to their own values and belief system. This was a movement against oppression, perceived or real, that living with Hindu majority within combined India will not allow Muslims the opportunities that they rightfully deserve.Interestingly the Pakistan Movement was staunchly opposed by the majority of Mullahs who one would have thought would be inclined to support a Muslim cause, instead the movement was spearheaded by secularists like Muhammad Ali Jinnah and others less religious like him.

1953 Anti-Ahmadiyya Riots and First Martial Law

The country that was founded in response and in opposition to oppression and religious oppression at that, merely within six years, its politics under the influence of the very Mullahs who were opposed to the very creation of Pakistan took a turn away from its very foundation of non-oppression and tolerance and based on demands for intolerance from Mullahs and some sections of the public caused the first Anti-Ahmadiyya riots resulting in loss of life and property [http://www.thepersecution.org/dl/report_1953.pdf Justice Munir Enquiry Report on Anti-Ahmadiyya riots of 1953 (English)] ] . Ironically Ahmadiyya were at the forefront of Pakistan Movement and one of its members Muhammad Zafrulla Khan acted as the President of Muslim League (1931), participated in the Round Table Conferences [http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A039 Round Table Conferences (1930-33)] ] held in the years 1930, 1931, and 1932, at the request of Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Quaid-e-Azam; Pakistan's founding father and first leader) represented the Muslim League in July 1947 before the Radcliffe Boundary Commission and finally, as the first foreign minister of the country, presented the case of Pakistan on Kashmir in UN resulting in passage of the famous Kashmir Resolutions, which are still the corner stone of Pakistan's policy on Kashmir.

The government in response to the riots eventually asked Military for help and in response Corp Commander of Lahore General Muhammad Azam Khan enacted the first martial law in parts of the country.

This was a turning point in the country's history and even though the riots were eventually quashed by force but the seeds of intolerance were sown in the Pakistani society which only got stronger over time.

1965 Indo-Pak War

1956 war which was fought to liberate Kashmir was lost because Ayub did not want Major General Akhtar Hussain Malik to get the credit for victory and instead replaced him in the middle of the war and gave the command to Yahya Khan who halted the progress to Ikhnor a strategic location in the war for Kashmir. [http://www.ummat.com.pk/report_ummat/10022008-misc_reports/interview-10022008b.html Air Commodore Syed Sajjad Haider on 1965 war and surrounding events] ] .

References

External links

* [http://jang.com.pk/jang/jan2008-daily/31-01-2008/col10.htm Maulana Ihtesham ul Haq Thanvi on History of Pakistani Politics - Part I]
* [http://jang.com.pk/jang/feb2008-daily/01-02-2008/col12.htm Maulana Ihtesham ul Haq Thanvi on History of Pakistani Politics - Part II]
* [http://www.thepersecution.org/dl/MunirReport.pdf Justice Munir Enquiry Report on Anti-Ahmadiyya riots of 1953 (Urdu)]
* [http://www.thepersecution.org/dl/report_1953.pdf Justice Munir Enquiry Report on Anti-Ahmadiyya riots of 1953 (English)]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=6LXJelgCVQE Video - President of the seventeenth session of UN General Assembly]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=r5W2q6iU3pg Video - First Foreign Minister of Pakistan in UN]
* [http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A039 Round Table Conferences [1930-33]
* [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008