[SIR UMAR KHAN DAWAR (0325-2512225)] 1

YAHYA KHAN & THE SEPARATION OF EAST PAKISTAN

Introduction:
President Ayub abrogated his own constitution and suddenly resigned from the presidency. On 25 th March 1969, Gen
Yahya Khan declared Martial law. He held the positions of Army chief, the president and Chief Martial law
administrator.
Yahya dissolved the One Unit and restored the pre-1955 provinces of West Pakistan.
He promised free fair (direct one-man one-vote) elections.

The new administration formed a committee of deputy and provincial martial law administrators that functioned above
the civil machinery of government. The generals held power.

CAUSES FOR SEPARATION

East Pakistan’s separation was a tragedy, countdown to which began right from 1948 after the death of Quaid-e-Azam
and cracks in the federation of Pakistan had started to appear. This separation was a tremendous loss. It was the
outcome of the failure of the ruling generals and greedy politicians to arrive at a political settlement. By 1970, the
sentiments for national unity had weakened in East Pakistan to the extent that constant conflicts between the two
wings erupted into mass civil disorder. This tragically resulted in the brutal separation of Pakistan’s Eastern wing. There
are multi-dimensional causes for the breakup of Pakistan.
The reasons for this sad event were many. The important ones are as follows:

1. Geographical distance:
The two wings of Pakistan were peculiarly situated, and were non-
contiguous territories, 1000 miles apart. In between them laid the
hostile India. Due to this distance, there was no interaction and
contact between the two branches. The absence of this essential
factor weakened the bond of unity and so was the feeling of
belonging to a single nation.

2. Political factor:
Pakistan started as parliamentary democracy. But due to the
dictatorial trends of some leaders, this experience was a failure.
The failure to have a new constitution in its early years gave the
dictators a chance to act upon their wishes. The ruling class was
mostly composed of senior bureaucrats, most of whom were West
Pakistanis. Secondly, the civil military leadership at will installed
and dismissed governments at the center and in the provinces. The
dismissal of the government of Khwaja Nazim-ud-din, M. A. Bogra
and Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy convinced the people of East
Pakistan that an East Pakistani was not tolerated as head of state (or government) by West Pakistani leadership.

3. Representation factor:
East Pakistan often bitterly complained that there were few East Pakistani officers at the highest level of civil services.
The representation of Bengalis in the armed forces was also very low, comparing it with their 56% strength of the entire
population of Pakistan. Keeping this in view, their share in the government was 15%, and it was little more than 20% in
the armed forces. The East Pakistanis also wanted representation in the parliament on the basis of population, which
entitled them to greater representation in the parliament than entire West Pakistan provinces. The demand was never
met and instead the ‘parity proposal’ was imposed on them. The grievance of low representation coupled with the
arrogant attitude of West Pakistan’s politicians, military men, and civil servants, created much bitterness among the
people of East Pakistan.
2 [SIR UMAR KHAN DAWAR (0325-2512225)]

4. Distinct culture:
It is said that there was nothing common between the people of West Pakistan and East Pakistan, except that they had
the same religion, and they struggled in common to achieve a separate homeland, and the culture, tradition,
civilization, dress, cuisine and language all separated the Eastern branch from the Western branch. Their love for
Bengali language, the consequent struggle of Bengalis to get it declared as an official language and initial resistance of
West Pakistani leadership to it also created much bitterness.

5. Economic factors:
The situation was much aggravated by a sense of economic deprivation on the part of Bengalis. One of the main
grievances of the Bengalis was that money and resources had been systematically transferred from East to West, and
development of West Pakistan has been at the expense of East Pakistan. Industrial development took place at a faster
rate in the Western wing than in the Eastern wing. The deficit in the balance of trade faced by West Pakistan was
financed by East Pakistan’s surplus money. The economic disparity increased between the two wings during Ayub’s
decade of development.

6. Mujib’s 6 points:
The extent to which the feelings for a federation had weakened was shown by Mujib’s 6 points that he gave in 1966.
These points were aimed at giving all powers to the provinces except for defense and foreign affairs. The reason for
proposing the Six Points was to give the East greater autonomy in Pakistan.

1. A parliament to be directly elected by people.

2. Federal government to have control over defense and
foreign affairs, all other powers to be given to
provinces.
3. Each wing of Pakistan to have its own financial
policies and separate currency.
4. Taxes were to be collected by the provinces.
5. Each wing to keep its own financial revenue and
have its own trade policies.
6. Each state to have its own military and police.
If implemented these points were to weaken the bond of unity
between the two wings.
It was on the basis of these points that Awami League led by
Mujib contested the election of 1970 and people of East
Pakistan stood behind these points.
The Agartala Conspiracy Case
It was a sedition case in Pakistan during the rule of
Ayub Khan against Awami League.
It was brought by the government of Pakistan in
1968 against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 34 other
people.
They were accused of conspiring with India against
the stability of Pakistan. However, in the face of mass
movement, the government withdrew the Agartala
Conspiracy Case. The accused were released.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bangladeshi politician,

revolutionary and statesman. Mujib was a student activist and
later a member of Muslim League from East Pakistan. He later
founded Awami League. He became popular for opposition
voice for the people of East Pakistan, leading the 6-point
autonomy movement, and challenging the regime of Field
Marshal Ayub Khan. Mujib supported opposition candidate
Fatima Jinnah against Ayub Khan in the 1965 presidential
election. In 1969 he was given the title of Bangabandhu (Friend
of the Bengal) after his release from jail.
In 1970, Mujib led the Awami League to win Pakistan's first
general election. After creation of Bangladesh, Mujib had held
continuous positions as president or prime minister from April
1971 until his assassination in August 1975. Sheikh Mujib being released from prison after
Agartala Conspiracy Case.
 [SIR UMAR KHAN DAWAR (0325-2512225)] 3

Fatima Jinnah, Sheikh Mujib and Maulana Bhashani during Jinnah's presidential election campaign.

General elections of 1970:

General elections for the National Assembly were set for October 5, 1970, but were postponed to December as the
result of a severe cyclone that hit the coast of East Pakistan.
Bhutto campaigned in the West Wing on a strongly nationalist and leftist platform. The slogan of his party was "Islam
our Faith, Democracy our Policy, Socialism our Economy." He said that the PPP would provide "roti, kapra, aur makaan"
(bread, clothing, and shelter) to all. In the East Wing, the Awami League gained widespread support for the six-point
program (explained). Its cause was further strengthened because West Pakistani politicians were perceived as callously
indifferent to the Bengali victims of the October cyclone and slow to come to their aid.

The Awami League won a victory: 160 of the 162 seats in the east (all seats from East Pakistan) , and thus gained a
majority of the 300 directly elected seats in the National Assembly (plus the thirteen indirectly elected seats for
women, bringing the total to 313 members) without winning a seat in the West Wing. The PPP won a large majority in
the West Wing, especially in Punjab and Sindh, but no seats in the East Wing.

Negotiations started for the formation of the government between Mujib and Bhutto.
In his role as intermediary and head of state, Yahya Khan tried to persuade Bhutto and Mujib to come to some kind of
accommodation. This effort proved unsuccessful as Mujib insisted on his right as leader of the majority to form a
government--a stand at variance with Bhutto, who claimed there were "two majorities" in Pakistan. It was clear that
Yahya Khan and Z.A.Bhutto didn’t want to hand over power to Awami League.

On 28 February 1971, Yahya Khan, under the pressure of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's, postponed the national assembly
meeting scheduled for March. Upon hearing the news of the suspension of the National Assembly, Dhaka city erupted
in anger and hundreds of people rushed to the streets in a spontaneous display of anger.

Military action and civil war:

The postponing of the National Assembly session convinced the people of East Pakistan that they were being deprived
of their right to form government. The were angry protests throughout East Pakistan. People attacked government
institutions and law and order situation broke down. To restore order operation searchlight was started. Gen Tikka
Khan's emergency plan went into operation. Roadblocks and barriers appeared all over Dhaka. Mujib was taken into
custody and flown to the West Wing to stand trial for treason. Before his arrest, Mujib proclaimed the independence of
Bangladesh. The resistance of people of East Pakistan was temporarily crushed.
Major Zia ur Rahman and others organized Bengali troops to form the Mukti Bahini (Liberation Force) to resist the
Pakistan Army. The East Pakistan Rifles, a paramilitary force, mutinied and joined the rebel forces.
4 [SIR UMAR KHAN DAWAR (0325-2512225)]

Bangladeshi Mukti Bahini fighters capture Razakars (collaborators) in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war.

Indo-Pak war of 1971:

By the end of April 1971, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had asked the Indian Army chief General Sam Manekshaw if he
was ready to go to war with Pakistan and he asked for more time.
In August 1971 India signed a friendship treaty with Soviet Union. The ensuing Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation,
signed in August 1971, was very loose, but sent a strong signal to USA and China which favored Pakistan.
By November 1971, the Indian military was providing direct fire against Pakistani troops and even made several
incursions into Pakistani territory. On 3 December 1971 at Pakistan Air Force carried out surprise pre-emptive strikes
(operation Chengiz Khan) on India which led to formal start of Indo-Pak 1971 war. India launched a full-scale invasion of
East Pakistan. By 16 December 1971 Dhaka was encircled by Indian Army and Pakistan army under Gen Niazi
surrendered to Indian army.

Pakistan army commander Lt Gen AK Niazi signing the surrender in Dhaka stadium.

Events:
Ayub gives way to Yahya
Khan in March 1969.
- Awami League won 160
seats, all from East Pakistan.
- PPP won most seats in West
Pakistan.
1971 war starts in
December 1971 (3rd
December – 16th
December).
[SIR UMAR KHAN DAWAR (0325-2512225)]
Yahya Khan:
• Ended one unit scheme
• Called for general elections
March 1971, National
Assembly session
postponed.
16th December
Pakistan surrenders.
5
Elections held in December
1970. 162 seats were
allocated to East Pakistan
out of a total of 300 seats in
the National Assembly. 138
seats for West Pakistan.
August 1971, friendship
treaty between India
and Soviet Union.