For a flat reference list of every leader with exact dates and exit method, see Heads of State & Government of Pakistan (1947–2026): Full List & How Each Left Office.

20-Mark Answer Outline (quick structure)

1. Intro — recurring cycle: civilian rule → crisis → military takeover → partial restoration
2. Era-by-era timeline (use headers below as sub-points)
3. Recurring themes (civil-military imbalance, Doctrine of Necessity, constitutional instability)
4. Conclusion — link cycle to Pakistan's institutional weakness argument

Era 1: Founding & Early Instability (1947–1958)

Quaid-e-Azam as Governor-General (1947–48)

• Jinnah took Governor-General role, not PM — near-supreme authority
• Faced: refugee resettlement, Kashmir war (1947–48), split administrative machinery, financial assets dispute with India
• Died 11 September 1948 — just over a year post-independence
• Left early leadership vacuum

Liaquat Ali Khan era (1947–51)

• First Prime Minister
• Passed Objectives Resolution (12 March 1949)
  • Declared sovereignty belongs to Allah
  • State exercises it as sacred trust
  • Blended Islamic + democratic principles
  • Became preamble to all later constitutions
• Assassinated 16 October 1951, Rawalpindi
• First major political shock — began pattern of unresolved political killings

Liaquat's Cold War Alignment & the Crackdown on the Left (1950–51)

Tilt Toward the US (Cause)