Online Encyclopedia
Khawaja Nazimuddin
Khawaja Nazimuddin (July 19, 1894 - 1964) was the second Governor General of Pakistan, and then the second Prime Minister of Pakistan.
He was born in Dhaka, into the family of the Nawabs of Dhaka (Bengal). He received his education from Aligarh Muslim University, and later Cambridge University, where he studied at Trinity Hall until the mid-1930s.
After returning to the subcontinent, he became involved in politics in his native Bengal. Nazimuddin would initially be the educational minister, but would climb the ranks up to becoming the Chief Minister of the province prior to partition. Nazimuddin also became the head of the Muslim League in Eastern India.
Upon the formation of Pakistan, he would become an important part of the early government. After the early death of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Nazimuddin succeeded him as the Governor General of Pakistan. At this point in time, the position was largely ceremonial, and executive power rested with the Prime Minister. The first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated in 1951, and Nazimuddin stepped in to replace him.
During Nazimuddin's time as Prime Minister, Pakistan saw a growing rift within the Muslim League, especially between Punjabi and Bengali groups, as those were the two largest ethnic groups of Pakistan, but were separated by India. During his reign, a framework was begun for a constitution that would allow Pakistan to become a republic, and end it's status as dominion of the United Kingdom. Progress was made, but Nazimuddin's time as Prime Minister would be cut short in 1953.
In 1953, a religious movement began to agitate for the removal of the Ahmadi religious minority from power positions, and a declaration of this group as non-Muslim. Nazimuddin would resist such pressures; but riots would break out in The Punjab against both the government and followers of this religious minority. Nazimuddin would respond by changing the governor of that province to Feroz Khan Noon , but this would be to no avail. Ghulam Muhammad, who had replaced Nazimuddin as Governor General, would ask the Prime Minister to step down. However, the PM would refuse, but Muhammad would get his way, invoking an old clause that gave him the power to remove the Prime Minister. The new prime-minister would be another Bengali born statesman: Muhammad Ali Bogra.
This episode would signal the beginning a troubling future trend in the young nation's history. The removal of Nazimuddin, the Prime Minister, by the Governor General, Muhammad, would signal a troubling trend in Pakistani history of Prime Ministers being removed by the President or Generals claiming executive power.
|
Preceded by: Muhammad Ali Jinnah |
Governor General of Pakistan |
Followed by: Chaudhry Ghulam Muhammad |
|
Preceded by: Liaquat Ali Khan |
Prime Minister of Pakistan |
Followed by: Muhammad Ali Bogra |