Malik Ghulam Muhammad served as the third Governor-General of Pakistan

Governor-General of Pakistan

The Governor-General of Pakistan was the representative in Pakistan of the Crown from the country's independence in 1947. When Pakistan was proclaimed a republic in 1956 the connection with the British monarchy ended, and the office of Governor-General was abolished.-History:Pakistan gained...

 from 1951 until 1955, shortly before his death in 1956.

Early life

Malik Ghulam Muhammad was born in Lahore

Lahore

Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...

, Punjab

Punjab region

The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...

, British India, in 1895, and he belonged to the Kakazai

Kakazai

The Kakazai , also known as Loye Mamund , are a Pashtun tribe originally from the Laghman province of Afghanistan.They came to South Asia during Afghan invasions such as those of Mahmud of Ghazni, settling in various regions....

 tribe of Pashtuns

Pashtun people

Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...

. He attended Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...

, 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

Mahindra & Mahindra Limited

Mahindra & Mahindra Limited is the flagship company of the Mahindra Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India. The company was set up in 1945 in Ludhiana as Mahindra & Mohammed by brothers K.C. Mahindra and J.C. Mahindra and Malik Ghulam Mohammed...

 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

Finance Minister of Pakistan

The Finance Minister of Pakistan heads the Ministry of Finance and serves in the Prime Minister's cabinet. The Minister is required to be a member of the Parliament.The current finance minister is Abdul Hafeez Shaikh...

, owing to his experience in that sector. Suffering from bad health, Ghulam Muhammad was almost removed by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan

Liaquat Ali Khan

For other people with the same or similar name, see Liaqat Ali Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan was a Pakistani statesman who became the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Defence minister and Commonwealth, Kashmir Affairs...

. After Liaquat's assassination in 1951, Khawaja Nazimuddin

Khawaja Nazimuddin

Hajji Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin, KCIE , was the second Governor-General of Pakistan, and later the second Prime Minister of Pakistan as well.-Early life:...

 became Prime Minister of Pakistan

Prime Minister of Pakistan

The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...

 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

Lahore riots of 1953

The Lahore riots of 1953 were a series of violent agitations against the Ahmadiyya movement in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, which were quelled by the Pakistan Army. Demonstrations began around February, and soon escalated into citywide incidents of murder, looting and arson against the Ahmadi...

, and effectively removing him from office. Muhammad Ali Bogra

Muhammad Ali Bogra

Nawabzada Mohammed Ali Bogra was a Pakistani statesman of Bengali origin, who served as the third Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1953 until 1955.-Early life:...

 was installed as the new prime minister.

Governor-General

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

A. R. Cornelius

Alvin Robert Cornelius was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan from May 13, 1960 to February 29, 1968. He was a Justice of the Supreme Court for about 17 years. Born in Agra and known as 'Bobby', he was educated at the Allahabad University and at Selwyn College, Cambridge...

 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.

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