West Pakistan

The province of **West Pakistan** was created on 14 October 1955 by the merger of the provinces, states and tribal areas of the western wing. The province was composed of twelve divisions and the provincial capital was established at Lahore. The province of East Bengal was renamed East Pakistan with the provincial capital at Dacca. The federal government moved in 1959 from Karachi to Rawalpindi (provisional capital until Islamabad was finished), whilst the federal legislature moved to DACCA.

West Pakistan formed a block whose people seemed homogeneous (similar to each other). However, the new region included people of different ethnicities and languages. The "One Unit Policy" was regarded as a rational administrative reform which would reduce spending and eliminate provincial prejudices. However with the military coup of 1958, trouble loomed for the province when the office of Chief Minister was abolished and the President took over executive powers for West Pakistan. The province of West Pakistan was dissolved in July 1970 by President Yahya Khan.

General elections held in December 1970 saw the Awami League under Mujibur Rahman win an overall majority of seats in parliament (all but two of the 162 seats allocated to East Pakistan). The Awami League advocated greater autonomy (or self-rule) for East Pakistan, but the military government did not permit Mujibur Rahman to form a government.

Stamp showing both the East and west divisions of Pakistan Before the secession of Bangladesh. On March 25th 1971, West Pakistan began a civil war to subdue the democratic victory of East Pakistanis. This began the war between the Pakistani military and the Mukhti Bahini. The resulting refugee crisis led to the intervention by India, eventually leading to the surrender of the Pakistani Army. East Pakistan suffered a genocide of its Bengali population. East Pakistan became the independent state of Bangladesh on December 16, 1971. The term West Pakistan became redundant.

## Related pages

- Dominion of Pakistan

## Infobox (former subdivision)

- **conventional long name**: West Pakistan
- **native name**:
 পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান
- **common name**: West Pakistan
- **image coat**: Emblem of West Pakistan (green version).svg
- **symbol type**: Provincial emblem
- **image map**: West Pakistan Map.gif
- **government type**: Provincial Government
- **capital**:

- **legislature**: List of Speakers of the West Pakistan Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly
Supreme Court of Pakistan, High Court
- **title leader**: List of Chief Ministers in Pakistan, Chief Ministers
- **leader1**: Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan, Abdul Jabbar Khan
- **year leader1**: 1955–1957
- **leader2**: Sardar Abdur Rashid Khan, Abdur Rashid Khan
- **year leader2**: 1957–1958
- **leader3**: Muzaffar Ali Khan Qizilbash, Muzaffar Ali Qizilbash
- **year leader3**: 1958
- **title deputy**: List of Governors of Pakistan, Governors
- **deputy1**: Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani
- **year deputy1**: 1955–1957
- **deputy2**: Akhter Husain
- **year deputy2**: 1957–1970
- **era**: Cold War
- **event start**: One Unit, Established
- **date start**: 14 October
- **year start**: 1955
- **date end**: 1 July
- **year end**: 1970
- **p1**: West Punjab**1955:**
West Punjab
- **flag p1**: Flag of Punjab.svg
- **p2**: Sind Province (1936–55)Sind Province
- **flag p2**: Flag of Sindh.svg
- **p3**: North-West Frontier Province
- **flag p3**: Flag of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.svg
- **p4**: Baluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province) Baluchistan Province
- **flag p4**: Flag of Balochistan.svg
- **p5**: Bahawalpur (princely state)Bahawalpur State
- **flag p5**: Flag of State of Bahawalpur.svg
- **p6**: Khairpur (princely state)Khairpur State
- **flag p6**: Khairpurflag.png
- **p7**: Khanate of Kalat Kalat State
- **flag p7**: FlagofKalat.svg
- **p8**: Las Bela (princely state)Las Bela State
- **flag p8**: Flag of the State of Las Bela.svg
- **p9**: Kharan (princely state)Kharan State
- **flag p9**: Flag of the State of Kharan.svg
- **p10**: Makran (princely state)Makran State
- **flag p10**: Flag of Makran (Princely State).svg
- **p11**: Gwadar#Omani rule**1958:**
Gwadar (Omani Territory)
- **flag p11**: Flag of Muscat.svg
- **p12**: Federal Capital Territory (Pakistan)**1961:**
Federal Capital Territory
- **flag p12**: Flag of Pakistan.svg
- **p13**: Amb (princely state)**1969:**
Amb State
- **flag p13**: Flag of the State of Amb.svg
- **p14**: Swat (princely state)Swat State
- **flag p14**: Flag of Swat.svg
- **p15**: Dir (princely state)Dir State
- **flag p15**: Flag of the State of Dir.svg
- **p16**: Chitral (princely state)Chitral State
- **flag p16**: Flag of State of Chitral.svg
- **s1**: Islamabad Capital Territory**1967:**
Islamabad Capital Territory
- **flag s1**: Flag of Pakistan.svg
- **s2**: Punjab, Pakistan**1970:**
Punjab
- **flag s2**: Flag of Punjab.svg
- **s3**: Sindh
- **flag s3**: Flag of Sindh.svg
- **s4**: North-West Frontier Province
- **flag s4**: Flag of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.svg
- **s5**: Balochistan, Pakistan Balochistan
- **flag s5**: Flag of Balochistan.svg
- **today**: Pakistan