ISKANDER MIRZA: A MALIGNANT DESCENDANT OF MIR JAFAR

My Comments on ISKANDER MIRZA: A MALIGNANT DESCENDANT OF MIR JAFAR

I would like to extend my thanks for posting this interesting article
("The Last Scion of Mir Jafar" by Khaled Ahmed) on the memoir of
Humayun Mirza. Although Iskander Mirza's name lives on infamy for his
conniving and treacherous role in Pakistan's history, (to the best of
my knowledge)there hardly exists any exhaustive book on the life of
this ruthless ruler of Pakistan. From that perspective, Humayun Mirza's
book on his infamous father is welcome. I have not yet read Humayun
Mirza's book ("From Pallasey to Pakistan"). Therefore, I will refarain
from commenting on the contents of the book at this time. (However,
after seeing Mr. NDATTA's post, I have already placed an order for the
book. May be I will write a critical review of the book).

ISKANDER MIRZA was a malignant descendent of MIR JAFOR (ALI KHAN).
Humayun Mirza's book has validated the long held belief that ISKANDER
MIRZA was a direct descendant of MIR jafor. He was literally banished
in October, 1958 from the political scene of Pakistan by General Ayub
Khan, his hand-picked Commander-in- Chief of Pakistan Army. There is no
doubt that Ayub Khan would have staged a COUP, sooner or later. There
is also no doubt in my mind that AYUB KHAN was the FOUNDER of a
Military Dictatorship in Pakistan. Yet, it needs to recognized that
General Ayub Khan was pampered by Iskander Mirza much before October,
1958. As the most powerful Defense Secretary of Pakistan, Iskander
Mirza had always favored General Ayub Khan. Both of them served in the
so-called "Talent Cabinet" of Ghulam Muhammad (Bogra Mohammad Ali was
the prime Minister).

In fact, Ayub Khan was brought into the political
scene of Pakistan as the Chief Martial Law Administrator on October 7,
1958, by Iskander Mirza, the then President of Pakistan. The Martial
Law was declared by Iskander Mirza. It was Iskander Mirza who had
abrogated the Constitution. It was this very dirty politician who had
up-rooted the politicians from the political scene of Pakistan. It was
Iskander Mirza who gave the much needed legitimacy to Ayub Khan to
declare Pakistan a "Polity" without "Politics." The ouster of Iskander
Mirza from the Presidency and the country by Ayub Khan within three
weeks on October 27, 1958 was nothing but an inevitable outcome of Mir
Jafar style treachery committed by a conniving ISKANDER MIRZA.
Therefore, Iskander Mirza's dirty trick and treachery paved the way for
the introduction of military dictatorship in Pakistan.

In an article on the authoriarian rulers of Pakistan (can be found in
DEJA.COM archives under my full name), I made the following
observations on Iskander Mirza: "Ghulam Mohammad’s successors (Iskander
Mirza, Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan) also demonstrated their insatiable
passion for ruthless authoritarianism and centralized mode of
governance. Of all the notorious political characters, it was ISKANDER
MIRZA who had formally invited the military take-over of Pakistan
Government. What was the making of Iskander Mirza? What were his
accomplishments? What was his mode of governance? What were the main
features of 1956 Constitution? How did he treat the Prime
Ministers during his tenure first as Governor General and later as the
President of Pakistan? How did he abrogate the 1956 Constitution and
introduce Martial Law in October 1958 ?" I hope that Humayun Mirza's
book on his father and their family history have dealt with some of
these questions.

Although Iskander Mirza had Bengal connection through the Nawabi
heritasge of MIR JAFAR, he was allergic to anything to do with Bengali
heriatge. Unfortunately,he was sent to East Bengal as the Governor in
1954 to unseat and demean an elected Government. I wrote in the same
article: "The worst brunt of Governor General’s unlimited power fell on
Bangalees when Ghulam Mohammad had summarily dismissed the elected
provincial Government of Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Huq in East Bengal in
1954. After dismantling the Huq’s United Front Cabinet, Ghulam
Mohammad promulgated the Governor’s rule in East Bengal through the use
of infamous Article 92 (A), an instrument enacted during Jinnah’s
tenure as Governor General. (Jinnah had also used 92-(A) provision to
oust the Prime Ministers of both Sind and West Punjab)."

As the Governor of East Bengal, Iskander Mirza had terrorized the
legitimate political scene of the province. Thousands of political
leaders and activists, including elected members of the provincial
assembly, were put behind bar without trial. Political meetings were
banned and civil liberties were suspended throughout East Bengal.

In the same article, I noted the following: "The way the Governor
General (GHULAM MOHAMMAD) had scolded and reprimanded the incumbent
Prime Minister of Pakistan (Mohammad Ali Bogra) was less than civilized
or dignified. Yet, the prestigious position of Prime Minister was more
preferable to Mohammad Ali Bogra than to be satisfied with a sense of
self-respect and dignity. Although he was allowed to retain his title
as Prime Minister, a new cabinet was formed by Ghulam Mohammad on
October 24, 1954. That Cabinet included, among others, General Ayub
Khan, the Commander Chief of Armed Forces (took over Defense Ministry),
Iskander Mirza, Governor of East Pakistan, (became Minster of
Interior), Choudhri Muhammad Ali (Finance) and Dr. Khan Shahib. (To
the chagrin of many Bangalee leaders, H.S. Suhrawardy had joined the so-
called talent- cabinet in December 1954 as Law Minister. He, however,
resigned from the cabinet in August 1955]."

In another segment of the same article, I underscored Iskander Mirza's
specialization on cliques and tricks: "Some more serious changes in the
political leadership of Pakistan also took place at that time. Given
the fact that Ghulam Mohammad was seriously ill since late 1954,
Iskander Mirza was acting as Governor General when the Governor General
decided to take leave for treatment. Of all the cabinet members, Ghulam
Mohammad had trusted Iskander Mirza to be officiating as Governor
General during his absence! Iskander Mirza, a master of cliques and
tricks, had devised a blueprint to oust the Governor General. It was on
August 11, 1955 when Iskander Mirza unceremoniously replaced Governor
General Ghulam Mohammad in office."

Hopefully,Humayun Mirza's book deals with these relevant issues
questions with which his father was associated. It is important to see
how the son of an indecent ruler has evaluated his father's betrayal
with the people, future, and Constitution of a new nation. Thanks for
your time. W.Zaman Manik (January 18, 2001)

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===

I have now a copy of Humayu Mirza's book "From Plassey to Pakistan." I
am reading this book with great care. Hopefully, I will get back to you
on this thread. In the meantime, following comments from ARDESHIR
COWASJEE's article titled "SHAME" can be of some relevance to this
thread:

(THE DAILY STAR, January 22, 2001)

Shame

Ardeshir Cowasjee writes from Karachi

"--------------- Back in time to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Aspiring
politicians all over the world, even in sanctimonious Great Britain,
wield flattery as a powerful weapon with which to worm their way
upwards. For instance, as Richard Crossman, Labour MP and a Wykhemist
to boot, used to say, "The way to become a minister is either to lick
the arses of the leadership or kick them in the political goolies."
(This was quoted by Dalyell's biography of Crossman.) Few can be more
adept at the art of flattery than was ZAB.

Rising young star ZAB in 1958 wrote a letter to President Iskander
Mirza, by whom he had been sent as chairman of a delegation to the UN
Conference on the Law of the Sea held at Geneva: "I would like to take
this opportunity to reassure you of my imperishable and devoted loyalty
to you. Exactly four months before the death of my late father, he had
advised me to remain steadfastly loyal to you, as you were not an
individual but an institution'.

"For the greater good of my country, I feel that your services to
Pakistan are indispensable. When the history of our country is written
by objective historians your name will be placed before that of even Mr
Jinnah. Sir, I say this because I mean it and not because you are the
president of my country."

It worked. When Iskander and Ayub took over on October 7, 1958,
Zulfikar was sworn in as a full-fledged minister in the first martial
law cabinet.

Being a thoroughbred political animal, flip-floppy and of little
character, he realized where power lay and, despite the fact that it
was Iskander who was responsible for his rise, stayed on with Ayub Khan
after Iskander was deposed and sent into exile. He ingratiated himself
to such an extent that Ayub fondly referred to him as his fifth son.

In 1976, in the fifth year of his rule over what was left of Pakistan,
in a note to the chief of army staff on the subject of 'the elevation
of General Ayub to the rank of Field Marshal', he claimed full credit
for the master-stroke. In 1959, Ayub was apparently worried about the
intrigues and ambitions of certain of his generals. It was ZAB who then
advised, 'rather cynically' he said in his note, that since it was
essential that Ayub be 'head and shoulders above the others' he should
elevate his rank to that of Field Marshal, which Ayub Khan did soon
after. Proudly he wrote "I am therefore the hero of Ayub Khan's
valorous battles. Of course, the object of this note is not to
dismantle the man. Some of us can still refer to him with respect. I am
only setting the record straight." Hypocrite? All of this is rather
horrid and disgusting."

(THE DAILY STAR, January 22, 2001)


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