Ayub Khan — Pakistan’s First Military Ruler Who Became Commander-in-Chief, Prime Minister, and President
There are some truths in history that rest quietly in the pages of books and official documents. They remain hidden from the public eye, awaiting discovery by those who devote themselves to research. Many episodes of Pakistan’s political evolution fall into this category — where public perception often differs from the complex realities buried in archives. Among such historical realities lies the multifaceted career of one of Pakistan’s most powerful, and to some extent controversial, figures — Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan.
Most Pakistanis remember him as the first military ruler of Pakistan, the man who imposed the country’s first Martial Law and later became its President. Yet few realize that, for a time, Ayub Khan also held the office of Prime Minister, making him one of the rare individuals in Pakistan’s history to simultaneously embody military, executive, and political authority.
Born on May 14, 1907, in the village of Rehana, District Haripur (then part of the North-West Frontier Province), Ayub Khan joined the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1926 and was commissioned into the British Indian Army on February 2, 1928. His steady rise through the ranks reflected his discipline and administrative capability. When Pakistan came into being in 1947, Ayub Khan was among the senior-most Muslim officers in the Indian Army, chosen by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan to help shape the command of the newly created Pakistan Army.
On January 17, 1951, Ayub Khan was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army, succeeding General Sir Douglas Gracey — the last British officer to hold that position. This appointment made Ayub Khan the first Pakistani to command the national army. His tenure lasted until October 27, 1958, a period during which he gradually emerged as a dominant player in Pakistan’s civil-military power structure.
The turning point came on October 7, 1958, when President Iskander Mirza abrogated the 1956 Constitution, dissolved the national and provincial assemblies, and imposed Martial Law across the country. General Ayub Khan was appointed Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA), gaining sweeping powers to govern.
According to the Gazette of Pakistan dated October 27, 1958,
“President Iskander Mirza has been pleased this twenty-seventh day of October 1958, to appoint General Mohammad Ayub Khan, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Pakistan and Chief Martial Law Administrator, to be the Prime Minister… the said General Mohammad Ayub Khan has taken upon himself the execution of the office of the Prime Minister in the forenoon of this twenty-seventh day of October 1958.”
Alongside, the President appointed a cabinet including Lt. General Mohammad Azam Khan, Lt. General W.A. Burki, Mr. Mohammad Ibrahim, Lt. General K.M. Sheikh, Mr. Abdul Qasim Khan, Khan F.M. Khan, Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Mr. Muhammad Hafizur Rahman as ministers.
But soon after, on the same night of October 27, 1958, Ayub Khan assumed the presidency himself. As official archives record:
“Major General Iskander Mirza, lately President of Pakistan, has relinquished his office and handed over all powers to me, General Mohammad Ayub Khan… I have forthwith assumed the said office of President and have taken upon myself the exercise of the said power and all other powers enabling me in this behalf.”
Thus began an unprecedented concentration of power — Ayub Khan became President, Prime Minister, Commander-in-Chief, and Chief Martial Law Administrator simultaneously.
As President (1958–1969), Ayub Khan introduced sweeping administrative and economic reforms. His era, often described as the “Decade of Development,” saw rapid growth in agriculture, manufacturing, and education. The construction of Mangla and Tarbela Dams, establishment of new universities, and promotion of the Green Revolution marked visible progress. Yet, his policies also widened the economic gap between regions, particularly between East and West Pakistan.
In 1962, Ayub Khan promulgated a new Constitution, replacing the parliamentary system with a presidential form of government that concentrated power in his own office. From then until his resignation in 1969, Ayub ruled both constitutionally and executively.
However, power and popularity seldom walk together. Growing political awareness, regional disparities, and opposition movements led by Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah and later Zulfikar Ali Bhutto eroded Ayub’s legitimacy. By early 1969, mass protests and unrest forced him to resign on March 25, 1969, handing power to General Yahya Khan.
After his resignation, Ayub Khan retired to private life and passed away on April 19, 1974. He was buried in his native village of Rehana, where his grave remains a reminder of a man who rose from humble beginnings to the highest offices of the state.
For some, Ayub Khan remains the builder of modern Pakistan — a visionary who brought order, infrastructure, and industrial growth. For others, he is the architect of military dominance in politics and the initiator of a recurring pattern in Pakistan’s governance.
The lesser-known fact of his simultaneous control as President, Prime Minister, and Army Chief reveals the true extent of his authority — an era when one man governed Pakistan politically, militarily, and administratively.
Studying Ayub Khan’s rule is not merely about judging a single leader’s ambition — it is about understanding Pakistan’s recurring struggle between democracy and discipline, between elected representation and guided leadership.
In revisiting these chapters of history, we are reminded that facts often lie beyond popular memory. They wait to be rediscovered — not to glorify or condemn, but to understand how nations are shaped by the personalities who lead them, for better or for worse.
Muhammad Mohsin Iqbal serves as the Director General (Research) at the National Assembly Secretariat, Parliament House, Islamabad. With extensive experience in legislative research and policy analysis.
