Pakistan Politics and Pakistan Army from 1947-71.

During the period of 1947-71, the Muslim League was initially dominated by the refugees from Muslim minority provinces and later in the era of Pathan General Ayoub Khan Convention Muslim League by a combination of Punjabi Muslims and civil-military bureaucrats. The Bengalis were alienated first because of the National language issue created by the Sindhi Governor-General of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Urdu Speaking Hindustani Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan, later because of the constitutional representation issue.

The Bengalis were initially patriotic and only demanded linguistic equality and had even agreed to political parity in 1956. This arrangement was seriously disturbed once Pathan General Ayoub Khan usurped political power in 1958.

Immediately after independence, the founder of the nation, Mr. Jinnah made an attempt to broaden the army’s recruitment base by ordering the raising of the East Bengal Regiment in 1948. This was a purely political decision taken by Mr. Jinnah and implemented by a British C in C. By December 1948 two battalions of this unit composed of Bengali Muslims had been raised. This process was, however, discontinued once Pathan General Ayoub Khan an intellectually naive and tactically timid man became the Pakistan Army’s C in C in 1951.

Pathan General Ayoub Khan was biased against having Bengalis in the army. During his tenure, an unwritten policy of not raising any more Bengali infantry battalions was followed. Pathan General Ayoub Khan also retired the most promising Bengali officer Major General Majeed soon after taking over.

The East Bengal Regiment was limited to two units and the expanded Pakistan Army remained a largely Punjabi dominated army. The irony of the whole affair was the fact that during this entire period all the army chiefs were Non-Punjabi!

In any case, this was the first serious negation of the concept of having a national army. The Army was on the other hand firstly viewed as a Punjabi Army in the East Wing. Secondly and far worse; it was viewed as an organization designed primarily for the defense of the West Wing.