MARTIAL LAWS

1958, 1969, 1977, & 1999

Martial law involves the temporary substitution of military authority for civilian rule in response to an emergency or crisis. It enables the designated military commander to make and enforce laws with unlimited authority.

Martial Law of 1958: In his diary entry on May 22, 1958, General Muhammad Ayub Khan claimed that politicians were greedy and self-centered. Months after, on October 7, 1958, President Iskander Mirza abrogated the Constitution, and General Ayub Khan became Chief Martial Law Administrator. Just twenty days later, the General Ayub Khan ousted Iskander Mirza and declared himself President, with hopes that his army would take control and restore stability going forward.

Martial Law of 1969: In March 1969, President Ayub Khan announced that he was abdicating and calling the army due to the civil disorder and the deteriorating state of the country. General Yahya Khan was appointed as Chief Martial Law Administrator, overseeing the nation of 120 million. His regulations were reminiscent of the social, economic, and political reform of the 1958 martial law. 

Martial Law of 1977: On July 5, 1977, Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq led a coup called Operation Fair Play, in which he overthrew the government of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The day became to be known as "Black Day" in Pakistan's political history. Following the coup, General Zia-ul-Haq, declared martial law to save the country from the chaos and tumult following the controversial March 1977 parliamentary elections. He imposed a code of medieval Islamic punishments that included flogging and amputation of the left hand, as well as maximum punishments such as hanging for crimes of banditry and theft.

Martial Law of 1999: In October 1999, the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was dissolved. As the Army took control, General Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency, insisting that, "This is not martial law, only another path towards democracy." 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Altaf, H. (2019). History of military interventions in political affairs in Pakistan. CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4274&context=gc_etds

Baloch, J. A., & Gaho, G. M. (2013). Military interventions in Pakistan and its implications. 54-63. file:///Users/amandanugen/Downloads/937-2107-1-SM%20(1).pdf

Chaudhry, N. (2012). Pakistan's first military coup: Why did the first Pakistani coup occur and why does it matter? Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/36700407.pdf

Hassan, M. (2011). Causes of military intervention in Pakistan: A revisionist discourse. Pakistan Vision, 12(2), 66-100. http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/studies/PDF-FILES/Article-3_V_12_No_2_Dec11.pdf