History Notes

Ayub Khan
Section 3

AYUB KHAN
✓ On 7th October 1958, Iskander Mirza abrogated the constitution of 1956 and proclaimed martial
law in the country.
✓ Iskander mirza appointed General Ayub Khan (commander in chief) as Chief Martial Law
Administrator.
✓ On 27th October 1958 Iskander mirza was forced to resign and exiled by Ayub khan to UK.
✓ It was to be the first period of martial law in the country.

BAN OVER POLITICAL PARTIES

✓ For Ayub Khan political leaders created political instability in the country’s progress, they also
blocked the way of the country’s progress.
✓ To culminate the influence of the political leaders and parties and to prevent their entry into
politics Ayub khan banned all political parties under Martial law regulation of 1958.

BASIC DEMOCRACIES
✓ It was issued in 1959 which introduced a 4-tier structure of representative bodies, which were
Village Council, Sub-District Council, District Council & Divisional Council.
✓ In this system ordinary people elected Union Council Members, who in turn elected District and
Divisional Council Members.
✓ These Basic Democrats formed and Electoral College for the election of the President and
members of Provisional and Central Legislatures.
✓ The union council was the lowest tier and was directly elected by the people.
Each member of the union council represented 1000 people.

✓ At the end of 1959, Ayub asked basic democrats for a vote of confidence.
Almost 95%of them declared their confidence in Ayub khan and on 17 th feb 1960 he was confirmed
as President of Pakistan for next 5 years.

INDUS WATER TREATY

✓ In 1960 Indus Water Treaty was signed through the mediation of World Bank.
✓ According to this treaty, Indus Jehlum and Chenab were given to Pakistan while Ravi, Sutlaj and
Beas were given to India.
✓ This treaty solved the water dispute between two countries.
✓ It was also suggested that Pakistan would build two dams five barrages, one gated syphon and
eight link canals. Finance was given by developed countries some was given by India and
remaining was paid by Pakistan.
U-2 INCIDENT
✓ In 1960, U2 affair was held.
✓ An American spy plane was shot down over the Soviet union, town Sverdolsk, the Pilot Gary
Powers, parachuted to the ground where he was captured by Soviet forces.
✓ It was a spy plane but the Americans did not admit it.
✓ They said it was a research plane studying weather conditions.
✓ The pilot had admitted spying.
✓ Pakistan felt embrassed as they gave their territory of Peshawar to be used as American Plane
Base.
✓ The fame of Pakistan deteriorated due to the event.
✓ The relations become tensed between Pakistan and Soviet Union.

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
✓ In 1960 Ayub Khan appointed a constitution commission under justice Shahab-Uddin to draft the
new constitution of Pakistan.
✓ It was implemented without debate.
✓ It recommended presidential form of government, adult franchise, revival of political parties and
a powerful legislature.
✓ Constitution of 1962 gave immense power to the president and an indirect system of elections
by the Basic Democrats.
✓ National legislature could not pass a law without approval of president.
✓ It proposed that Quran and Sunnah would be the supreme law of the country. No law would be
enacted if contradictory to Islamic laws. President must be a muslim.
✓ The rights of non-muslims will be protected.
✓ The constitution upset the people of East Pakistan because they had known that the power was
in the hands of military and civil officials from West Pakistan.
✓ Many measures were also taken for East Pakistan like Urdu and Bengali were made the national
languages, National Assembly session was to be held in Dhaka and Islamabad and if the
president were from West Pakistan than the Speaker of National Assembly was to be from East
Pakistan.
✓ It also could not create a feeling of harmony among the people of East Pakistan.
✓ He also created PODO (Public and Official Disqualification Act) and EBDO (Elective Body
Disqualification Ordinance)

INDIA-CHINA WAR
✓ In 1962 there was a war between India and China over Himalayan border issue known as
McMahon line.
✓ The war ended when Chinese declared ceasefire on 20 November 1962.
✓ The war was in favor of china and Pakistan as a neighboring country fully supported to Chinese
government.
✓ China awarded them 750 miles of territory of Siachen and had friendly relations with Pakistan.
✓ This action of Ayub Khan was disliked by foreign powers.

REGIONAL CORPORATION FOR DEVELOPMENT

✓ In 1964, he started an organization named RCD.
✓ Pakistan, Iran and Turkey were its member and developed trade and cordial relations with one
another.
✓ RCD highway was also constructed from Quetta, Nokundi, and Nushki linking Tehran (Iran) and
then to Turkey.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1965

✓ In 1964 Ayub was confident in his apparent popularity and seeing deep divisions within the
opposing parties.
✓ He formed his own political party named Conventional Muslim League.

✓ He was however taken by surprise when despite a brief disagreement between the five main
opposition parties, the joint opposition agreed on supporting the respected and popular Fatima
Jinnah.
✓ Despite Jinnah’s considerable popularity and public disaffection with Ayub’s government, Ayub
won 64% of vote in a bitterly contested election on January 2, 1965.
✓ The opposing political parties claimed that elections were rigged in favor of Ayub khan using
indirectly elected Electoral College.

WAR OF 1965
✓ The cause of 1965 Indo-Pak war was the Kashmir issue. India occupied the
Kashmir valley. All efforts for a free plebiscite in the valley had failed. The Kashmiri launched a
civil disobedience against the Indian government. The Indian govt. failed to crush what they
thought was a massive revolt.

✓ In Dargah Hazrat Bal Kashmir the sacred hair of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was stolen and there
was a dispute between the Hindus and the Muslims so the Indian forces crossed the borders and
the war started.
Bhutto gave the idea to Ayub Khan that Pakistani soldiers should disguise themselves as the
Mujahidins and enter to Indian Kashmir but India knew it and a war started due to this reason.

✓ In despair, Indian troops crossed the ceasefire line and occupied several ports in Pakistan. When
Pakistani retaliated a war started between India and Pakistan which lasted for seventeen days.
✓ On 22 September 1965 according to resolution of the security council a ceasefire agreement was
signed between India and Pakistan.
✓ This nine-point declaration was signed between Pakistan and India at Tashkent (USSR) for
respectful solution of Kashmir problem and other matters of discord between Pakistan and
India.
✓ There is always imbalance of power between the Indians and Pakistani forces so India got the
advantage of manpower and the superior weapons than Pakistan. Since Pakistan was given very
few soldiers and weapons after its creation and there is a big difference between the population
of India and Pakistan so it won the war.
✓ Pakistani forces started two projects Operation Grand Slam and Operation Gibraltar for the
Kashmiri people but the local people did not support them.
✓ Pakistan joined American sponsored military agreements to get weapons during wars but SEATO
and CENTO did not support Pakistan so due to shortage of weapons Pakistan loose it. These
pacts were against the attack of any communist country so when India attacked Pakistan, USA
did not support Pakistan.
TASHKENT DECLARATION
✓ After the war, later in 1966, Russian Prime minister , Mr.Kosygin made Ayub from Pak and Lal
Bahadur Shastri from India to sign Tashkent Agreement in 1966 in Tashkent to stop the war and
take back their forces.
✓ According to this, the nations would not interfere in each other’s internal affairs. Economic
relations would be restored, and two leaders would work together for better relations.
✓ The day after the declaration Shastri died of a sudden heart attack.
✓ The foreign minister Bhutto was also present. When they returned, he in media announced that
Pakistan had won Kashmir on the fronts but lost in the table talks at Tashkent. This flared up the
emotions of Pakistanis for Kashmir and they went against Ayub khan. MUJEEB SIX
POINTS
✓ Mujeeb ur rahman, one of the leader of East Pakistan announced six points formula in Feb 1966.
Ayub khan rejected these 6 points.

✓ Mujeeb was arrested in April, 1966.

✓ The popularity of Mujeeb increased in East Pakistan.

ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW CAPITAL

✓ When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, Karachi was its first capital.
✓ In 1958, a commission was constituted to select a suitable site for the national capital with
particular emphasis on location, climate, logistics and defense requirements along with other
attributes.
✓ The area of Islamabad was suggested.
✓ The capital was not directly shifted to Islamabad; first shifted temporarily to Rawalpindi and
then to Islamabad.

WHY ISLAMABAD WAS CHOSEN AS NEW CAPITAL?

✓ Islamabad was having a better climate than Karachi. In Karachi there was arid conditions which
made it difficult for government to work. There were no proper air conditioners at that time and
if there were so that made it very expensive for the country to run. On the other hand,
Islamabad is a mountainous region with favorable climatic conditions.
✓ Capital was shifted to Islamabad to develop that region. Traditionally, development in Pakistan
was focused on the colonial centre of Karachi. President wanted it to be equally distributed so
he chose Islamabad as it was underdeveloped Punjab region.
✓ Karachi was located at one end of the country, making it vulnerable for foreign countries to
attack from Arabian sea. But on the other hand Islamabad was far from the borders and was
considered more safe than Karachi.
✓ Most importantly, Ayub wanted to be closer to army headquarters in Rawalpindi. So he shifted
the capital to Islamabad.
✓ Moreover there was a need of capital which was easily accessible from all parts of Pakistan.
Karachi was at the coast/end whereas Islamabad was in the center so the capital was shifted to
Pakistan.

AGRICULTURAL REFORMS
✓ Landlords were not allowed to have more than 500 acres of irrigated and 1000 acres of un-
irrigated land, excess land was given to poor farmers and the landlords were given
compensation for it.
 The division of holdings below an economic level (12.5 Acres) was forbidden.
Big land lords were forced to find tenants for parts of their land and this raised the productivity
as the tenants and smaller farms were often more efficient than the larger poorly run farms.

✓ Three major dams were built for irrigation.

✓ Loans were also given to the farmers to build well to reduce the need of canal irrigation.
✓ Due to these measures the productivity of the land increased and agricultural output rose by
using modern methods of farming, tube wells, more tractors, more chemical fertilizers, use of
HYV’s and insecticides.
✓ 31000 tubewells were also installed by 1965.
✓ Factories of pesticides were established.
✓ Fertillizer factories were established.
✓ As a result of this a GREEN REVOLUTION came in the county with maximum crop output.

INDUSTRIAL REFORMS
✓ Due to land reforms of Ayub Khan a green revolution came in the country and agro-based
industries flourished.
✓ The incentives were given to the establishment of PIDC (Pakistan Industrial Development Co-
operation) & PICIC (Pakistan Industrial Credit and Investment Co-operation) and other agencies.
✓ Export bonus Scheme was introduced for industrialists to increase the exports.
✓ There was a shift in establishments of consumer goods industries to heavy industries.
✓ Industrial growth was enhanced in terms of exports and productivity.
✓ Loans were taken from the USA, Germany and UK and secondly industrial development was
taking place within a private market economy.
✓ Domestic industries were protected by imposition of tariff on imported goods.
✓ Tax holidays and rebates were offered to industries.
✓ National Investment Trust (NIT) was established in 1962 to raise public finance.
✓ Prize bond schemes and defence saving certificates were also established to raise public finance.
✓ Labor laws were introduced to protect their rights, No labour union activities, strikes and
lockouts were allowed, and Labour courts were also established to settle disputes between
labour and factory owners.
In 1962 Oil Refinery was set up in Karachi, Attock Oil Refinery was setup in Potwar Plateau in
1962 & Mineral Development Corporation was established for minerals.

In 1964 Economic Union (RCD) was formed with Iran and Turkey.

✓ This increased the GDP.

✓ It was revealed that just 22 families controlled 66% of Pakistan’s industrial assets and 80% of
Pakistan’s banking and insurance companies.
✓ All families were from West Pakistan.

EDUCATIONAL REFORMS
✓ Ayub’s govt. started an extensive literary program, which involved the building of schools and
colleges in several towns.
✓ Technical and Vocations institutes were opened for research and training was conducted.
✓ It was also suggested to change the textbooks.
✓ He appointed a commission for this and primary education was free and compulsory till class
eight.
✓ He also recommended 3-years diploma program (DAE) and religious education was also
emphasized.
✓ National cadet Corps training was introduced in colleges.
✓ Medical and nursing schools were increased to increase the number of doctors and nurses.

SOCIAL REFORMS
✓ In some cities like Karachi, the problem of shelter was not solved. Effective steps were taken to
rehabilitate the refugees and for this purpose a committee was formed under General Azam
Khan and many cases were solved.
✓ Colonies and satellite towns were set up for these homeless refugees.
✓ Screening Committees were setup in different stages of administration with a view to remove
corrupt and insufficient officials from the govt. services.
✓ Better health facility was provided.
✓ Ayub introduced family laws to give protection to women, polygamy was prohibited except
under some special cases.
✓ It prescribed a marriageable age for females and males.
✓ He tried to control high birth rate through population control program called “Family Planning
Program”.

MILITARY REFORMS
✓ Later in his tenure, he increased the budget of defense.

He signed military agreements with western powers and received modern weapons and
ammunition for Pakistan.

SUPARCO (Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission) was also setup as Ayub khan
wanted Pakistan to start its own space program. This body also played a vital role in developing
missiles in Pakistan.

CELEBRATION OF DECADE OF DEVELOPMENT

✓ In 1968 Ayub’s advisors advised him to celebrate 10 years of his achievements.
✓ He named it Decade of Development.
✓ Millions of rupees were spent upon these celebrations as different mediums such as TV, radio
were used to highlight government achievements.
✓ At that time there were famine conditions in Pakistan.

DOWNFALL OF AYUB KHAN

ECONOMIC INJUSTICE
✓ Economic injustices were very common between east and west Pakistan.
✓ During his government 22 industrial families were holding 66% of the country’s industrial assets
and 80% of its insurance and banking services.
✓ Most of the wealth was concentrated in West Pakistan.
✓ It was a common view that they were from Punjab and most of them were friends and relatives
of Ayub Khan.
✓ The Foreign Exchange earned through the export of Jute from East Pakistan was spent on the
development projects of West Pakistan.
✓ Economic policies of Ayub Khan region intensified the regional disparity by establishing
industries in West Pakistan and making capital at Islamabad.
POLITICAL INJUSTICE
✓ At that time the people of East Pakistan were not given their due share in the assemblies.
✓ Many bureaucrats and high posts were given to the people of West Pakistan.
✓ The appointment of West Pakistan civil servants without the knowledge of Bengali Language
created a bitter situation.
✓ It is also accused that the West Pakistani Civil Servants looked upon their Bengali colleagues and
subordinates as worthless and inferior.

OTHER INJUSTICES WITH EAST PAKISTAN

✓ In the armed forces Bengali share was only 10 percent.
✓ In central govt services Bengalis share was only 15 percent.
✓ Urdu which was spoken by 6 percent of Pakistan population, declared as national language
instead of Bengali which was spoken by 54 percent of Pakistan population.
These injustices sent a wrong message so East Pakistanis started struggle to get independence
from Pakistan.

UNREST IN EAST PAKISTAN

✓ East Pakistan’s were not satisfied with the economic policies of Ayub’s government.
✓ They organize themselves under the leadership of Sheikh Mujeeb ur Rehman and presented
their demands for full autonomy under Six Points.

DICTATORIAL POLICIES
✓ Dictatorial Policies of Ayub Khan were not liked by the people.
✓ Ayub Khan introduced several measures to curb the politicians like EBDO (Elected Bodies
Disqualification Ordinance).
✓ Press freedom was curtailed to great extent.
✓ A systematic victimization of political opponents was carried out.
✓ In fact, there was an end to civil liberties in Pakistan. ✓ Many politicians left his government in
1968.

BASIC DEMOCRACY
✓ Basic Democracy reduced the value of elections because according to the constitution of 1962
the method of indirect elections by the basic democrats generated dissatisfaction among the
people.
✓ His constitutional reforms gave immense power to the president, which was not liked by the
people.

STUDENT MOVEMENT
✓ Student Movement against his policies were very common due to interference in the education
system and infrequent clashes between the police and the student, unrest spread throughout
Pakistan among the students.
✓ The student leaders were totally against his policies and the student union were banned.
ROLE OF ZULFIQAR ALI BHUTTO
✓ Role of Z. A. Bhutto because very prominent against Ayub after he was forced to resign in 1966
from foreign minister.
✓ Bhutto, a man considerably popular with the youth gave leadership to the movement and
created the feeling of hatred against Ayub Khan and his government.

FORMATION OF DEMOCRATIC ACTION COMMITTEE

✓ The major political parties formed Democratic Action Committee.
✓ They wanted proper elections, the lifting of emergency powers and autonomy for East Pakistan.
✓ Basic Democracies scheme started failing as large number of people resigned.
CELEBRATION OF DECADE OF DEVELOPMENT
✓ In 1968 Ayub’s advisors advised him to celebrate 10 years of his achievements.
✓ He named it Decade of Development.
✓ Millions of rupees were spent upon these celebrations as different mediums such as TV, radio
were used to highlight government achievements.
✓ At that time there were famine conditions in Pakistan.

Agartala Case Conspiracy

Sheikh Mujeeb Ur Rehman Became Popular In East Pakistan And Gained Public Support When He
Was Charged With Treason Following The Agartala Conspiracy Case. Agartala Conspiracy Case Was A
Treason Charge Filed Against Awami League's Leader Sheikh Mujeeb Ur Rehman And 34 Of His
Associates In 1968. Mujeeb Was Accused Of Being A Raw Agent Abd Conspiring With India To
Destabilise Pakistan. Following Mujeeb Arrest, Widespread Demonstrations And Riots Broke
Through Out East Pakistan And Ayub Was Forced To Release Mujeeb

CONCLUSION
✓ On 25th March 1969 Ayub Khan resigned but instead of calling for new elections he handed
over the power to army chief Yahya Khan.