Muslim League

The All India Muslim League was a political party in British India and was the driving force behind the creation of Pakistan as a Muslim state from British India on the Indian subcontinent. After the independence of India and Pakistan, the League continued as a minor party in India, especially in Kerala, where it is often in government within a coalition with others. In Pakistan, the League formed the country's first government, but disintegrated during the 1950s following an army coup. A party using the name Muslim League, but with no organisational connection with the original League, is currently in government in Pakistan.

The League in Pakistan

In Pakistan, Jinnah became Governor-General, and another League leader, Liaquat Ali Khan became Prime Minister. But Jinnah died in September 1948 and Liaquat was assassinated in October 1951. Robbed of its two senior leaders, the League began to disintegrate. By 1953 dissensions within the League had led to the formation of several different political parties. Liaquat was succeeded by Khawaja Nazimuddin, a Bengali, who was forced from office in April 1953 by Ghulam Muhammad who found Khawaja Nazimuddin's proposed changes to Laws and poor handling of massacre of Ahmadis ,a religious minority group,unacceptable. Pakistan was racked by riots and famine, and at the first national elections in May 1955 (held by a system of indirect voting) the League was heavily defeated.

Related Topics:
Governor-General - Liaquat Ali Khan - 1948 - 1951 - 1953 - Khawaja Nazimuddin - Ghulam Muhammad - Ahmadi - 1955

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In October 1958 the Army seized power and the martial law regime of Muhammad Ayub Khan banned all political parties. This was the end of the old Muslim League. The name still held great prestige, however, and Ayub Khan later formed a new party, the Convention Muslim League. The opposition faction became known as the Council Muslim League. This latter group joined a united front with other political parties in 1967 in opposition to the regime. But when the military regime of Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan fell in December 1971, and Pakistan's first genuine free elections were held, both factions of the League were swept out of power, in West Pakistan by the Pakistan People's Party of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and in East Pakistan by the Awami League of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Related Topics:
1958 - Muhammad Ayub Khan - 1967 - Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan - 1971 - Pakistan People's Party - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto - Awami League - Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

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After the death of Pakistan's next dictator, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, in 1988, a new Muslim League was formed under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, but it had no connection with the original Muslim League. Sharif was Prime Minister from 1990 to 1993 and again from 1997 to 1999, when he was ousted in Pakistan's third military coup. At the stage-managed elections held by the military regime of Pervez Musharraf in October, five different parties using the name Muslim League contested seats. The largest of these, the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam), won 69 seats out of 272, and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), loyal to Nawaz Sharif, won 19 seats.

Related Topics:
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq - 1988 - Nawaz Sharif - 1990 - 1993 - 1997 - 1999 - Pervez Musharraf - Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) - Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)

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Current factions

• Pakistan Muslim League (J) ("Junejo group")
• Pakistan Muslim League (F) (aka Functional Muslim League or PML Pagara Group)
• Pakistan Muslim League (N) ("Nawaz group")
• Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (for Quaid-e-Azam; the party supporting Pervez Musharraf)
• Pakistan Muslim League (Z) ("Zia group")