Sikandar Mirza was a reputable military officer and a great Pakistani politician. He served Pakistan as the last Governor-General in 1995. Mirza became the first President of Pakistan in 1956. He was very popular for his characteristics like leadership, innovative ideas and initiatives. He exhibited his characteristics during his military and presidential journey.
Biography
Sikandar Mirza was born on June 15, 1899, in Murshidabad, British India. His father, Nawab Mirza Abbas Khan’s family, has a military background. His ancestors had served in many administrative and military positions in history. He died on November 12, 1969, in London, United Kingdom. He had been living in the UK in an exile because the government removed him from office in Pakistan.
Family Background
His family had a military and bureaucratic tradition. He followed their path by opting the military as a career and later entered politics.
Education
Sikandar started his schooling at a school in British India. Then he attended Aitchison College, Lahore from 1917 to 1919. Aitchison College was a high standard institution particularly for upper Indian class. He went abroad to continue his military training. He attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, United Kingdom. He achieved his education from both India and London. After the training, he joined the British Army in 1920. The extensive military training reflected in his splendid military career in British India as well in Pakistan after separation.
Military Career
He started his military journey by joining the British Army and then played a significant role in administrative positions and affairs of Pakistan after its independence in 1947. After completing his training at the Royal Military Academy UK, the British Indian Army gave him commission in 1920. He served the army during difficult times including World War 11 and the interwar era. He got appreciation for his leadership skills at many command positions.
After the separation of Pakistan from the sub continent, he chose to join the Pakistan army and opted to serve Pakistan. Sikandar Mirza served as the military secretary of Quaid-e-Azam when he became the Governor General of Pakistan after independence. Then he became the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Pakistan from 1951-1955.
Political Journey
He entered politics in 1955. He became the Governor General of Pakistan in 1955. In 1956, Pakistan became a republic. So, he became the first ever President of Pakistan in 1956. His presidential and political careers were not as bright and reputable as his military career. He faced many challenges relating to political instability and lack of management. He remained the president till 1958. His presidency was taken over by a military coup led by General Muhammad Ayub Khan in 1958. Ayub Khan imposed the Martial Law, as a result Sikandar Mirza’s government came to an end. He went into an exile and left Pakistan. He led the rest of his life in London till his death.
Initiatives and Projects
Mirza’s political career was not very bright. Despite this, no one can suppress his initiatives and contributions to shape and improve Pakistan. He focused mainly on political and administrative reforms. One of his significant projects was One Unit Scheme. The mission of this scheme was to unite all four provinces of West Pakistan including Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to form a single administrative unit. This scheme was launched in 1955. He made an important amendment to the 1956 constitution. It made Pakistan republic i.e. Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In this way, Sikhandar Mirza became the first president of Pakistan. He introduced many social reforms including advancements in the fields of health and education.
In 1958, he dismissed the constituent assembly which resulted in the imposition of martial law by general Ayub Khan. His political journey faced many conflicts and challenges. Ayub Khan took oath on October 27, 1958 as the Chief Martial law administrator and Sikandar Mirza went into exile.
Allegations
Sikandar Mirza faced many allegations during his presidency which was marked by political instability. He was accused of authoritarianism. He had an authoritarian style of governance. He himself dismissed the assembly leaving way for the coup to take the place. His One Unit Scheme faced criticism. It aimed to unite the provinces but was criticized for exacerbating ethnic disparities and not addressing the concerns of smaller provinces. His government faced a lack of stability. He dismissed many Prime Ministers which resulted in lack of continuity of the governance. He was accused of playing a part in facilitating the coup which ended the democratic government in Pakistan and led to imposition of martial law.
Conclusion
Sikandar Mirza proved to be a perceptible military leader through his appreciable leadership skills. Though his political career faced many challenges, he played his role to serve Pakistan.