Constitutional History of Pakistan

Constitutional History of Pakistan. Pakistan came into being as an independent state in August 1947 and continued to be governed under an interim constitutional arrangement (i.e. through the Indian Independence Act, 1947). Pakistan has had a troubled constitutional history since its very inception as a nation-state. Not long after partition from India in 1947, Pakistan was plunged into a Constitutional crisis in 1954 when the Governor-General dissolved the Constituent Assembly when he did not agree to the proposed constitution. This first major subversion of the constitutional process was challenged before the Federal Court, which validated the dissolution of the assembly in the Moulvi Tamizuddin case (1955 Federal Court 240). Although a new Constituent Assembly adopted the country‟s first constitution in March 1956, it lasted only two years until the first President of Pakistan, Major-General Iskander Mirza, abrogated the Constitution, dissolved the national and provincial legislatures, and imposed Martial Law in October 1958, appointing General Ayub Khan as the Chief Martial Law Administrator. This first major subversion of the constitutional process was challenged before the Federal Court, which validated the dissolution of the assembly in the Moulvi Tamizuddin case (1955 Federal Court 240). Although a new Constituent Assembly adopted the country‟s first constitution in March 1956, it lasted only two years until the first President of Pakistan, Major-General Iskander Mirza, abrogated the Constitution, dissolved the national and provincial legislatures, and imposed Martial Law in October 1958, appointing General Ayub Khan as the Chief Martial Law Administrator.