Immediate Internal Conflicts
- A democratic government was established with a parliamentary system. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the first head of state in 1947
- Along with territorial disputes involving India, Pakistan faced many internal conflicts
- Was geographically divided into two wings, the Eastern wing now being the independent nation of Bangladesh
- Had millions of impoverished refugees settling in a new land
- Was linguistically, ethnically, and culturally divided
- Most financial, military, and material assets were owned by India such as rivers and factories.
- Muhammad Ali Jinnah was given the name Quaid-e Azam, meaning great leader. When he died in 1951, a power vacuum was created without his formidable presence. Ever since, it was difficult to maintain stability in a disunified and poor nation.
- Throughout the 20th century, Pakistan's government underwent several military regimes and constant reform.
Early Years of Independence (1947-1958)
- A series of riots marked the early years of independence for several reasons.
- As it was attempted to establish Urdu as the official national language, riots broke out becaues the majority of the population in the Eastern wing spoke Bengali.
- Religious differences.
- There was dissatisfaction among many political leaders who held office
- Although Pakistan was part of the British Commonwealth and worked toward building a Western-style government, an efficient, stable government was failed to be established. This was because of the public's dissatisfaction with many leaders, power struggles, and disputes between various leaders. A major conflict existed over unequal representation and power of the different provinces of Pakistan. Official elections and the writing of the constitution were constantly being delayed.
- A constitution was finally made in 1956 to enforce the One Unit Program, which hoped to unify provincial powers into one administrative unit.
Political Status of Pakistan the late 20th centjury
- Ever since its independence, Pakistan had underwent the rule of several military regimes. Many attempts had been made to establish a democratic government but they have constantly failed to due fragmented political parties and the inability to establish a strong government. Democratic governments have been prone to be overtaken by corrupt leaders and the failure to establish a stable democratic system still remains as a major problem modern day.