CSS Pakistan Affairs Optional History History of Pakistan since 1947 Syllabus

History of Pakistan since 1947 syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for History of Pakistan since 1947 in CSS Pakistan Affairs Optional History, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Early Years and Initial Challenges

   2 topics

   • Problems at Independence
   • Quaid-e-Azam as Governor General
2. 2

   Constitutional Development

   2 topics

   • Constitution Making
   • Failure of Parliamentary Democracy
3. 3

   Political History and Military Rule

   4 topics

   • Ayub Khan Era
   • Yahya Khan and the 1971 Crisis
   • Bhutto and Zia Eras
   • Democratic Transition and Civil-Military Relations
4. 4

   Foreign Policy and External Relations

   4 topics

   • Determinants of Pakistan's Foreign Policy
   • Relations with Major Powers
   • Pakistan-India Relations and the Kashmir Dispute
   • Role in the Muslim World and OIC
5. 5

   Economy, Society and Contemporary Issues

   3 topics

   • Economic Development and Planning
   • Education, Health and Social Indicators
   • Contemporary Challenges

History of Pakistan since 1947 flashcards for CSS Pakistan Affairs Optional History

24 of 50 cards from the History of Pakistan since 1947 deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, what were the major administrative problems it faced?

   Lack of an established central government and capital infrastructure, an unfair division of financial and military assets (Pakistan received far less than its agreed share), a shortage of trained civil servants and officers, the influx of roughly 7-8 million refugees, communal violence, and the integration of princely states.

2. What was the dispute over the division of assets between India and Pakistan at Partition, and how was the cash balance handled?

   Pakistan was entitled to Rs. 750 million of the cash balance but was initially given only Rs. 200 million. After Gandhi's intervention (and his fast), India agreed to release the remaining Rs. 550 million in 1948. Military stores and equipment were also delivered incompletely.

3. Which princely states posed major accession problems at Partition, and how were they resolved?

   Junagadh (Hindu-majority ruled by a Muslim Nawab who acceded to Pakistan, but India took it via plebiscite/occupation), Hyderabad (annexed by India in 1948 via 'Operation Polo'), and Kashmir (Hindu ruler Hari Singh acceded to India in October 1947, triggering the first Indo-Pak war).

4. What were the dates and roles of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as Governor-General of Pakistan?

   He served as the first Governor-General from 14 August 1947 until his death on 11 September 1948. He was also President of the first Constituent Assembly and is titled the Father of the Nation (Baba-e-Qaum).

5. What were the main themes of Jinnah's 11 August 1947 address to the Constituent Assembly?

   Religious freedom and equality of all citizens regardless of faith ('You are free to go to your temples...'), the state's impartiality in religion, the rule of law, and the elimination of bribery, corruption, nepotism, and the evils of black-marketing.

6. What was the Objectives Resolution, when was it passed, and who moved it?

   Passed by the Constituent Assembly on 12 March 1949, moved by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan. It declared that sovereignty belongs to Allah, authority is a sacred trust exercised by the people's representatives, and laid down principles of democracy, freedom, equality, and tolerance as enunciated by Islam. It became the preamble of later constitutions.

7. What were the main contributions of the Basic Principles Committee reports to constitution making?

   The Basic Principles Committee (set up 1949) produced the Interim Report (1950) and the Final/Second Report (1952, the Nazimuddin Report), which addressed the structure of the legislature, parity between East and West Pakistan, and the role of Islam, but failed to achieve consensus and were repeatedly revised.

8. What was the One Unit scheme and when was it introduced?

   Introduced in 1955 under PM Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, the One Unit merged all provinces and states of West Pakistan into a single province to achieve parity (50:50 representation) with East Pakistan, balancing the larger Bengali population. It was abolished in 1970 by Yahya Khan.

9. What were the key features of Pakistan's 1956 Constitution?

   Promulgated on 23 March 1956, it declared Pakistan an Islamic Republic, established a parliamentary federal system with a unicameral legislature, parity between East and West Pakistan, Urdu and Bengali as national languages, and provided for a President as head of state. It was abrogated by the 1958 martial law.

10. Why did parliamentary democracy fail in Pakistan during 1947-1958?

    Causes included frequent changes of government (seven prime ministers in 11 years), weak political parties, the early deaths of Jinnah (1948) and Liaquat (1951), the dominance of the bureaucracy and military (the 'establishment'), provincial tensions (East-West rivalry), the delay in framing a constitution, and palace intrigues.

11. What was the significance of the dismissal of the Constituent Assembly by Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad in 1954?

    In October 1954 Ghulam Muhammad dissolved the first Constituent Assembly. The ensuing Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan case led the Federal Court (Justice Munir) to uphold the dissolution by invoking the 'doctrine of necessity,' setting a precedent for later extra-constitutional interventions.

12. Who imposed Pakistan's first martial law and when?

    President Iskander Mirza abrogated the 1956 Constitution and imposed martial law on 7 October 1958, appointing General Ayub Khan as Chief Martial Law Administrator. Ayub deposed Mirza on 27 October 1958 and assumed the presidency himself.

13. What was the system of 'Basic Democracies' introduced by Ayub Khan?

    Introduced in 1959, it was a four-tier (later five-tier) system of local government with about 80,000 'Basic Democrats' (elected councillors) who also served as an electoral college to elect the President and legislatures. It aimed to provide controlled, indirect, grassroots-based democracy.

14. What were the main features of Ayub Khan's 1962 Constitution?

    It established a presidential system with a strong executive President, indirect election through the Basic Democracies electoral college, a unicameral National Assembly, no prime minister, and limited fundamental rights. The country was named the 'Republic of Pakistan' (Islamic restored by amendment in 1963).

15. What were the achievements and criticisms of the Ayub Khan era (the 'Decade of Development')?

    Achievements: high GDP growth (Green Revolution, industrialization, big dams like Mangla and Tarbela, the Indus Waters Treaty, moving the capital to Islamabad). Criticisms: concentration of wealth (the '22 families'), rising inequality, suppression of dissent, the controversial 1965 election against Fatima Jinnah, and the 1965 war aftermath.

16. What was the 1965 Indo-Pak War and how did it end?

    Triggered partly by Operation Gibraltar in Kashmir, the September 1965 war ended in a stalemate. It was concluded by the Tashkent Declaration (10 January 1966), mediated by the Soviet Union, where Ayub Khan and Lal Bahadur Shastri agreed to withdraw to pre-war positions.

17. What were the Six Points presented by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1966?

    A demand for maximum autonomy for East Pakistan: (1) federal parliamentary government, (2) federal control limited to defence and foreign affairs, (3) separate currencies or fiscal accounts, (4) provincial power of taxation, (5) separate foreign-exchange accounts for each wing, and (6) a separate militia/paramilitary force for East Pakistan.

18. How did Ayub Khan's rule end and who succeeded him?

    Facing mass agitation (1968-69) over inflation, the Agartala conspiracy case, and political unrest, Ayub Khan resigned on 25 March 1969 and handed power to Army Commander-in-Chief General Yahya Khan, who imposed martial law.

19. What was the Legal Framework Order (LFO) of 1970 issued by Yahya Khan?

    It dissolved the One Unit (restoring West Pakistan's provinces), introduced the principle of one-man-one-vote (ending East-West parity), and set the rules for the 1970 general elections, while reserving the President's power to authenticate the resulting constitution.

20. What were the results of the 1970 general elections in Pakistan?

    The Awami League (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) won 160 of 162 East Pakistan seats, gaining an overall majority in the National Assembly; the PPP (Z. A. Bhutto) won 81 seats, dominating West Pakistan. The refusal to transfer power to the majority Awami League precipitated the 1971 crisis.

21. What military operation began the 1971 crackdown in East Pakistan and when?

    Operation Searchlight, launched on the night of 25-26 March 1971, was the military crackdown in East Pakistan that triggered widespread violence, a massive refugee exodus to India, and the declaration of Bangladesh's independence.

22. How did the 1971 war end and what were its consequences?

    After Indian military intervention, the Pakistan Army surrendered at Dhaka on 16 December 1971 (about 90,000 troops became POWs). East Pakistan became independent Bangladesh, and Yahya Khan handed power to Z. A. Bhutto in West Pakistan.

23. What was the Hamoodur Rahman Commission?

    A judicial inquiry commission (1971-1974) headed by Chief Justice Hamoodur Rahman that investigated the political and military causes of the 1971 debacle and surrender in East Pakistan. It criticized the military leadership and recommended trials, though its full report was suppressed for decades.

24. What were the key features of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan?

    Adopted unanimously and enforced on 14 August 1973, it established a federal parliamentary system with a bicameral legislature (National Assembly and Senate), Islam as the state religion, a ceremonial President and powerful Prime Minister, and named the country the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It remains in force today.

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