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1958 Pakistani military coup | |||||||
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Part of the Military coups in Pakistan | |||||||
![]() Muhammad Ayub Khan, the architect of the coup | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Political views Elections
Political Affiliations Gallery: Picture, Sound, Video |
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The 1958 Pakistani military coup was the first military coup in Pakistan that took place on 27 October 1958. It resulted in the toppling of Iskandar Ali Mirza, the president of Pakistan, by Muhammad Ayub Khan, the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army.
On 7 October, Mirza abrogated the Constitution of Pakistan and declared martial law. There were a number of prime ministers between 1956 and 1958 and it reached a stage when General Ayub Khan felt the army should take control to restore stability. East Pakistan’s politicians wanted more say in the running of the central government, which increased tension. Iskander Mirza had lost the support of many of the leading politicians and was alarmed at a plan by Suhrawardy to unite the political leadership of Bengal and Punjab against him. Therefore he turned to Ayub Khan and the military for help.