| Ghulam Muhammad | |
| |
| In office 17 October 1951 – 6 October 1955 | |
| Prime Minister | Khawaja Nazimuddin, Muhammad Ali Bogra and Chaudhry Muhammad Ali |
|---|---|
| Monarch | George VI Elizabeth II |
| Preceded by | Khwaja Nazimuddin |
| Succeeded by | Iskander Mirza |
| In office 15 August 1947 – 19 October 1951 | |
| Prime Minister | Liaquat Ali Khan and Khawaja Nazimuddin |
| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | Chaudhry Muhammad Ali |
| Born | 20 April 1895 Lahore, Punjab |
| Died | September 12 1956 (aged 61) Lahore, Pakistan |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Malik Ghulam Muhammad (Urdu: ملک غلام محمد) served as Governor-General of Pakistan from 1951 until 1955, shortly before his death in 1956.
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Early life
Born in Lahore, Punjab in 1895, Ghulam Muhammad attended Aligarh Muslim University, after which he worked in the accounting field.
Political career
When Pakistan was formed in 1947, Ghulam Muhammad served as its first Finance Minister of Pakistan, owing to his experience in that sector. Suffering from bad health, Ghulam Muhammad was almost removed by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan. After Liaquat's assassination in 1951, Khawaja Nazimuddin became Prime Minister of Pakistan and Ghulam Muhammad was made the Governor-General. From this position Ghulam Muhammad extended his control over Pakistan. Nazimuddin challenged Ghulam Muhammad's actions, but the latter exercised the reserve powers of the Governor-General's office, dismissing Nazimuddin's government and effectively removing him from office. Muhammad Ali Bogra was installed as the new prime minister.
Governor-General
In 1954, the Assembly of Pakistan tried to change the constitution to establish checks on the Governor-General's powers. In response, Ghulam Muhammad dismissed the Assembly, an action that was challenged in the Supreme Court. Ghulam Muhammad emerged victorious when the Court upheld the dismissal in a split decision, despite the dissenting opinion written by the renowned Justice (later Chief Justice) A. R. Cornelius, and despite protests from the members of the Assembly. This action is now seen as the beginning of “viceregal” politics in Pakistan, in which the military and civil bureaucracy, not elected officials, govern the country and maintain substantial influence over society and the provinces.
Dismissed and Death
Ghulam Muhammad's health deteriorated, and he took a leave of absence in 1955. The acting Governor-General, Iskander Mirza, dismissed him, and Ghulam Muhammad died the next year in 1956.
| Preceded by Khawaja Nazimuddin | Governor-General of Pakistan 1951–1955 | Succeeded by Iskander Mirza |
