Chronology of emergency, governor's rule imposition in Pakistan since 1949

LAHORE: Necessitated primarily by the doctrine of national security or compelled by the eruption of a sudden crisis, emergency and governor’s rule have been proclaimed in Pakistan at numerous junctures of its history, leading to the redistribution of legislative and executive powers between the federal government and the provinces.

Allegations of corruption, nepotism and maladministration against incumbent rulers of the time have also led to imposition of emergency and governor’s rule.

Research shows all Pakistani provinces have been placed under an emergency or governor’s rule at one point or the other individually, or had to abide by more comprehensive orders from the federal capital that brought the whole country under such governance modes.

Here follows the chronology of emergency and governor’s rule in Pakistan:

The first governor’s rule in West Punjab was imposed on January 25, 1949, and lasted until April 1951. The then premier Liaquat Ali Khan dismissed chief minister’s Nawab Mamdot’s government, not believing his claim that he (Mamdot) enjoyed the confidence of majority MPAs in the provincial assembly.

The Assembly was consequently dissolved and former Punjab CM, Mumtaz Daultana, thus had the last laugh as he had pointed out discrepancies in his rival Mamdot’s majority assertions submitted to the Prime Minister.

Between December 1951 and May 1953, Sindh came under Governor Mian Aminud Din’s rule after chief minister Ayub Khuhro was shown the door amid allegations of corruption.

The 1953 provincial elections brought chief minister Pirzada Abdus Sattar, into the corridors of power.

On October 24, 1954, Governor-General Malik Ghulam Muhammad declared a state of emergency across Pakistan and dissolved the First Constituent Assembly with the support of General Ayub Khan. The Assembly had moved bills to restrict the sweeping powers of the Governor-General.

Later, Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan, President of the Constituent Assembly, challenged the dissolution in the Sindh High Court, which initially ruled in his favour.

However, in 1955, the Federal Court of Pakistan—led by Chief Justice Muhammad Munir—overturned the lower court’s decision by invoking the doctrine of necessity and validated the Governor-General’s action, which had actually followed a deepening rift between West Pakistan and East Bengali leaders over proposed constitutional setups (such as the “One Unit” scheme) and growing cabinet instability.

In 1958, President Iskander Mirza abrogated the 1956 Constitution under emergency rule. General Ayub was appointed as chief martial law administrator.

In March 1969, General Ayub passed the presidency to General Yahya Khan, who went on to abrogate the 1962 Constitution under proclamation of yet another emergency and became chief martial law administrator.

The February to April, 1973 governor’s rule in Balochistan saw both chief minister, Sardar Attaullah Mengal, and Governor, Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, going home on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s orders. Charges included triggering of unrest and recovery of a cache of weapons from the Iraqi embassy in Islamabad.

Nawab Akbar Bugti was appointed Governor to call shots from the echelons of power. After the emergency /governor’s rule was lifted, Jam Ghulam Qadir Khan, formed the government.

Between February and May 1975, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (then NWFP) came under governor’s rule .

The move followed the assassination of Hayat Muhammad Khan Sherpao, who was killed in a bomb blast while delivering a speech at the University of Peshawar.

The federal government under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had also gone on to ban the National Awami Party. The political crackdown was accompanied by arrests.

The then chief minister, Sardar Inayatullah Gandapur, was handed over the pink slip and sent packing.

Major General (R) Syed Ghawas oversaw the provincial affairs as Governor.

On May 3, 1975, Nasrullah Khattak, took oath as chief minister, ending the governor’s rule .

In July 1977, General Ziaul Haq took charge, imposed Martial Law, and held the 1973 Constitution in abeyance under his emergency rule.

Between June and August 1988, Sindh witnessed its second governor’s rule for nine weeks.

The caretaker government of Chief Minister, Akhtar Ghulam Qazi, was dismissed and General Rahimuddin Khan was handed over keys to the Governor’s House.

Earlier, on May 29, 1988 President General Zia-ul-Haq had dissolved Premier Junejo’s government and all provincial assemblies.

In August 1990, President Ghulam Ishaq Khan had declared a state of emergency after dismissing the government of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Between February and April 1994, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa came under Governor’s rule yet again. This happened after prime minister Benazir Bhutto had ended the rule of chief minister Pir Sabir Shah.

Governor, Major General (Retd) Khurshid Ali Khan, assumed office to run the affairs.

When the governor’s rule was lifted, Aftab Sherpao, was sworn-in as chief minister.

In May 1998, an emergency was imposed after Pakistan had tested its nukes.

In October 1999, General Musharraf dethroned Nawaz Sharif and imposed emergency , holding the 1973 Constitution in abeyance.

In November 2007, emergency was again declared by General Musharraf. This lasted till December 15, 2007, during which the Constitution remained suspended.

Between February and March 2009, President Asif Zardari appointed his loyalist Salman Taseer as the Governor Punjab, following disqualification of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif by Supreme Court.

The provincial assembly was not suspended, but only chief minister and his ministers were ordered to vacate offices.

Between January and March 2013, restive Balochistan caught Federal government’s eye after around 100 Hazara Shias were killed in twin acts of terrorism in Quetta and their heirs had opted to stage a sit-in with bodies of their deceased loved ones.

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf dismissed Balochistan’s provincial government led by chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, and governor, Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi, was entrusted with the task to oversee administrative matters.

On October 11, 2026, President Asif Zardari, on the advice of the federal government, imposed governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Originally published in The News