Malik Ghulam Muhammad

Malik Ghulam Muhammad ملک غلام محمد
3rd Governor-General of Pakistan
In office 17 October 1951 – 6 October 1955
Monarch	George VI Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Khawaja Nazimuddin Muhammad Ali Bogra Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
Preceded by	Khwaja Nazimuddin
Succeeded by	Iskander Mirza
Minister of Finance
In office 15 August 1947 – 19 October 1951
Prime Minister	Liaquat Ali Khan Khawaja Nazimuddin
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
Personal details
Born	20 April 1895(1895-04-20) Lahore, Punjab, British India
Died	September 12, 1956(1956-09-12) (aged 61) Lahore, Pakistan
Alma mater	Aligarh Muslim University
Religion	Sunni Islam

Malik Ghulam Muhammad (Punjabi, Pashto, Urdu: ملک غلام محمد) served as the third Governor-General of Pakistan from 1951 until 1955, shortly before his death in 1956.

Early life

Malik Ghulam Muhammad was born in Lahore, Punjab, British India, in 1895, and he belonged to the Kakazai tribe of Pashtuns.^[1] He attended Aligarh Muslim University, after which he worked in the accounting field. He helped during the formation of a company in 1945 known as Mahindra & Mohammed, which is now known as Mahindra & Mahindra and is today one of the largest conglomerates in India. Later, after the partition of India, Mr. Ghulam Muhammad migrated to Pakistan and became that nation's first finance minister.

Political career

When Pakistan was formed in 1947, Ghulam Muhammad served as its first Finance Minister of Pakistan, owing to his experience in that sector. Suffering from bad health, Ghulam Muhammad was almost removed by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan.^{[citation needed]} After Liaquat's assassination in 1951, Khawaja Nazimuddin became Prime Minister of Pakistan and Ghulam Muhammad was made the Governor-General. From this position Ghulam Muhammad extended his control over Pakistan. Nazimuddin challenged Ghulam Muhammad's actions, but the latter exercised the reserve powers of the Governor-General's office, dismissing Nazimuddin's government in the aftermath of the Lahore riots of 1953, and effectively removing him from office. Muhammad Ali Bogra was installed as the new prime minister.

Governor-General

Further information: Constitutional Coup

One of Ghulam Muhammad's major first duties was to represent Pakistan as Governor General at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II held in London in 1953. Ghulam Muhammad was present in Westminster Abbey alongside the other major Dominion Governors-General from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Ceylon.

In 1954, the Assembly of Pakistan tried to change the constitution to establish checks on the Governor-General's powers. In response, Ghulam Muhammad dismissed the Assembly, an action that was challenged in the Supreme Court. Ghulam Muhammad emerged victorious when the Court upheld the dismissal in a split decision, despite dissenting opinion written by Justice (later Chief Justice) A. R. Cornelius and protests from the members of the Assembly. This action is now seen as the beginning of “viceregal” politics in Pakistan, in which the military and civil bureaucracy, not elected officials, govern the country and maintain substantial influence over society and the provinces.^[2]

Dismissal and death

Ghulam Muhammad's health deteriorated, and he took a leave of absence in 1955. The acting Governor-General, Iskander Mirza, dismissed him, and Ghulam Muhammad died the next year in 1956.

See also

• Mian Yousuf Salahuddin Grandson of Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Malik Ghulam Muhammad

References

1. ^ SAMAA TV - Ghulam Mohammad’s 55th death anniversary today
2. ^ PAKISTAN: The New Dictatorship, TIME Magazine, November 8, 1954

Political offices
New office	Minister of Finance 1947–1951	Succeeded by Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
Preceded by Khawaja Nazimuddin	Governor-General of Pakistan 1951–1955	Succeeded by Iskander Mirza

Persondata
Name	Ghulam, Muhammad
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	20 April 1895
Place of birth	Lahore, Punjab, British India
Date of death	12 September 1956
Place of death	Lahore, Pakistan