Ghulam Muhammad

Malik Ghulam Muhammad (1895 - 1956) served as Governor General of Pakistan from 1951 until 1955, shortly before his death. He is best known for his dismissal of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Khawaja Nazimuddin, setting a trend for future politics in Pakistan.

Born in Lahore, Ghulam Muhammad attended Aligarh University after which he worked in the accounting field. When Pakistan was formed in 1947, Ghulam Muhammad served as its first finance minister, owing to his previously-demonstrated extensive experience in that sector. Suffering from bad health, Ghulam Muhammad was almost removed by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, but the death of the latter gave Ghulam Muhammad the chance to increase his power.

Khawaja Nazimuddin became Prime Minister of Pakistan and Ghulam Muhammad was made the Governor General. From this position Ghulam Muhammad began to take power away from the Prime Minister, and 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 PM.

In 1954, the Assembly of Pakistan tried to change the constitution to establish checks on the Governor General's powers, in order to prevent a repeat of what had happened to Nazimuddin's government. 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.

Although Ghulam Muhammad prevailed against his political opponents, his health deteriorated, and he took a leave of absence in 1955. The acting Governor General, Iskander Mirza, soon dismissed him, and Ghulam Muhammad died the next year in 1956.