Ahsan's Formula (or the Admiral Ahsan Mission ) was a peace initiative mission dispatched by the Pakistani government to East Pakistan in early 1971. The mission was led by Vice-Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan , then-governor of East Pakistan and commander of the army in the Eastern Theatre , to work out a peace initiative to end the political crises in east Pakistan.
55-552: The mission came in the wake of increasingly strained and difficult foreign relations between Pakistan and East Pakistan since the civil unrest had gripped East Pakistan as Awami League's demonstrations and demands for the provincial autonomy against Pakistan's central administration after the general elections held in 1970. Following the violent raids in Dhaka University by the East-Pakistani police supported by
110-618: A Legal Framework Order (LFO) which called for direct elections for a unicameral legislature. Many in the West feared the East wing's demand for countrywide provincial autonomy. The purpose of the LFO was to secure the future Constitution which would be written after the election so that it would include safeguards such as preserving Pakistan's territorial integrity and Islamic ideology. The integrated province of West Pakistan formed on 22 November 1954
165-562: A presidential system of government, replacing the parliamentary system of the 1956 constitution. The electoral system was made indirect , and the "basic democrats" were declared electoral college for the purpose of electing members of the National and Provincial Assemblies. Under the new system, presidential elections were held on 2 January 1965 which resulted in a victory for Ayub Khan. As years went by, political opposition against President Ayub Khan mounted. In East Pakistan , leader of
220-488: A co-federation with Yahya Khan as president with Mujib being the Prime Minister of East while Bhutto being Prime Minister of Pakistan. Civil servants from Pakistan stationed in East would repatriated to Pakistan and the national assets would equally be divided between East and West Pakistan. The proposal was met with strong support from the international community and India fell in line though reluctant. The formula
275-515: A much earlier date were noted in their relatively different cultural habits. "The high road, along which the Mohammedan conquerors and rulers of India passed and repassed lay through the north (the Khyber , Kurram and other routes); and it is probable that Islam never took so firm a hold of the inhabitants of the southern district as of the people to the north of them. In this connection it
330-573: A part of Punjab until the province, then known as North West Frontier Province, was created in 1901 from the north-western districts of the Punjab Province. This region, along with the 'Frontier Tribal Areas', acted as a buffer zone with Afghanistan. Before the Partition of India , the 1947 North-West Frontier Province referendum was held in July 1947 to decide the future of NWFP, in which
385-463: A separate administrative division where religious composition was not enumerated, except at small Trans-Frontier Posts in the region. Adherents of Islam who were indigenous to frontier regions that continued to have relatively large Hindu populations, and who were also relatively recent converts , were influenced by some traditions of Hinduism; in contrast, Muslims in frontier regions that had been further influenced by orthodox Islam and converted at
440-463: A vigorous struggle for life, but its ultimate destruction is, it is apprehended, inevitable without State support. Notwithstanding the Sikh Guru's powerful denunciation of Brahmans , secular Sikhs now rarely do anything without their assistance. Brahmans help them to be born, help them to wed , help them to die and help their souls after death to obtain a state of bliss. And Brahmans, with all
495-438: A working well . They habitually ride on donkeys and do a multitude of other things which an orthodox Hindu would shrink from. All idolatrous observances are kept very much in the background. Except a few small images (thakurs) kept in their mandirs they have no idols at all. Nor is it their habit to take their gods about in procession . No one, in fact, sees anything of their worship . They burn their dead , and throw
550-531: Is enough to notice that they had long been Mohammadan when they settled in their present homes, and that their fanaticism and intolerance, especially in the districts where they are strongest, rendered the Province no very inviting place of residence for settlers of a different creed. If no fanaticism in its inhabitants acted as a bar to the settlement of Hindus in Hazara , the absence of any large trade centres
605-675: Is interesting to notice that the Mussalman of the Derajat is less strict in his observance of the duties of his religion, such as fasts, prayers and the like, than his northern neighbours. Through Hazara lay the road by which the Emperors of Delhi went to and fro between the capital and their summer retreat in Kashmir , and it was natural that Islam should thoroughly permeate the district. Similarly Kohat , from its situation with regard to
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#1732779731907660-505: The Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the former princely states of Amb , Chitral , Dir , Phulra and Swat . Its capital was the city of Peshawar , and the province was composed of six divisions ( Bannu , Dera Ismail Khan , Hazara , Kohat , Mardan , and Peshawar Division ; Malakand was later added as the seventh division). Until 1947, the province was bordered by five princely states to
715-574: The Kurram Valley , which at no very distant period was, nominally at least, a portion of the Afghan kingdom , has been more influenced in the past by its Mohammedan neighbours to the west than have the districts to the south of it. There is no need to consider here the probable date at which the bulk of the Pathans living in the Province, or rather their ancestors, were converted to Islam . It
770-835: The One Unit policy announced by Prime Minister Chaudhry Mohammad Ali . It was recreated after the dissolution of the One Unit system and lasted under its old nomenclature until April 2010, when it was renamed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The offices of Governor and Chief Minister of the North-West Frontier Province lasted until 14 October 1955. Historical population, language, and religious counts in North-West Frontier Province were enumerated in all districts ( Hazara , Mardan , Peshawar , Kohat , Bannu , and Dera Ismail Khan ), detailed in
825-813: The PML (Council) 119 and the PML (Qayyum) 133. All thirteen women's seats were uncontested. Vote Share of different parties in the election. Seat Share of different parties in the election. The government claimed a high level of public participation and a voter turnout of almost 63%. The total number of registered voters in the country was 56,941,500 of which 31,211,220 were from East Pakistan and 25,730,280 were from West Pakistan . List of members in East Bengal : List of members from Punjab , Sindh , North West Frontier Province , Federally Administered Tribal Areas , and Balochistan : The elected Assembly initially did not meet as President Yahya Khan and
880-627: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in 1967. The socialist political party took up opposition to President Ayub Khan as well. Ayub Khan succumbed to political pressure on 26 March 1969 and handed power to the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army, General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan . President Yahya Khan imposed martial law and the 1962 Constitution was abrogated. On 31 March 1970, President Yahya Khan announced
935-472: The religious slogans and initially campaigned on an Islamic platform , further promising to enforce Sharia laws in the country. Meanwhile, the founding party of Pakistan and the national conservative Muslim League , that although was divided into three factions ( QML , CML , MLC ), campaigned on a nationalist platform, promising to initiate the Jinnah reforms as originally envisioned by Jinnah and others in
990-469: The 1940s. The factions however criticised each other for disobeying the rules laid down by the country's founding father. The dynamic leadership and charismatic personality of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was highly active and influential in West Pakistan during these days. Bhutto's ideas and the famous slogan " Roti Kapra Aur Makaan " ("Food, Clothing and Shelter") attracted poor communities, students, and
1045-680: The Awami League had secessionist intentions. The continuous public meetings of the Awami League in East Pakistan and the Pakistan Peoples Party in Western Pakistan attracted huge crowds. The Awami League, a Bengali nationalist party, mobilised support in East Pakistan on the basis of its Six-Points Program (SPP), which was the main attraction in the party's manifesto. In East Pakistan, a huge majority of
1100-501: The Awami League to rule, including the poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz and rights activist Malik Ghulam Jilani, father of Asma Jahangir , G.M Syed the founder of Sindhi nationalist party Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) and Abul Ala Maududi, the leader of Jamat-e-Islami. However, the political position in West Pakistan was completely different from East Pakistan. In West Pakistan, the population was divided between different ideological forces. The right-wing parties, led under Abul Maududi , raised
1155-487: The Awami League, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman , was one of the key leaders to rally opposition to President Ayub Khan. In 1966, he began the Six point movement for East Pakistani autonomy. In 1968 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was charged with sedition after the government of President Ayub Khan accused him for conspiring with India against the stability of Pakistan. While a conspiracy between Mujib and India for East Pakistan's secession
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#17327797319071210-468: The Bengali nation favoured the Awami League, under Sheikh Mujib . The party received a huge percentage of the popular vote in East Pakistan and emerged as the largest party in the nation as a whole, gaining the exclusive mandate of Pakistan in terms both of seats and of votes. The Pakistan Peoples Party failed to win any seats in the east. On the other hand, the Awami League failed to garner any seats in
1265-513: The LFO and that India was increasingly interfering in East Pakistan. Nor did he believe that the Awami League would actually sweep the elections in East Pakistan. A month before the elections the Bhola cyclone struck East Pakistan. This was the deadliest tropical cyclone in world history, killing an estimated 500,000 people. The government was severely criticised for its response to the disaster. The general elections of 1970 are considered one of
1320-670: The National Assembly. The elections were a fierce contest between two social democratic parties, the west-based Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the east-based All-Pakistan Awami League . The Awami League was the sole major party in the east wing, while in the west wing, the PPP faced severe competition from the conservative factions of Muslim League , the largest of which was Muslim League (Qayyum) , as well as Islamist parties like Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP). The result
1375-555: The Pakistan Peoples Party did not want the majority party from East Pakistan forming government. This caused great unrest in East Pakistan. The military junta responded by executing Operation Searchlight , which led to the Bangladesh War of Independence , with East Pakistan becoming the independent state of Bangladesh . The Assembly session was eventually held when Yahya resigned four days after Pakistan surrendered to Bangladesh and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took over. Bhutto became
1430-610: The Pakistan Peoples' Party and tacitly or openly supported Bhutto and the democratic socialists, such as Jalaludin Abdur Rahim , an influential Bengali in Pakistan and mentor of Bhutto who was later jailed by Bhutto. Jamat-e-Islami, while supporting allowing the Awami League to form a government, was also against the fragmentation of the country. Conversely, several prominent figures from West Pakistan supported allowing
1485-537: The Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1973, after the post was recreated by the new Constitution. Northwest Frontier Province The North-West Frontier Province ( NWFP ; Pashto : شمال لویدیځ سرحدي ولایت , Urdu : شمال مغربی سرحدی صوبہ ) was a province of British India from 1901 to 1947, of the Dominion of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955, and of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from 1970 to 2010. It
1540-529: The ashes into the Indus . They always keep a few of the bones, and take them, when the opportunity offers, to the Ganges ... There are a good many dharamsalas , mandirs , and dawaras at Dera Ismail Khan and in the cis- Indus tehsils ." Lastly, decadal census reports throughout the colonial era frequently detailed the difficulty of differentiating adherents of Hinduism with adherents of Sikhism , owing to
1595-692: The deftness of Roman Catholic missionaries in Protestant countries have partially succeeded in persuading the Sikhs to restore to their niches the images of Devi , the Queen of Heaven, and the Saints and gods of the ancient faith." Religion in North–West Frontier Province (1941) With rapid population growth occurring across all districts in the province, Mardan District was added to
1650-451: The fairest and cleanest elections in the history of Pakistan, with about twenty-four political parties taking part. The Awami League, a Bengali nationalist party dominated East Pakistan, while in the West the Pakistan Peoples Party , a leftist and nominally democratic socialist party, was a major power. The Pakistani government supported the pro-Islamic parties since they were committed to strong federalism. The Jamaat-e-Islami suspected that
1705-614: The first direct general elections since the independence of Pakistan and ultimately the only ones held prior to the independence of Bangladesh . Voting took place in 300 general constituencies, of which 162 were in East Pakistan and 138 in West Pakistan . A further thirteen seats were reserved for women (seven of which were in East Pakistan and six of which were in West Pakistan), who were to be elected by members of
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1760-564: The first general elections were scheduled for early 1959, severe political instability led President Iskander Mirza to abrogate the constitution on 7 October 1958. Mirza imposed martial law and handed power to the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army , General Muhammad Ayub Khan . After assuming presidency, President Ayub Khan promoted himself to the rank of Field marshal and appointed General Muhammad Musa Khan as
1815-539: The military stationed in East, and ultimatum issued by India to intervene in the conflict, Pakistan had authorized Admiral Ahsan to carry out the investigations into a possible Indian intervention through a cable communication to work out a possible peace solution to end violence in East. The recommendations based on the studies were roughly based on six-point movement proposed by the Awami League in 1969 and called for: The mission also called for Pakistan becoming
1870-585: The mission's recommendations were bypassed with Admiral Ahsan submitting his resignation and posted back to Pakistan, followed by the resignation of Lieutenant-General Yaqub Ali Khan . 1970 Pakistani general elections None (post vacant since 1958) Nurul Amin PML General elections were held in Pakistan on 7 December 1970 to elect members of the National Assembly . They were
1925-545: The new Commander-in-Chief. On 17 February 1960 President Ayub Khan appointed a commission under Muhammad Shahabuddin , the Chief Justice of Pakistan , to report a political framework for the country. The commission submitted its report on 29 April 1961 and, on the basis of this report, a new constitution was framed on 1 March 1962. The new constitution declared the country the Republic of Pakistan and brought about
1980-723: The north, the minor states of the Gilgit Agency to the northeast, the province of Punjab to the east and the province of Balochistan to the south. The Kingdom of Afghanistan lay to the northwest, with the Federally Administered Tribal Areas forming a buffer zone between the two. The northwestern frontier areas were annexed by the East India Company after the Second Sikh War (1848–49). The territories thenceforth formed
2035-555: The orders of Yahya resulting in a civil war that led to the formation of the independent state of Bangladesh . The Assembly was eventually inaugurated in 1972 after Yahya resigned and handed power to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Bhutto became Prime Minister in 1973 after the post was recreated by a new constitution . On 23 March 1956 Pakistan changed from being a Dominion of the British Commonwealth and became an Islamic republic after framing its own constitution . Although
2090-530: The people of the province decided in favor of joining Pakistan. Chief Minister Dr Khan Sahib , along with his brother Bacha Khan and the Khudai Khidmatgars , boycotted the referendum, citing that it did not have the options of the NWFP becoming independent or joining Afghanistan. As a separate province, the NWFP lasted until 1955 when it was merged into the new province of West Pakistan , under
2145-643: The popular vote, becoming the pre-eminent players in the politics of the West. A total of 1,957 candidates filed nomination papers for the 300 National Assembly seats. After scrutiny and withdrawals, 1,579 eventually contested the elections. The Awami League ran 170 candidates, of which 162 were for constituencies in East Pakistan. Jamaat-e-Islami had the second-highest number of candidates with 151. The Pakistan Peoples Party ran only 120 candidates, of which 103 were from constituencies in Punjab and Sindh , and none in East Pakistan. The PML (Convention) ran 124 candidates,
2200-482: The population, language, and religious tables above and below. Separate population counts were taken in the Agencies and Tribal Areas , as detailed on the respective article page. At independence, there was a clear Muslim Pashtun , Hindkowan , and Punjabi majority in the North-West Frontier Province, although there were also significant Hindu and Sikh Pashtun , Hindkowan , and Punjabi minorities scattered across
2255-569: The province. The languages of the North-West Frontier Province included Pashto, Hindko, Kohistani and others, although most of the population spoke either Pashto or Lahnda/Western Punjabi (primarily Hindko and Saraiki ). Prior to the arrival of the British, the official language , for governmental uses and such, was Persian . Religious counts below is for the entirety of NWFP ( Hazara , Mardan , Peshawar , Kohat , Bannu , and Dera Ismail Khan ). The Agencies and Tribal Areas constituted
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2310-794: The system which flourishes in the United Provinces and other areas to the east. Even of the Derajat , where, as we have seen, the Hindu population is proportionately most numerous, the writer of the Dera Ismail Khan Gazetteer notes, "the Hindus of this district are less particular in the matter of caste prejudices and observances than down country Hindus. Most of them will drink water that has been carried in Mussaks (skins for carrying water) or out of lotas detached from
2365-647: The traditional ability of the former in assimilating and integrating followers of varied thought into Hinduism. "The Sikh religion was born out of Hinduism , and fears have been expressed of its being reabsorbed into it. Truly wonderful is the strength and vitality of Hinduism. It is like the boa constrictor of the Indian forests; when a petty enemy appears to worry it, it winds round its opponent, crushes it in its folds, and finally causes it to disappear in its capacious interior. In this way, many centuries ago, Hinduism on its own ground disposed of Buddhism which
2420-406: The various castes and tribes who were indigenous to the frontier regions had considerable Islamic influence, owing to their status as a religious minority in the region for centuries, and thus formed religious syncretism that incorporated aspects from both faiths into their cultures and traditions. " Hinduism , as it exists in the North-West Frontier Province, is but a pale reflection of
2475-504: The west. The Awami League's failure to win any seats in the west was used by the leftists led by Zulfikar Bhutto who argued that Mujib had received "no mandate or support from West Pakistan" (ignoring the fact that he himself did not win any seat in East Pakistan). Bhutto uttered his infamous phrase " idhar hum, udhar tum " (We rule here, you rule there) – thus dividing Pakistan for the first time orally. Some Bengalis sided with
2530-519: The working class to his party. Under Bhutto's leadership the democratic left gathered and united into one party platform for the first time in Pakistan's history. Bhutto and the left-leaning elements attracted the people of the West to participate and vote for the Peoples Party based on a broad hope for a better future for their children and families. As compared to the right-wing and conservatives in West Pakistan, Bhutto and his allies won most of
2585-609: Was a victory for the Awami League, which gained an absolute majority, winning 160 of the 162 general seats and all seven women's seats in East Pakistan. The PPP won only 81 general seats and five women's seats, all in West Pakistan. In the provincial elections held ten days later, the Awami League again dominated in East Pakistan, while the PPP were the winning party in Punjab and Sindh . The Marxist National Awami Party emerged victorious in Northwest Frontier Province and Balochistan . The National Assembly
2640-512: Was abolished and four provinces were retrieved: Punjab , Sindh , Balochistan and the North-West Frontier Province . The principles of representation was made on the basis of population, and since East Pakistan had more people than the combined population of the four provinces of West Pakistan, the former got more than half seats in the National Assembly. Yahya Khan ignored reports that Sheikh Mujib planned to disregard
2695-493: Was at least equally efficacious. The only other district in which there is a non-Pathan element in the population in any way commensurate to that of Hazara is Dera Ismail Khan . The population here is mainly composed of tribes of Indian origin. Its conversion to Islam is of much later data; fanaticism does not exist, and no particular dislike to the Hindu seems to have existed." Similarly, adherents of Hinduism who belonged to
2750-528: Was established on 9 November 1901 from the north-western districts of the British Punjab , during the British Raj . Following the referendum in 1947 to join either Pakistan or India , the province voted hugely in favour of joining Pakistan and it acceded accordingly on 14 August 1947. It was dissolved to form a unified province of West Pakistan in 1955 upon promulgation of One Unit Scheme and
2805-511: Was initially not inaugurated as President Yahya Khan and the PPP chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did not want a party from East Pakistan in federal government. Instead, Yahya appointed the veteran Bengali politician Nurul Amin as Prime Minister , asking him to reach a compromise between the PPP and Awami League. However, this move failed as the delay in inauguration had already caused significant unrest in East Pakistan. The situation deteriorated further when Operation Searchlight occurred under
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#17327797319072860-514: Was largely a Hindu reformation in this way in a prehistoric period it absorbed the religion of the Scythian invaders of Northern India ; in this way it has converted educated Islam in India into a semi- paganism ; and in this way it is disposing of the reformed and once hopeful religion of Baba Nanak . Hinduism has embraced Sikhism in its folds; the still comparatively young religion is making
2915-480: Was not itself conclusively proven, it is known that Mujib and the Awami League had held secret meetings with Indian government officials in 1962 and after the 1965 war. This case led to an uprising in East Pakistan which consisted of a series of mass demonstrations and sporadic conflicts between the government forces and protesters. In West Pakistan , Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , who served as foreign minister under President Ayub Khan, resigned from his office and founded
2970-555: Was reestablished in 1970 . It was known by this name until 19 April 2010, when it was dissolved and redesignated as the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan , by President Asif Ali Zardari . The province covered an area of 70,709 km (27,301 sq mi), including much of the current Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province but excluding
3025-561: Was supported by the political leaders of West Pakistan, with the exception of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , and by the international community, including, reluctantly, India. However, the Mission was not supported by the military elements in the Yahya administration who debated acrimoniously over the scope of the mission's recommendations among the advisors in Yahya administration. By the fall of 1971,
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