Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan

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Ayub Khan, Muhammad (b. 14 May 1907, d. 19 Apr. 1974). President of Pakistan 1958–69 Born in Rehana (North-West Frontier Provinces) as the son of a junior officer in the British Indian Army, he went to study at Aligarh University, and then joined the Army. After spending a couple of years at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the British Indian Army in 1928. After distinguished service in World War II, he was given command of the military forces of East Bengal (later Bangladesh) in 1948 and in 1950 was appointed to become the first Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army. He found it difficult to gain political support to carry out the military reforms he considered necessary. As Minister of Defence 1954–6 he became further disillusioned with the political process, and concluded that Pakistan was not ripe for a full working democracy. On 7 October 1958 he forced the President, Iskandar Mirza, to impose order through martial law, with himself taking effective power as Chief Martial Law Administrator. He then assumed the presidency shortly afterwards, on 27 October 1958. With considerable public support, he instituted a system of ‘basic democracies’ through the 1962 constitution, whereby political activity was encouraged at the local level through the creation of union councils in the villages, while democracy in national politics was largely abolished. Thriving on large amounts of US aid, the stability which he created for a decade spurred economic growth. However, his popularity was shattered by the country's failure to win a costly Indo-Pakistan War in 1965. Increasingly confronted by demonstrations and an opposition movement led by Zulfikar Bhutto, and weakened by personal illness, he was persuaded by the military to resign in favour of General Yahya Khan.

Yahya Khan, Agha Mohammed (b. 4 Feb. 1917, d. 8 Aug. 1980). President of Pakistan 1969–71 Born in Peshawar, he was educated at Punjab University and the Indian Military Academy, whereupon he served in the Indian army on the North-West Frontier, in the Middle East, and in Italy. He returned to create the Pakistan Staff College in 1947. A protégé of Ayub Khan, he assisted in the 1958 coup, commanded the Pakistan army in the 1965 war with India, and in 1966 became Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan army. As such he was chief administrator of martial law. In 1969 he used his mentor's unpopularity to replace him as President. In response to growing protests in East Pakistan, he reversed his predecessor's 1962 constitution and offered elections with an equal vote in both parts of Pakistan. This backfired, however, and led to an overall majority for the East Pakistan Awami League, and ultimately for independence for East Pakistan as Bangladesh, after a bloody civil war. This made his position untenable, and forced him to resign in favour of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan , 1917–80, Pakistani general and president (1969–71). He fought with the British in World War II, and rose through the Pakistan army following independence, becoming chief of the general staff (1957–62) and helping to bring General Ayub Khan to power. Yahya Khan performed well during the 1965 war with India, and in 1966 became commander in chief of the army. Economic problems and disputes between East and West Pakistan led to Ayub Khan's resignation and his replacement as president by Yahya Khan in 1969. The imposition of martial law failed to curb domestic unrest, and civil war between East and West Pakistan broke out in 1971. The defeat of Pakistan's army and the ultimate independence of the east as Bangladesh (see also India-Pakistan Wars ) caused him to resign in late 1971. He was succeeded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto .