Ghulam Muhammad (governor-general)

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Ghulam Muhammad CIE (Urdu: ‫ ;ملک الم دمحم‬20 April 1895 - 29 August 1956), was a Pakistani
politician and financier who served as the third governor-general of Pakistan, appointed in this
capacity in 1951 until being dismissed in 1955 due to health conditions.[1] He co-founded
Mahindra &Muhammad in 1945 (then Mahindra & Mahindra in 1948) with Jagdish Chandra
Mahindra and Kailash Chandra Mahindra.

Educated at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), he joined the Indian Civil Service as

a chartered accountant at the Indian Railway Accounts Service before being promoted to join
the Ministry of Finance under Liaquat Ali Khan in 1946. After the Independence of Pakistan in
1947, he joined the Liaquat administration as the country's first Finance Minister where he
helped draft the first five-year plans to alleviate the national economy.

Following the assassination of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951, he was invited to be

the Governor-General by Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin who himself took over
the government as Prime Minister.

Nationwide violence as the aftermath of the language movement in Dacca and religious

riots in Lahore made him dismiss Nazimuddin administration using the reserve powers to restore
control of the Law and order in Pakistan.

In 1955, he was forced to resign from the post of Governor-General due to worsening of his
health conditions by then-Interior Minister Iskander Ali Mirza, who himself took control of the
office. After resignation, he fought a brief but unsuccessful battle with his illness, that ultimately
resulted in his death in 1956.

First Five-Year Plans (1955–1960)[edit]

Main article: Government of Liaquat Ali Khan
At the time of partition of British India by the United Kingdom, Pakistan was a relatively under-
developed country.[6] The country's systems of production, transportation, trade and
consumption yielded a very low standard of living, with little opportunity for education,
or economic advancement in the country.[6] 

The industries and financial services were non-existent in the country

and agriculture development was among the lowest in the world.[6] The vast majority of the
population still lived in villages and was untouched by the scientific and
technological development of the past two centuries.[6] 

The partition had a major effect on the country's existing economic infrastructure that disrupted
the wholesale transfers of population, trade and business, channels of communication, industrial
and commercial organisation, and the pressing need to establish new provisional governments.[6] 
Economic planning began in 1948 when Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan presented the first Five-
Year plans at the parliament of Pakistan on 8 July 1948. The first plan was conceived by
the Ministry of Finance (MoF), and were studied and developed by the Economic Coordination
Committee (ECC) based on the theory of Cost-of-production value, and also covered trickle-
down economics.

 [6] As part of this programme, the State Bank of Pakistan was established to give a kickstart to
banking services in the country.[6] 
The major economic infrastructure was quickly expanded and the hiring gap was filled as
government revenue began to rise.[6] The currency war with India following the devaluation of the
British Pound Sterling and Indian refusal to recognize the Pakistani rupee in 1949 led to a
deadlock in India-Pakistan trade. [6]
In the middle of 1950, relations were restored when India and Pakistan resumed trade, and in
February 1951, India formally recognized Pakistan's currency after entering in a new trade
agreement, but older trade relations were not restored.
 The Korean War brought about an economic boom but growth declined after
[6]

the assassination of Liaqat Ali Khan in October 1951. Moreover, efforts to continue the

programme failed, partly due to inadequate staff officers and lack of ambitions.[4][6] In 1953, the
programme collapsed when shortages of clothes, medicines and other essential consumer goods
arose; there was also a serious food shortage as a result of monsoon floods after 1951.[6] Prime
Minister Khawaja Nazimuddin was forced to end the programme after requesting economic
assistance from the United States and other friendly countries.[6]
Reassessment and

In 1953, Muhammad represented Pakistan at the Coronation of Elizabeth

II in Westminster Abbey alongside the Governors-General from Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, Union of South Africa and Dominion of Ceylon.[18] Upon returning to Pakistan, he
witnessed the agitation caused by the language movement in Dacca in East Pakistan, and the
series of anti-Qadiyani protests in Lahore, Punjab in Pakistan. Both events led him to use
the reserve powers awarded by the Government of India Act 1935 against Prime Minister
Nazimuddin, effectively dismissing his administration only to be replaced with diplomat M. A.
Bogra.[19]: 118–119 
In 1954, the Constituent Assembly made legislative attempts to try changing the 1935 act to
establish checks and balances on the Governor-General's powers.[20]: 236
 In response, Muhammad again dismissed the Constituent Assembly, an action that was
 

challenged in the Sindh High Court by Maulvi Tamizuddin, the Speaker of the Assembly.[19]: 118–119 

 The Sindh High Court's Chief Justice  Sir George

Constantine ruled the Governor-General's decision unlawful, but the ruling was
overturned by the Federal Court of Pakistan, led by Chief Justice Muhammad Munir, in a split
decision.[19]: 119–121 
During this time, Muhammad's health began to deteriorate, and paralysis spread through his
whole body, forcing him to take a leave of absence in 1955 to seek treatment in the United
Kingdom.[15] In his capacity, he appointed Interior Minister Iskander Mirza as acting Governor-
General, but Mirza dismissed him from his post in order to take his place, supported by the
Constituent Assembly's legislators.[15]
Death[edit]

Malik's grave at Fauji Qabrastan, next to Gora Qabrastan (Christians) near CSD off Shahra-e-
Faisal Karachi
On 29 August 1956, Malik Sir Ghulam Muhammad died and was buried in Karachi in Fauji
Qabrastan, next to Christian's Graveyard, Gora Qabristan in Karachi.