The governor-general of Pakistan (Urdu: گورنر جنرل پاکستان) was the representative of the Pakistani monarch in the Dominion of Pakistan, established by the Indian Independence Act 1947. The office of governor-general was abolished when Pakistan became an Islamic republic in 1956.[1][2]
| Governor-General of Pakistan | |
|---|---|
| گورنر جنرل پاکستان | |
 Coat of arms of Pakistan | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Status | Abolished |
| Residence | Governor-General's House |
| Appointer | Monarch of Pakistan |
| Formation | 14 August 1947 |
| First holder | Muhammad Ali Jinnah |
| Final holder | Iskander Mirza |
| Abolished | 23 March 1956 |
Constitutional role
edit
Pakistan was one of the realms of the Commonwealth of Nations that shared the same person as sovereign and head of state. The Pakistani monarch was represented in the dominion by the governor-general of Pakistan, whom the monarch appointed on the advice of the Pakistani government.[3][4]
The Pakistani monarch and the Federal Legislature of Pakistan constituted the Parliament of Pakistan. All executive powers of Pakistan rested with the sovereign. All laws in Pakistan were enacted only with royal assent, granted by the governor-general on behalf of the sovereign. The governor-general was also responsible for summoning, proroguing, and dissolving the Federal Legislature. The governor-general chose and appointed the Council of Ministers and dismissed them at his discretion. All Pakistani ministers of the Crown held office at the pleasure of the governor-general. The governor-general of Pakistan was also exempted from any proceedings against him in any Pakistani court.[5][6]
Oath of office
editThe governor-general of Pakistan was required to take an oath of allegiance to the Constitution of Pakistan and the Pakistani monarch before being permitted to assume his seat. The oath of allegiance taken by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the first governor-general, was as follows:[6]
"I, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, do solemnly affirm true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of Pakistan as by law established and that I will be faithful to His Majesty King George VI, in the office of Governor General of Pakistan."
List of governors-general of Pakistan
editThe following is a list of people who served as governor-general of Pakistan.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Monarch (Reign) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | 
|
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948) |
14 August 1947 |
11 September 1948 |
1 year, 28 days |  George VI (1947–1952) |
| 2 | 
|
Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin (1894–1964) |
14 September 1948 |
17 October 1951 |
3 years, 33 days | |
| 3 | 
|
Sir Ghulam Muhammad (1895–1956) |
17 October 1951 |
7 August 1955 |
3 years, 294 days | |
 Elizabeth II (1952–1956) | ||||||
| 4 | 
|
Iskander Mirza (1899–1969) |
7 August 1955 |
23 March 1956 |
229 days | |
Flag of the governor-general
edit-
Flag used from 1947 to 1953 -
Flag used from 1953 to 1956
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "List Showing the Governors-General and Presidents of Pakistan Since Independence" (PDF). cabinet.gov.pk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ Chief Justice Muhammad Munir: His Life, Writings, and Judgements, Research Society of Pakistan, 1973, p. 341
- ^ Kumarasingham, Harshan (2013), THE 'TROPICAL DOMINIONS': THE APPEAL OF DOMINION STATUS IN THE DECOLONISATION OF INDIA, PAKISTAN AND CEYLON, vol. 23, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, p. 223, JSTOR 23726109
- ^ Karl Von Vorys (1965), Political development in Pakistan, Princeton University Press, p. 272, ISBN 9781400876389
- ^ Bin Sayeed, Khalid (1955), "The Governor-General of Pakistan", Pakistan Horizon, 8 (2), Pakistan Institute of International Affairs: 330–339, JSTOR 41392177
- ^ a b "Transfer of power and Jinnah". DAWN. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2021.