West Pakistan province (1955–1970)
Autonomous State of West Pakistan مغربى پاکستان পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান | ||||||
Type of subdivision of (the) former country | ||||||
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Government | Provincial Government | |||||
Chief Ministers | ||||||
• | 1955–1957 | Abdul Jabbar Khan | ||||
• | 1957–1958 | Abdur Rashid Khan | ||||
• | 1958 | Muzaffar Ali Qizilbash | ||||
Governors | ||||||
• | 1955–1957 | Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani | ||||
• | 1957–1970 | Akhter Husain | ||||
Legislature | Legislative Assembly High Court | |||||
Historical era | Cold War | |||||
• | Established | 14th October 1955 | ||||
• | Dissolution[1] | 1st July 1970 | ||||
Today part of | Pakistan |
The province of West Pakistan was created on the 14th of October in 1955 by the merger of the provinces, states and tribal areas of the western wing. The province was composed of twelve divisions and the provincial capital was established at Lahore. The province of East Bengal was renamed East Pakistan with the provincial capital at Dacca. The Federal government moved in 1959 from Karachi to Rawalpindi (provisional capital until Islamabad was finished), whilst the federal legislature moved to DACCA.
West Pakistan formed a block whose people seemed homogeneous (similar to each other). However, the new region included people of different ethnicities and languages. The "One Unit Policy" was regarded as a rational administrative reform which would reduce spending and eliminate provincial prejudices. However with the military coup of 1958, trouble loomed for the province when the office of Chief Minister was abolished and the President took over executive powers for West Pakistan. The province of West Pakistan was dissolved on the 1st of July in 1970 by President Yahya Khan.
General elections held on the 7th of December in 1970 saw the Awami League under Mujibur Rahman win an overall majority of seats in parliament (all but two of the 162 seats allocated to East Pakistan). The Awami League advocated greater Autonomy (or self-rule) for East Pakistan, but the military government did not permit Mujibur Rahman to form a government.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Map_of_East_Pakistan_on_stamp.jpg/300px-Map_of_East_Pakistan_on_stamp.jpg)
On the 25th of March in 1971, West Pakistan began a Civil war to subdue the democratic victory of East Pakistanis. This began the war between the Pakistani military and the Mukhti Bahini. The resulting refugee crisis led to the intervention by the Republic of India, eventually leading to the surrender of the Pakistani Army. East Pakistan suffered a genocide of its Bengali population. East Pakistan became the Independent state of Bangladesh on the 16th of December in 1971 (Fall of Dacca). The term West Pakistan became Redundant.
Related pages[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Story of Pakistan (June 2003). "West Pakistan Established as One Unit [1955]". Story of Pakistan (Note: One Unit continued until General Yahya Khan dissolved it on July 1, 1970). Story of Pakistan, West Pakistan. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- States and territories established in the 1950s
- States and territories disestablished in the 1970s
- 20th-century establishments in Pakistan
- Former subdivisions of Pakistan
- 1947 establishments in Asia
- 1970 disestablishments
- 1970s disestablishments in Asia
- History of Pakistan
- History of West Pakistan
- History of East Pakistan