Political History of Pakistan MCQs With Answers
Pakistan's political journey since 1947 has seen governors-general, presidents, prime ministers and martial laws, and each turn is examinable. These political history of Pakistan MCQs cover Quaid-e-Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Constituent Assembly and its dissolution, the Tamizuddin Khan case and the Doctrine of Necessity, the One Unit Scheme, Ayub Khan's Basic Democracies, the 1970 elections, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization and 1984 referendum, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif's governments and their dismissals, the Musharraf era, and the 2022 no-confidence vote. They are ideal for CSS, PMS, PPSC and FPSC candidates.
Take a scored quiz instead →Who was Pakistan’s first Governor-General?
- Muhammad Ali Jinnah served as Pakistan's first Governor-General from independence in 1947 until his death in September 1948.
- He is also known as Quaid-e-Azam.
Who was Pakistan’s first Prime Minister?
- Liaquat Ali Khan, a close associate of Jinnah, became Pakistan's first Prime Minister upon independence.
- He was a close associate of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
- He is honored with the title Quaid-e-Millat.
What title is given to Liaquat Ali Khan?
- Liaquat Ali Khan is honored with the title "Quaid-e-Millat" (Leader of the Nation) for his role in the founding and early governance of Pakistan.
- The title means Leader of the Nation.
- He is recognized for his role in Pakistan's early governance.
In which year did construction of Islamabad begin?
A commission recommended the site for the new capital in 1959, the Greek planner Constantinos Doxiadis prepared the master plan in 1960, and construction began in 1961.
Rawalpindi served as the interim capital until government offices moved to Islamabad in the late 1960s.
On what date did Quaid-e-Azam pass away?
- Quaid-e-Azam passed away on 11 September 1948 in Karachi, just over a year after Pakistan's independence.
- He died in Karachi, just over a year after independence.
- His mausoleum, Mazar-e-Quaid, is located in Karachi.
On what date was Liaquat Ali Khan assassinated?
- Pakistan's first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, was assassinated on 16 October 1951 while addressing a public meeting in Rawalpindi.
- He was shot while addressing a public meeting.
- The event took place in Rawalpindi.
What is the Rawalpindi park where Liaquat Ali Khan was killed now called?
- The park where Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated was renamed "Liaquat Bagh" in his memory.
- It was renamed in his memory.
- It remains a well-known public park in Rawalpindi.
Who was Pakistan’s first President under the 1956 Constitution?
- Iskander Mirza, who had earlier served as Governor-General, became Pakistan's first President when the 1956 Constitution came into effect.
- He had earlier served as Governor-General.
- His term ended after the 1958 martial law.
In which year was Pakistan’s first martial law imposed?
- Pakistan's first martial law was imposed in October 1958, when President Iskander Mirza abrogated the 1956 Constitution, with General Ayub Khan taking control shortly after.
- President Iskander Mirza abrogated the constitution.
- General Ayub Khan took
Who was Pakistan’s first female Prime Minister?
- Benazir Bhutto became Pakistan's (and the Muslim world's) first female Prime Minister in 1988.
- She served two separate terms in office.
- She was the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority country.
Who became President of Pakistan after the 1971 war?
- Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became President in December 1971 and later Prime Minister after the adoption of the 1973 Constitution.
- He led the Pakistan Peoples Party.
In which year did General Zia-ul-Haq take power?
- General Ziaul Haq took power in a military coup in July 1977, beginning over a decade of military rule.
- He took power through a military coup.
- His rule lasted over a decade.
In which year did General Musharraf take power?
- General Pervez Musharraf took power in a military coup in October 1999, later becoming President of Pakistan.
- He took power through a military coup.
- He later became President of Pakistan.
Who was Chief Minister of undivided Bengal (1946–47) and later Prime Minister of Pakistan (1956–57)?
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was Chief Minister of Bengal from 1946 to 1947 and Prime Minister of Pakistan from September 1956 to October 1957.
Khawaja Nazimuddin had also been Chief Minister (Premier) of Bengal, in 1943–45, before becoming Prime Minister in 1951–53, which is why the dates matter.
Who succeeded Jinnah as Governor-General in 1948?
- Khawaja Nazimuddin succeeded Jinnah as Governor-General in 1948, later also serving as Prime Minister.
- He later also served as Prime Minister.
- His succession followed Jinnah's death.
Which party did Zulfikar Ali Bhutto found in 1967?
- The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), founded in Lahore in 1967 under the slogan "Roti, Kapra aur Makan" (Bread, Clothing, and Shelter), became a major political force, particularly in Sindh, and has since been led by successive generations of the Bhutto family.
- It has been especially strong in Sindh and parts of Punjab.
Which party was led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman?
- The Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won an overwhelming majority of East Pakistan's seats in the 1970 general election.
- The political crisis over forming a government afterward contributed directly to the events that led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Which religious-political party did Maulana Maududi found in 1941?
- Jamaat-e-Islami was founded by the Islamic scholar and thinker Maulana Abul Ala Maududi in Lahore in 1941, several years before Pakistan's creation.
- It has remained an influential ideological and political organization, with a structured cadre-based membership system.
- The party has a structured cadre-based membership system.
Who was Pakistan’s first Law Minister?
- Jogendra Nath Mandal, a prominent Hindu Dalit leader who supported the Pakistan Movement, served as Pakistan's first Law Minister and Minister for Labour in Jinnah's cabinet, reflecting the initial vision of Pakistan as inclusive of religious minorities in governance.
- He supported the Pakistan Movement despite being Hindu.
Who was Prime Minister when the first constitution was passed?
- Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, previously a senior civil servant and Finance Minister, became Prime Minister in 1955 and oversaw the passage of the 1956 Constitution, which formally established Pakistan as an Islamic Republic.
- He was a former civil servant before entering politics.
What indirect election system did Ayub Khan introduce?
- The "Basic Democracies" system created a tiered structure of 80,000 elected local representatives ("Basic Democrats"), who served both local governance functions and as an electoral college for presidential and assembly elections, replacing direct universal suffrage for those offices.
- It replaced direct universal suffrage for these offices.
What made the 1970 general election historically significant?
- It was held under President Yahya Khan.
- Every adult could vote directly for the National Assembly.
- The crisis after its results contributed to the 1971 war.
Which building hosted Pakistan’s first Constituent Assembly?
- The Sindh Assembly Building in Karachi hosted sessions of Pakistan's first Constituent Assembly in the early years after independence, before the capital and legislative activities later shifted toward Islamabad.
- Sessions later shifted mainly toward Islamabad.
Who dismissed Benazir Bhutto’s government in 1990?
- President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed Benazir Bhutto's first government in August 1990, citing corruption and mismanagement allegations, using the discretionary dissolution powers granted to the President under the 8th Amendment's Article 58(2)(b).
- This was allowed under Article 58(2)(b) of the Constitution.
Who dismissed Benazir Bhutto’s second government in 1996?
- President Farooq Leghari dismissed Benazir Bhutto's second government in November 1996, again citing allegations of corruption and mismanagement, continuing a pattern of presidential dismissals that characterized much of the 1990s political era.
- Corruption allegations were cited both times.
Which Prime Minister was dismissed in 1993 by Ghulam Ishaq Khan?
- President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government in April 1993; following a Supreme Court restoration of the government and continued political deadlock, both the President and Prime Minister eventually resigned, leading to fresh elections.
- The Supreme Court later restored the government briefly.
Who was Pakistan’s first Finance Minister?
- Malik Ghulam Muhammad served as Pakistan's first Finance Minister in Jinnah's initial cabinet, later going on to serve as Governor-General from 1951 to 1955.
- He later also served as Governor-General.
Which city is Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s birthplace?
- Larkana, located in northern Sindh, is closely associated with the Bhutto family, being the location of their ancestral estate and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's final resting place at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.
- His final resting place is nearby at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.
What did the 1955 One Unit Scheme do?
- It combined Punjab, Sindh, KP, and Balochistan.
- It aimed to balance representation against East Pakistan.
- It was reversed in 1970.
Who was the first President of Pakistan’s first Constituent Assembly?
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was elected President of the first Constituent Assembly on 11 August 1947, the day he gave his famous address on the equal rights of citizens.
After his death, Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan became its President in 1948; Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad dissolved the Assembly in 1954.
Why was the first Constituent Assembly dissolved in 1954?
- Its dissolution was challenged in the Tamizuddin Khan case.
- The Assembly had not yet finished drafting the constitution.
- A new Assembly was later formed to complete the task.
What constitutional issue did the Tamizuddin Khan case address?
- It challenged the Governor-General's 1954 dissolution order.
- It became an early test of judicial review in Pakistan.
- The case remains significant in constitutional history.
What 1958 doctrine justified extra-constitutional government changes?
- The "Doctrine of Necessity," first articulated in the Supreme Court's 1958 ruling in the Dosso case, was subsequently invoked on several occasions in Pakistan's history to provide judicial justification for extra-constitutional changes of government, a legal approach that later Pakistani courts explicitly moved away from.
- It was first used in the Dosso case.
Who was Pakistan’s first Interior Minister?
- Pakistan's initial cabinet under Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan distributed key portfolios, including interior affairs, among senior Muslim League leaders, reflecting the effort to represent different regions and constituencies within the new government's early leadership.
- Cabinet portfolios were spread among senior League leaders.
Who was Pakistan’s third Prime Minister?
- Muhammad Ali Bogra, a career diplomat, served as Pakistan's Prime Minister from 1953 to 1955, a period marked by significant political instability and constitutional negotiations in the country's early years.
- His term saw notable political instability.
What was Pakistan’s status from 1947 to 1956?
- The British monarch was nominally represented locally.
- This ended when Pakistan became a republic in 1956.
- Dominion status was common among newly independent Commonwealth nations.
In which year did Ayub Khan first take power?
General Muhammad Ayub Khan became Chief Martial Law Administrator when President Iskander Mirza declared martial law on 7 October 1958, and took over the presidency himself on 27 October 1958.
He ruled until March 1969, when he handed power to General Yahya Khan.
In which year did Ayub Khan hand power to Yahya Khan?
- Ayub Khan resigned and handed over power to General Yahya Khan in March 1969, amid widespread political unrest and demands for his resignation across both wings of the country.
In which year did Zia-ul-Haq hold his Islamization referendum?
- General Zia-ul-Haq held a referendum in December 1984 that combined a vote on his continuation as President with a question about Islamization policies, a format that was widely criticized by opposition parties as designed to produce a favorable outcome
What broad policy is Zia-ul-Haq’s rule most associated with?
- It included the Hudood Ordinances of 1979.
- It brought major changes to criminal and family law.
- His rule lasted over a decade.
In which year did Zia-ul-Haq die in a plane crash?
- General Zia-ul-Haq died on 17 August 1988 when his aircraft crashed near Bahawalpur, an event that remains subject to various theories regarding its cause, and it paved the way for the restoration of civilian democratic government later that year.
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In which year did Musharraf hold his presidential referendum?
- General Pervez Musharraf held a referendum in April 2002 seeking public endorsement for a five-year extension of his presidency, a vote that, similar to the 1984 referendum, faced significant criticism regarding its conduct and framing.
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What was the National Reconciliation Ordinance of 2007?
The National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), issued by President Pervez Musharraf in October 2007, withdrew corruption and other cases filed against politicians and officials between 1986 and 1999. The Supreme Court declared it void on 16 December 2009.
In which year did Musharraf resign as President?
- General Pervez Musharraf resigned as President in August 2008, facing the prospect of impeachment proceedings initiated by the coalition government that had come to power following the 2008 general elections.
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Which Pakistani leader served as PM three separate times?
- Nawaz Sharif has served as Prime Minister of Pakistan on three separate occasions (1990-93, 1997-99, and 2013-17), the most of any individual in Pakistan's political history to date.
Which Pakistani leader served as PM twice between 1988-1996?
- Benazir Bhutto served as Prime Minister on two separate occasions, from 1988-1990 and again from 1993-1996, becoming the first woman to lead a Muslim-majority country as head of government, before her assassination in December 2007 during a subsequent e
On which date in 1952 did police fire on Bengali Language Movement protesters in Dhaka?
On 21 February 1952 police fired on students in Dhaka who were demanding that Bengali be made a state language alongside Urdu, killing several of them.
The day is now observed worldwide as International Mother Language Day (UNESCO), and Bengali was recognised as a state language in the 1956 Constitution.
In which year were Urdu and Bengali both made national languages?
- Pakistan's first Constitution of 1956 recognized both Urdu and Bengali as national languages, addressing a central demand of the Bengali Language Movement, though broader political and economic tensions between East and West Pakistan continued to develo
Which language did the 1952 Language Movement seek recognition for?
- The 1952 Language Movement demanded recognition of Bengali as an official language alongside Urdu.
- It began in East Pakistan and led to major protests.
- Protests began among students in Dhaka.
Who administered the oath of office to Quaid-e-Azam as Pakistan’s first Governor-General?
- The ceremony took place on 14 August 1947 in Karachi.
- He later became the first Chief Justice of Pakistan.
- This marked the formal transfer of power.
Who was Pakistan’s first woman Governor of a province?
- She served as Governor of Sindh.
- She was the widow of Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan's first Prime Minister.
- She was also active in founding the All-Pakistan Women's Association.
What was the outcome of the Hamoodur Rahman Commission, established after the 1971 war?
- It examined military and political failures leading to the loss of East Pakistan.
- Its full findings remained classified for many years.
- Portions of the report were leaked and published later.
Who succeeded Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as Prime Minister after the 1977 military coup?
- Zia-ul-Haq suspended the constitution after the coup.
- Bhutto was later tried and executed in 1979.
- Zia ruled Pakistan until his death in 1988.
Who was PM under Zia after 1985 civilian rule resumed?
- He was appointed following non-party elections in 1985.
- His government was later dismissed by Zia in 1988.
- His tenure came just before Zia's death later that year.
Who was President right after Zia’s death in 1988?
- He was Senate Chairman at the time of Zia's death.
- Under the Constitution, he assumed the presidency.
- He later dismissed Benazir Bhutto's government in 1990.
Who served as President of Pakistan during Nawaz Sharif’s second term, before the 1999 coup?
Muhammad Rafiq Tarar became President on 1 January 1998, during Nawaz Sharif's second term, succeeding Farooq Leghari, who had resigned in December 1997.
Tarar stayed in office after the October 1999 coup until 20 June 2001, when General Pervez Musharraf, then Chief Executive, took over the presidency.
Which Pakistani Prime Minister was removed from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022?
- This was the first time a Pakistani PM was removed this way and completed the process.
- Shehbaz Sharif was elected as his successor.
- The vote followed a period of political and economic tension.
Which of the following was one of the two women members of Pakistan’s first Constituent Assembly (1947)?
Begum Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah and Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz were the two women members of Pakistan's first Constituent Assembly.
Shaista Ikramullah was also a writer and later served as Pakistan's ambassador to Morocco.