The Constitution of 1956 You are at: Home » Timeline » 1947 - 1958 »The Constitution of 1956 The Constitution of 1956 1947 - 1958 , 1955 - 1958 Events , Events After assuming charge as Prime Minister, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali along with his team worked day and night to formulate a constitution for Pakistan. His efforts led to the first constitution that was enforced in the country on March 23, 1956. Pakistan’s status as a dominion ended and the country was declared an Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Thereupon the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan became the interim National Assembly and Governor General Iskander Mirza was sworn in as the first President of Pakistan. The Constitution of 1956 consisted of 234 articles, which were divided into 13 parts and 6 schedules. One of the main features of the Constitution was its Islamic character. The Islamic provisions were contained in the directive principles of the state policy.

Along with other Islamic provisions in the Constitution, the president, who was required to be a Muslim of at least 40 years of age, was to set up an organization for Islamic research with the aim of establishing a true Islamic society. The Objectives Resolution was, however, only made the preamble of the Constitution and not included in its main text. The Constitution vested the executive authority of the President in the Federation. The President had the discretionary powers to make the appointment of the Chairman and members of the Election Commission, Delimitation Commission and Public Service Commission. He also had the power to appoint the Prime Minister from amongst the members of the National Assembly. However, his appointee had to take a vote of confidence from the Assembly within two months of his appointment. The President also had the power to remove the Prime Minister if he felt that the Prime Minister had lost the confidence of the majority of the National Assembly members. The Constitution of 1956 provided for parliamentary form of government with a unicameral legislature. The only house of parliament, the National Assembly, was to consist of 300 members. The Constitution recognized the concept of One Unit, and the seats were divided equally between the two wings of the country.

Thus the principle of parity was introduced. For the first ten years, five additional seats were reserved for women for each wing. National Assembly was to meet at least twice a year with at least one session at Dhaka. The Constitution offered direct elections under adult franchise. Every citizen of Pakistan with minimum age of 21 was allowed to vote in the elections. The Constitution provided for federal form of government in the country. The provincial structure was similar to the one in the center. The pattern for the center-province relations was the same as it was in the Government of India Act, 1935. There were federal, provincial and concurrent lists of subjects. There were 30 items in the federal list, 94 items in the provincial list and 19 items in the concurrent list. The federal legislation was to get precedence over provincial legislation regarding the concurrent list. Residuary powers were vested in the provinces. In case of a conflict between center and provinces or between the two provinces, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was to act as the mediator. The Constitution of 1956 was a written and flexible constitution. It advocated the fundamental rights of the individual.

However, the President had the power to suspend these rights in case of an emergency. Judiciary was to remain independent. Urdu and Bengali were both accepted as state languages, while English was to remain the official language for the first 25 years. After ten years’ passage of the Constitution, the President was to appoint a commission with the task to make recommendation for the replacement of English as the official language. The Constitution of 1956 proved to be short lived as on October 7, 1958, Marital Law was promulgated and the constitution was abrogated. This article was last updated on Sunday, June 01, 2003 Disclaimer: The views expressed by the writer are purely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of Story Of Pakistan Map of Pakistan Map of Pakistan Free Maps, Map Puzzles and Educational Software: Owl and Mouse Educational Software Pakistan The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is made up of 4 provinces and 4 territories in which over 60 languages are spoken. It is the 6th most populous country in the world, the second most populous Muslim-majority country, and the 8th largest exporter of textiles.

The name Pakistan means 'Land of the Pure' in Persian and Urdu. The first organized human habitation in the region was the Indus Valley civilization of the early Bronze Age. This became the Vedic Empire, one of the first in the world. The Empire lasted from 1500-500 BCE, laying the foundations for Indian culture, including the Hindu religion. The area had many successive rulers, most spanning for hundreds—some thousands—of years, including the Mauryan Empire, the Persian Achemeid Empire, Arab Ummayyad Caliphate, Mongolian Empire, Mughal Empire, Durrania Empire, Sikh Empire, and British Empire. In the medieval period, Islam arrived by way of missionaries. The Last Buddhist dynasty to rule what is now Pakistan was the Pala Empire. Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the Indus Valley in 711 CE, the territory laying down the basis for what would become Pakistan and the rule of several successive Muslim Empires, ending with the Mughals in 1827 and declining in the previous century.

Taking advantage in the weakened of the Mughal empire, the British East India Company was quick to buy up land, using force to take over the rest of the region, As well as India and other Southeast Asian countries. The natives did not take this calmly. In 1857, the largest armed rebellion fought against the British East India Company and lost. Protests resumed in the 1920's and 1930's along with India in the form of mass civil disobedience. While the protests supported an independence from Britain, so too was a growing desire for an independence from India as a Muslim nation with the All-Indian Muslim League established in the 1930's. The Lahore Resolution, more commonly known as the Muslim Resolution, was proposed at Independence in 1947. Pakistan became independent along with India in 1947 as an Independent nation for Muslims. Immediately following this, hundreds of thousands of Muslims moved to Pakistan while hundreds of thousands of Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains made an exodus to India. Although the country became a republic in 1956, the country now is characterized by political threats, coercion, and outright authority by the military.

A year after the first elections were held nationwide, citizens of Bangladesh voted to leave the country and form their own in 1971, earning independence and resentment by the military. Bangladesh quickly earned political and military aid from India, just in time for Pakistan to invade. The genocide committed by the Pakistan army against those in Bangladesh killed somewhere between 3,000,000-300,000,000; Pakistan claims it was a civil war and it was retaking Bangladesh to unite the country. Pakistan had tried several times to take the provinces of Jammu and Kashmir, the latter of which it controls 38.2 percent of, form Bangladesh and India; violence is practically omnipresent and four times has turned into all out war—in 1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999. The violence is so great, technology such as Windows 95 has been banned for claiming the opposite region owned the provinces. Pakistan armed forces are the 8th largest in the world. Even after Independence, British kings and queens were considered monarchs of the county until the establishment of the republic.

Part of Pakistan lies past the Indian tectonic plate, putting much of the country in danger of earthquakes. The country is divided in three regions: Northern Highlands, Indus River Plains, and the Baluchistan Plateau; because of these very different regions, the climate varies from tropical to temperate, though they all see monsoon seasons. Pakistan is home to many animals of various levels of being endangered; these include snow leopards, Asiatic cheetahs, blind Indus dolphins (of which there are only 1,100 remaining), and more. All animal and plant species are in danger mainly due to pollution and deforestation. Area: 796,095 sq km Ynetnews News - The Islamic Republic of Iran send to friend The Islamic Republic of Iran The easternmost nation in the Middle East and home to the Islamic revolution, this tumultuous country has a love-hate relationship with the West and is considered by the international community as a destabilizing force in the region Ynetnews|Last update: 23.12.07 , 11:41 Iran, an Islamic republic in southwest Asia, is the easternmost nation in the Middle East.

The country borders Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea to the north; Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east; the Gulf of Oman, the Straits of Hormuz, and the Persian Gulf to the south; and Iraq and Turkey to the west. Tehran is the capital city. Eighty-nine percent of the population is Shiite Moslem. Iran is one of the largest oil exporters in the world. Its oil and natural gas resources are mainly concentrated in the Southeast. The economy is based on oil exports and, therefore, heavily influenced by fluctuations in global oil prices. History During the reign of the Kajar Dynasty (1796-1925), Iran maintained close ties with the West. For example, British and French companies were granted concessions to pave roads, lay rail, and search for oil. Iran’s economic dependence on the West, especially Britain, only increased with time. In fact, by the turn of the 19th century, Britain controlled Iran’s economy. Later, Britain held 51 percent of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. During World War I, Iran declared its neutrality. However, both Russia and Britain used Iranian territory in their fight against the Ottoman Empire.

In addition, Britain strengthened both its presence in Iran and its control over the oilfields. The government was perceived as being a lackey of foreign powers, and the Iranian people demanded change. Home to the Islamic revolution (Archive photo: AFP) As a result of the turmoil, Reza Khan, a military officer, led an uprising against the Iranian regime in 1921. With the military’s backing, he was appointed prime minister, and in 1925 he deposed the last Shah of the Kajar Dynasty. Khan crowned himself k ing and changed his name to Reza Pahlavi. Later, he officially changed the country’s name from Persia to Iran. During Reza Pahlavi's 16-year reign from 1925 to 1941, social, political and economic upheavals rocked Iran. The Shah initiated modernization programs. Young Iranians were sent to Europe to be educated, and the Shah invested heavily in his country’s infrastructure, transportation, education and healthcare. In addition, the rural population became more urbanized, and new social classes, including an intellectual middle - class and a working class, arose.

Nevertheless, Iran remained economically dependent on the West, to the chagrin of the Shah, who chose to ally himself with Nazi Germany. During World War II, Britain and the USSR invaded Iran, in order to enable the US to supply provisions to the USSR via Iran’s railways. The Shah was deposed and exiled in 1941, and his son, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, was crowned in his place. After the war, Iranian Member of Parliament Mohammed Mutzadak led a broad movement which demanded that the British-controlled oilfields be nationalized. The Shah attempted to appoint a prime minister who opposed the nationalization, but his candidate was assassinated in 1950. Subsequently, Mutzadak became the prime minister, against the Shah’s wishes, and Parliament voted to nationalize the oilfields. In response, Britain organized a western boycott of Iranian oil exports, a step which hurt Iran’s economy and thwarted Mutzadak’s economic and social reform programs. In 1953, the US decided to side with Britain against Mutzadak’s government.

The American CIA helped a group of military men, conservative politicians, and Shah-cronies overthrow Mutzadak and return the Shah to power. Diplomatic relations between Britain and Iran were renewed, and oil revenues were more evenly distributed between Iran and the British, American, Dutch, and French oil companies on the ground. The Shah, who had left Iran during Mutzadak’s rule, returned to his country. With American support, Mohammed Reza initiated his so-called White Revolution, which featured widespread reforms and infrastructure development. However, the r evolution failed. Poverty increased throughout Iran, as did the enmity of the people and the religious leaders. The Shah’s secret police arrested and tortured many citizens, and the population became ever more hostile to the regime. Furthermore, many Iranians perceived the Shah as a puppet of imperialistic masters who willingly submitted to international involvement in Iran. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a Shiite preacher who was arrested in 1963, was one of the leaders of the opposition to Mohammed Reza Shah. His arrest set off public riots, and the Iranian police killed over 600 and wounded thousands in their attempts to quell the disturbances.

Khomeini was exiled to Iraq in 1964, but continued to maintain close ties with his supporters in Iran. The Shah never managed to gain the support of the secular middle - class, even though they were the main beneficiaries of his reforms. Iran’s revenues multiplied, but the regime squandered much of its fortune on the military and on grand displays of wealth. Concurrently, repression of the opposition increased greatly. Islamic revolution Khomeini’s supporters allied themselves with democracy-loving, secular intellectuals in an attempt to overthrow the Shah. In January 1978, a pro-Khomeini rally was held in his hometown of Kum. The police arrived to quell the riot, and 70 protesters were killed. Realizing that he was losing control over the situation, the Shah declared military rule over Tehran and another 11 cities in March of that year. The Iranians responded with a wave of protests, which soon turned into a general strike. Meanwhile, the Shah pressured Iraq to expel Khomeini, who escaped to France, from where he continued to incite his supporters in Iran against the Shah. Conditions soon deteriorated, and the Shah fled Iran in 1979.

Two weeks later, Khomeini triumphantly returned. A referendum was held, and the Iranian public voted overwhelmingly in favor of establishing an Islamic republic. A love-hate relationship with the West (Archive photo: AP) A new constitution was approved in December 1979, and Khomeini was declared Iran’s Supreme Religious Leader. In 1980, Abed el-Hassan Bani-Sadr became the republic’s first president, and “students”, who supported the revolution, took over the American embassy in Tehran. For over a year, 66 Americans were held hostage; the kidnappers demanded that the US arrest the Shah and bring him to justice. The crisis continued even after the Shah’s death in exile in Cairo in July 1980 and Iran was isolated internationally and remained so, even following the hostages’ release in January 1981 (as a result of German mediation efforts). In September 1980, Iraq took advantage of the Iranian regime’s perceived weakness and attacked Iran, in order to settle a long-term border dispute. The war continued for eight years, and there were heavy casualties on both sides.

In 1989, a year after the hostilities ended, Khomeini died. Mohammed Ali Khamani was appointed in his stead, and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was less radical, became president and took some steps to open up the regime. The next president was Mohammed Khatami, who was elected by a large majority in 1997 and was in favor of limited reform and a certain degree of rapprochement with the West. However, his efforts did not yield fruit, and in 2005, the conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president. Relationship with Israel The Shah’s regime did not recognize Israel, but, nevertheless, the two countries maintained cordial relations. Israel had a permanent delegation in Tehran, which served as a de facto unofficial embassy. In the aftermath of the Six Day War , Israel transferred large amounts of oil from Iran to European markets via the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline. In addition, Israel purchased a significant portion of its oil needs from Iran. Apparently, the two nations had numerous business transactions, although the extent of these dealings was never officially quantified. Also, Israeli construction firms were active in Iran.

Iranian-Israeli military links were top-secret, but they are believed to have been wide-ranging. A destabilizing force. The nuclear facility in Bushehr (Photo: AFP) Following the Shah’s ousting and Khomeini’s ascension, the situation changed drastically. The new Iranian government ceased supplying Israel with oil, and every Israeli institution in Tehran was closed. The building housing the Israeli delegation was transferred to Fatah, and Yasser Arafat was warmly received. Since then, Iran has repeatedly declared its determination to liberate Jerusalem from the 'Zionists'. In addition to verbally supporting the Palestinian cause, the Islamic republic actively assists Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iran’s development of medium - range ballistic missiles and, even more so, the possibility that Iran may soon possess a nuclear bomb greatly concern Israel.

First published: 01.08.06, 13:35 Pakistan: History Pakistan History Early History The northwest of the Indian subcontinent, which now constitutes Pakistan, lies athwart the historic invasion routes through the Khyber, Gumal, and Bolan passes from central Asia to the heartland of India, and for thousands of years invaders and adventurers swept down upon the settlements there. The Indus valley civilization , which flourished until c.1500 B.C., was one of the region's earliest civilizations. The Aryans, who surpassed the Indus, were followed by the Persians of the Achaemenid empire, who by c.500 B.C. reached the Indus River. Alexander the Great, conqueror of the Persian empire, invaded the Punjab in 326 B.C. The Seleucid empire, heir to Alexander's Indian conquest, was checked by the Mauryas, who by 305 B.C. occupied the Indus plain and much of Afghanistan. After the fall of the Mauryas (2d cent.

B.C.) the Indo-Greek Bactrian kingdom rose to power, but was in turn overrun (c.97 B.C.) by Scythian nomads called Saka and then by the Parthians (c.A.D. 7). The Parthians, of Persian stock, were replaced by the Kushans; the Kushan Kanishka ruled (2d cent. A.D.) all of what is now Pakistan from his capital at Peshawar. In 712, the Muslim Arabs appeared in force and conquered Sind, and by 900 they controlled most of NW India. They were followed by the Ghaznavid and Ghorid Turks. The first Turki invaders reached Bengal c.1200 and an important Muslim center was established there, principally through conversion of the Hindus. Although the northeast of the Indian subcontinent (now Bangladesh) remained, with interruptions, part of a united Mughal empire in India from the early 16th cent. to 1857, the northwest changed hands many times before it became (1857) part of imperial British India.

It was overrun by Persians in the late 1730s; by the Afghans, who held Sind and the Punjab during the latter half of the 18th cent.; and by the Sikhs, who rose to power in the Punjab under Ranjit Singh (1780–1839). British Control and the Muslim League The British attempted to subdue the anarchic northwest during the First Afghan War (1839–42) and succeeded in conquering Sind in 1843 and the Punjab in 1849. The turbulence of the region was intensified by the fierce forays of Baluchi and Pathan tribespeople from the mountainous hinterlands. The British occupied Quetta in 1876 and again attempted to conquer the tribespeople in the Second Afghan War (1878–80) but were still unsuccessful. With the creation of the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in 1901, the British shifted from a policy of conquest to one of containment. Unlike previous settlers in India, the Muslim immigrants were not absorbed into Hindu society.

Their ranks were augmented by the millions of Hindus who had been converted to Islam. There was cultural interchange between Hindu and Muslim, but no homogeneity emerged. After the Indian Mutiny (1857), a rising Hindu middle class began to assume dominant positions in industry, education, the professions, and the civil service. Although, in these early decades of the Indian National Congress, vigorous efforts were made to include Muslims in the nationalist movement, concern for Muslim political rights led to the formation of the Muslim League in 1906; in the ensuing years Hindu-Muslim conflict became increasingly acute. The idea of a Muslim nation, distinct from Hindu India, was introduced in 1930 by the poet Muhammad Iqbal and was ardently supported by a group of Indian Muslim students in England, who were the first to use the name Pakistan [land of the pure, from the Urdu pak, = pure and stan, = land]. It gained wide support in 1940 when the Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah , demanded the establishment of a Muslim state in the areas of India where Muslims were in the majority.

The League won most of the Muslim constituencies in the 1946 elections, and Britain and the Congress party reluctantly agreed to the formation of Pakistan as a separate dominion under the provisions of the Indian Independence Act, which went into effect on Aug. 15, 1947. Partition and Conflict Jinnah became the governor-general of the new nation and Liaquat Ali Khan the first prime minister. While India inherited most of the British administrative machinery, Pakistan had to start with practically nothing; records and Muslim administrators were transferred from New Delhi to a chaotic, makeshift capital at Karachi. Moreover, an autumn of violence and slaughter among Hindus and Muslims came between independence and the task of developing the new nation. Disturbances in Delhi were only a prelude to the slaughter in the Punjab, where the Gurdaspur district had been partitioned to give India access to Kashmir. Although there was some violence in Calcutta (now Kolkata), the efforts of Mohandas K. Gandhi prevented widespread killing in partitioned Bengal. The communal strife took more than 500,000 lives; 7.5 million Muslim refugees fled to both parts of Pakistan from India, and 10 million Hindus left Pakistan for India.

Disputes between India and Pakistan arose also over the princely states of Junagadh, Hyderabad, and Kashmir. In the first two, Muslim rulers held sway over a Hindu majority but India forcibly joined both states to the Union, dismissing the wishes of the rulers and basing its claims instead on the wishes of the people and the facts of geography. In Kashmir the situation was precisely the opposite; a Hindu ruler held sway over a Muslim majority in a country that was geographically and economically tied to West Pakistan. The ruler signed over Kashmir to India in Oct., 1947, but Pakistan refused to accept the move. Fighting broke out (see India-Pakistan Wars ) and continued until Jan., 1948, when India and Pakistan both appealed to the United Nations, each accusing the other of aggression. A cease-fire was agreed upon and a temporary demarcation line partitioned (1949) the disputed state. In the meantime, Pakistan faced serious internal problems. A liberal statement of constitutional principles was promulgated in 1949, but parts of the proposed constitution ran into orthodox Muslim opposition. On Oct.

16, 1951, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated by an Afghan fanatic. His death left a leadership void that prime ministers Khwaja Nazimuddin (1951–53) and Muhammad Ali (1953–55) and governor-general Ghulam Muhammad (1951–55) failed to fill. In East Bengal, which had more than half of the nation's population, there was increasing dissatisfaction with the federal government in West Pakistan. In 1954, faced with growing crises, the government dissolved the constituent assembly and declared a state of emergency. In 1955, the existing provinces and princely states of West Pakistan were merged into a single province made up of 12 divisions, and the name of East Bengal was changed to East Pakistan, thus giving it at least the appearance of parity with West Pakistan. In Feb., 1956, a new constitution was finally adopted, and Pakistan formally became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations; Gen. Iskander Mirza became the first president. Economic conditions remained precarious, even though large shipments of grain from the United States after 1953 had helped to relieve famine.

In foreign relations, Pakistan's conflict with India over Kashmir remained unresolved, and Afghanistan continued its agitation for the formation of an autonomous Pushtunistan nation made up of the Pathan tribespeople along the northwest frontier. Pakistan joined the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization in 1954 and the Central Treaty Organization in 1955. After 1956 the threat to the stability of the Pakistan government gradually increased, stemming from continuing economic difficulties, frequent cabinet crises, and widespread political corruption. The Ayub Khan Regime Finally, in Oct., 1958, President Mirza abrogated the constitution and granted power to the army under Gen. Muhammad Ayub Khan . Ayub subsequently assumed presidential powers (in 1960 he was elected to a five-year term), abolishing the office of prime minister and ruling by decree. Under the dictatorship, a vigorous land reform and economic development program was begun, and a new constitution, which provided for a federal Islamic republic with two provinces (East and West Pakistan) and two official languages (Bengali and Urdu), went into effect in 1962.

The new city of Islamabad, N of Rawalpindi (which had been interim capital since 1959), became the national capital, and Dhaka , in East Pakistan, became the legislative capital. In 1965, Ayub was reelected and a national assembly of 156 members—with East and West Pakistan each allocated 75 seats, and six seats reserved for women, who had previously been denied the vote under Islamic strictures—was elected. A treaty with India governing the use of the waters of the Indus basin was signed (1961). Communal strife was constantly present in the subcontinent—in Jan., 1961, several thousand Muslims were massacred in Madhya Pradesh state in India, and there were reprisals in Pakistan; in 1962 there was further communal conflict in Bengal. Diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan were severed (1961–63) after some border clashes and continued Afghan agitation, supported by the USSR, for an independent Pushtunistan.

A series of conferences on Kashmir was held (Dec., 1962–Feb., 1963) between India and Pakistan following the Chinese assault (Oct., 1962) on India; both nations offered important concessions and solution of the long-standing dispute seemed imminent. However, Pakistan then signed a bilateral border agreement with China that involved the boundaries of the disputed state, and relations with India again became strained. Pakistan's continuing conflict with India over Kashmir erupted in fighting (Apr.–June, 1965) in the Rann of Kachchh region of NW India and SE West Pakistan and in an outbreak of warfare (August–September) in Kashmir. Some improvement in relations between the two countries came in 1966, when President Ayub Khan and Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri of India reached an accord in the Declaration of Tashkent at a meeting sponsored by the USSR. Despite the accord, however, the basic dispute over Kashmir remained unsettled.

In an effort to gain support in the conflict with India, Pakistan somewhat modified its pro-Western policy after 1963 by establishing closer relations with Communist countries, especially with China, by taking a neutral position on some international issues, and by joining the Regional Co-operation for Development Program of SW Asian nations. East Pakistan's long-standing discontent with the federal government was expressed in 1966 by a movement for increased autonomy, supported by a general strike. Following disastrous riots in late 1968 and early 1969, Ayub resigned and handed the government over to Gen. Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan , the head of the army, who then declared martial law. The first direct universal voting since independence was held in Dec., 1970, to elect a National Assembly that would draft a new constitution and restore federal parliamentary government. Bangladesh and Bhutto The Awami League , under Sheik Mujibur Rahman , in a campaign for full autonomy in East Pakistan, won an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly by taking 153 of the 163 seats allotted to East Pakistan.

The opening session of the National Assembly, scheduled to meet in Dhaka in Mar., 1971, was twice postponed by Yahya Khan, who then canceled the election results, banned the Awami League, and imprisoned Sheik Mujib in West Pakistan on charges of treason. East Pakistan declared its independence as Bangladesh on Mar. 26, 1971, but was then placed under martial law and occupied by the Pakistani army, which was composed entirely of troops from West Pakistan. In the ensuing civil war, some 10 million refugees fled to India and hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed. India supported Bangladesh and on Dec. 3, 1971, sent troops into East Pakistan. Following a two-week war between Pakistan and India, in which fighting also broke out along the India-West Pakistan border, Pakistani troops in East Pakistan surrendered (Dec. 16) and a cease-fire was declared on all fronts. Following Pakistan's defeat, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, came to power in West Pakistan. Sheik Mujib was released from prison and eventually allowed to return to Bangladesh.

Relations with India remained strained over the issue of the more than 90,000 Pakistani soldiers who had surrendered after the civil war and become prisoners of war, over Pakistan's refusal to recognize Bangladesh, and over Bangladesh's declared intention to bring to trial some Pakistani soldiers on war-crimes charges. A summit meeting held in Shimla, India, in July, 1972, resulted in an easing of tensions and an agreement to settle differences between the two nations peacefully. Demarcation of the truce line in Kashmir was finally completed in Dec., 1972. In Aug., 1973, India and Pakistan reached an agreement on the release of Pakistani prisoners-of-war and the exchange of hostage populations in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh—especially of the Bengalis in Pakistan and the Biharis in Bangladesh. Bhutto recognized Bangladesh in Feb., 1974, prior to the start of a world Islamic summit conference in Lahore. In the mid-1970s Bhutto's government faced increasing regional tensions among Pakistan's various ethnic groups. After Bhutto's 1977 election victory was challenged by the opposition, widespread riots ensued.

Recent History Failure to reach a reconciliation prompted the army chief of staff, Gen. Mohammed Zia ul-Haq, to depose Bhutto in a military coup in July and declare martial law. Zia was declared president in September, and Bhutto, convicted of ordering the murder of political opponents, was hanged in Apr., 1979. In the 1980s Pakistan was dominated by events occurring in neighboring Afghanistan, where the Soviet invasion resulted in the flight of over 3 million people to Pakistan. Pakistan served as the primary conduit for U.S. aid to the Afghan resistance, resulting in large amounts of U.S. aid to Pakistan as well. The relationship prompted Zia to return the government to civilian hands, and in 1985 he announced the end of martial law, but only after amending the constitution so as to greatly strengthen his power as president. In 1986, Benazir Bhutto , daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his heir as head of the Pakistan People's party (PPP), returned to the country. In May, 1988, Zia dismissed parliament, charging it with widespread corruption, and announced general elections for November.

In August, Zia died in a mysterious plane crash. The PPP won the November elections, and Bhutto became prime minister. Despite a strong power base, Bhutto encountered numerous problems in office, including regional ethnic clashes, the difficulties of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, and long-term tensions caused by Pakistan's poverty and its uneasy relationship with India. In Aug., 1990, President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed Bhutto and her cabinet, accusing them of misconduct and abuse of power. November elections brought to power a coalition government headed by Nawaz Sharif , whose administration instituted economic reform policies of privatization and deregulation in an effort to stimulate growth. In 1991 the parliament passed legislation incorporating Islamic law (sharia) into the legal code. When Sharif moved to reduce presidential power, he was dismissed (1993) by President Ishaq Khan; the ensuing crisis was resolved with the resignations of both men. Bhutto's party won the most seats in new elections later in 1993, and she once again became prime minister, heading a coalition government; Farooq Leghari, a Bhutto ally, was elected president.

In 1995 some three dozen military officers were arrested, reportedly for plotting an Islamic revolution in Pakistan. In 1996 Bhutto was again dismissed on charges of corruption, by President Leghari. In 1997, Leghari established a Council for Defense and National Security, which gave a key role in political decision-making to the heads of the armed forces. Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) won a huge majority in the 1997 elections and he once again became prime minister. Sharif soon moved to enact legislation curbing the president's power to dismiss elected governments and to appoint armed forces chiefs; the supreme court blocked these moves and reinstated a corruption inquiry against Sharif. In an apparent victory for Sharif, President Leghari resigned in Dec., 1997, and the chief justice of the supreme court was dismissed. Mohammad Rafiq Tarar became president in 1998. Following the detonation of underground nuclear devices by India in May, 1998, Pakistan carried out its own series of nuclear tests; the United States imposed economic sanctions against both countries.

In the summer of 1999, conflict with India over Kashmir erupted again, with Pakistani-backed troops withdrawing from Indian-held territory after several weeks of fighting. In Oct., 1999, a bloodless military coup led by Gen. Pervez Musharraf ousted Sharif, suspended the constitution, and declared martial law. Sharif was charged with treason, and in Apr., 2000, he was convicted of hijacking an airliner (as a result of issuing orders to deny permission to land to the plane that Musharraf had been on prior to the 1999 coup) and was sentenced to life in prison. Sharif subsequently was also convicted on corruption charges, and later exiled (Dec., 2000) to Saudi Arabia. In June, 2001, Musharraf appointed himself president. A summit in July with Prime Minister Vajpayee of India proved unfruitful and ended on a bitter note.

Following the September terrorist attacks on the United States that were linked to Osama bin Laden , the United States ended its sanctions on Pakistan and sought its help in securing bin Laden from the Taliban government of Afghanistan, but Pakistan proved unable to influence the Taliban, who had received support from Pakistan since the mid-1990s. Pakistan permitted U.S. planes to cross its airspace and U.S. forces to be based there during the subsequent military action against Afghanistan. These moves provoked sometimes violent anti-U.S. demonstrations erupted in Pakistani cities, particularly in border areas where many Afghan refugees and Pathans live. In response, the government cracked down on the more militant Islamic fundamentalist groups. After terror attacks by Pakistani-based guerrillas on Indian government buildings in late 2001, India threatened to go to war with Pakistan unless all guerrilla attacks were ended. As Pakistan moved haltingly to suppress such groups the crisis escalated, but in Jan., 2002, Musharraf attacked religious extremism and its affect on Pakistani society, and stated that no group engaging in terrorism would be tolerated.

A crackdown on such groups was complicated by strong popular Pakistani support for guerrillas fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, but many Pakistanis also objected to the Islamic fundamentalism espoused by many of the guerrillas and their supporters. In mid-2002 Pakistan's army established garrisons in a number of tribal areas for the first time since independence. Also in January, Musharraf announced plans for national and provincial legislative elections in Oct., 2002, while indicating that he intended to remain in office. In April, he called for a referendum on extending his rule for five more years. Most national political parties called for a boycott of the referendum, and turnout appeared low in many locations; Musharraf claimed a 50% turnout, with a 98% yes vote. In August he imposed 29 constitutional amendments designed to make his rule impervious to political opposition in parliament. Meanwhile, tensions with India again reached the brink of war in May, as a result of escalating attacks by Muslim militants in India. Concern that a conflict might evolve into nuclear warfare prompted international mediation, and the crisis eased after Pakistan stopped state-sponsored guerrilla infilitration across the line of control in Kashmir.

The fighting in Afghanistan, violence and political turmoil in Pakistan, and tension with India hurt the Pakistani economy, particularly the export textile and apparel industries. Parliamentary elections in Oct., 2002, resulted in a setback for Musharraf, as the Pakistan Muslim League–Quaid (PML-Q; renamed the Pakistan Muslim League [PML] in 2004), which supported him, placed second in terms of the seats it won. Bhutto's PPP placed first, and a generally anti-American Islamic fundamentalist coalition was a strong third and also won control of the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), where the legislature subsequently approved (June, 2003) the establishment of Islamic law. Zafarullah Khan Jamali, the PML-Q leader, was narrowly elected Pakistan's prime minister. Tensions with India further eased in 2003, and midway through the year diplomatic relations were restored. In Dec., 2003, two attempts were made to assassinate Musharraf, but both failed.

That same month he sealed an agreement with the Islamic parties to pass a modified version of the constitutional amendments he had imposed in Aug., 2002. He accepted some limitations on his powers, and he agreed to give up his post as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Other opposition parties denounced the deal. Following revelations in the news media concerning the transfer of Pakistani nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea, Abdul Qadeer Khan in Feb., 2004, admitted that he overseen such transfers from the late 1980s until 2000. The Pakistani government said that Khan, who had led its nuclear weapons program for a quarter century, had sold the technology for personal gain, but missiles parts were transferred at the same time from North Korea to Pakistan, leading international arms experts and others to believe that the government was at the very least aware of the transfers. Khan, revered by many Pakistanis as the "father of the Islamic bomb," was pardoned by President Musharraf.

In Mar., 2004, Pakistan's military began operations against foreign Islamic militants in South Waziristan, but local militants who regarded the attacks as a breach of local autonomy joined in fighting against government forces. The fighting continued into 2005, when operations were also begun in North Waziristan. Agreements with tribal leaders in both regions ended military operations in Waziristan in late 2006. Fighting also occurred in Baluchistan, where local tribes demanding a greater share in the provinces mineral wealth and an end of the stationing of military forces there mounted a series of attacks that continued into 2006. Meanwhile, in Apr., 2004, a bill was passed creating a national security council, consisting of military and civilian leaders, to advise the government on matters of national interest. Creation of the council gave the military an institutionalized voice in national affairs. Prime Minister Jamali resigned and the cabinet was dissolved in June, after Jamali lost the support of the president.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, a close political ally of Musharraf, became interim prime minister until Shaukat Aziz, the finance minister in the outgoing cabinet and Musharraf's choice to succeed Jamali, was elected to the national assembly and took office (Aug., 2004). In Oct., 2004, the governing coalition passed legislation permitting Musharraf to remain chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, despite the president's earlier pledge to resign from the post, and at the end of the year Musharraf announced he would not resign. In Apr., 2005, Musharraf visited India, and the two nations agreed to increase cross-border transport links, including in Kashmir, and to work to improve trade between them. Passage (July, 2005) by the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) government of a law calling for Islamic moral policing was challenged by the national government, and the supreme court declared the legislation unconstitutional. A similar but somewhat weaker bill was passed in 2006 and again challenged.

An earthquake in Oct., 2005, caused widespread devastation in N Pakistan, particularly in Kashmir, killed more than 73,000 and injured nearly as many, and left an estimated 3 million homeless. Many victims in remote areas were slow to receive aid when those areas became practically inaccessible as a result of damage to roads combined with inadequate alternative transportation. In 2006 relations with Afghanistan became increasingly strained as Afghan officials accused Pakistan of allowing the Taliban and Al Qaeda to use bordering areas of Pakistan, particularly Baluchistan around Quetta, as safe havens and to send forces and weapons across border into Afghanistan. After a series of bomb attacks (July, 2006) in Mumbai, India, that India asserted were linked to Pakistani security forces, peace talks were suspended between the two nations, but they resumed in late 2006 and an agreement designed to prevent an accidental nuclear war between India and Pakistan was signed in Feb., 2007. In Mar., 2007, Musharraf suspended Pakistan's chief justice for misuse of authority; the justice had conducted investigations into human rights abuses by Pakistan's security forces and was regarded as independent of the government.

While the chief justice challenged the move in the courts, Pakistani lawyers and judges denounced the move as unconstitutional, and they and opposition parties mounted demonstrations in support fo the chief justice, believing that the president was attempting to remove him as a prelude to extending his presidency beyond the end of 2007. A planned rally in Karachi in support of the chief justice led to two days of violence in May in which those who died were largely opposition activists; the violence provoked additional opposition demonstrations and strikes. In July, the supreme court ruled that the chief justice's suspension was illegal and that he should be reinstated. In June, 2007, there was devastating flooding in Baluchistan after a cyclone struck the coast; some 2 million were affected by the floodwaters. In July, Pakistani security forces stormed an Islamabad mosque that had become a focus for Islamic militants; more than 70 persons died. Militants responded with a series of bombings and other attacks in the following weeks, and fighting again broke out in Waziristan.

In September, bin Laden called for jihad against the Musharraf government, and the following month the government sent troops against militants in the Swat valley in the North-West Frontier Province (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Despite the government's actions in Swat, the Pakistani Pashtun militants, who became loosely allied as the Taliban Movement of Pakistan in late 2007, became more powerful in 2008. Meanwhile, with parliamentary elections due by Jan., 2008, former prime ministers Sharif and Bhutto made plans to return from exile. Sharif, who returned in September, was immediately deported, but after an October court ruling he was allowed to return in November. Following negotiations with the government, Bhutto returned in October, surviving an attempted assassination the day of her return that killed more than 130 persons. Musharraf was reelected president the same month, but the official declaration of the result was postponed until after the supreme court ruled on whether he was permitted to run while remaining army chief. Before the court could issue its ruling, Musharraf declared emergency rule, suspended the constitution, and dismissed the members of the court who seemed likely to rule against him.

The challenges against his reelection were then dismissed, and later in the month Musharraf resigned as army chief. In December, emergency rule was ended; late in the month Bhutto was assassinated, possibly by Islamists, after a campaign rally. (A UN report released in 2010 said that security had been inadequate and that the investigation into her murder had been bungled by the police and h Sections in this article: Pakistan Flag - World Flags 101 - Pakistanian Flags Country: Islamic Republic of Pakistan Proportions: 2:3 Pakistani Flag Description: The flag of Pakistan consists of a dark green background with a white vertical stripe on the left side of it. In the center of the green base lie a white crescent and a five-pointed white star. Advertiser Links Pakistani Flag Meaning: Green is a traditional Islamic color and the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols. The white stripe represents the non-Muslim, minority, religious groups in Pakistan. According to modern meaning, the green represents prosperity; white symbolizes peace; the white crescent represents progress; and the white star represents light and knowledge.

Pakistani Flag History: The Pakistan flag was adopted on August 14, 1947 when the country was formed after the British-ruled Indian sub-continent was divided into two independent states, Pakistan and India. The Pakistan flag is based on one created in 1906; which represented the All-Indian Muslim League - a political organization established to represent the political rights of Muslims in India. That flag had an entirely green base with a white crescent and star in the centre. The flag remained the same when Pakistan produced its first constitution in 1956 and officially became the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In December 1971, the province of East Pakistan left and became Bangladesh. Interesting Pakistani Flag Facts: A common name for the Pakistani flag is 'subz hilali parcham' which is Urdu for 'green flag with the crescent'. World FlagsAlphabetical list of all world flags.

P Country independence dates Home » countries » Country independence dates Country independence dates Afghanistan: 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs) Albania: 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) Algeria: 5 July 1962 (from France) American Samoa: none (territory of the US) Andorra: 1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of France and the Bishop of Urgell) Angola: 11 November 1975 (from Portugal) Anguilla: none (overseas territory of the UK) Antigua and Barbuda: 1 November 1981 (from UK) Argentina: 9 July 1816 (from Spain) Armenia: 21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) Aruba: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) Australia: 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) Austria: 1156 (from Bavaria) Azerbaijan: 30 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) Bahamas: 10 July 1973 (from UK) Bahrain: 15

 August 1971 (from UK) Bangladesh: 16 December 1971 (from West Pakistan); note – 26 March 1971 is the date of independence from West Pakistan, 16 December 1971 is known as Victory Day and commemorates the official creation of the state of Bangladesh Barbados: 30 November 1966 (from UK) Belarus: 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) Belgium: 21 July 1831 (from the Netherlands) Belize: 21 September 1981 (from UK) Benin: 1 August 1960 (from France) Bermuda: none (overseas territory of the UK) Bhutan: 8 August 1949 (from India) Bolivia: 6 August 1825 (from Spain) Bosnia and Herzegovina: 1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia) Botswana: 30 September 1966 (from UK) Brazil: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal) British Virgin Islands: none (overseas territory of the UK) Brunei: 

1 January 1984 (from UK) Bulgaria: 3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire) Burkina Faso: 5 August 1960 (from France) Burma: 4 January 1948 (from UK) Burundi: 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration) Cambodia: 9 November 1953 (from France) Cameroon: 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) Canada: 1 July 1867 (from UK) Cape Verde: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal) Cayman Islands: none (overseas territory of the UK) Central African Republic: 13 August 1960 (from France) Chad: 11 August 1960 (from France) Chile: 18 September 1810 (from Spain) China: 221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch’in Dynasty 221 BC; Qing or Ch’ing Dynasty replaced by the Republic on 12 February 1912; People’s Republic established 1 October 194

9) Christmas Island: none (territory of Australia) Cocos (Keeling) Islands: none (territory of Australia) Colombia: 20 July 1810 (from Spain) Comoros: 6 July 1975 (from France) Congo, Democratic Republic of the: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium) Congo, Republic of the: 15 August 1960 (from France) Cook Islands: none (became self-governing in free association with New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move to full independence by unilateral action) Costa Rica: 15 September 1821 (from Spain) Cote d’Ivoire: 7 August (1960) (from France) Croatia: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia) Cuba: 20 May 1902 (from US) Cyprus: 16 August 1960 (from UK); note – Turkish Cypriot area proclaimed self-rule on 13 February 1975 Czech Republic: 1 January 1993 (Czechos

lovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia) Denmark: first organized as a unified state in 10th century; in 1849 became a constitutional monarchy Djibouti: 27 June 1977 (from France) Dominica: 3 November 1978 (from UK) Dominican Republic: 27 February 1844 (from Haiti) East Timor: 20 May 2002 (from Indonesia) Ecuador: 24 May 1822 (from Spain) Egypt: 28 February 1922 (from UK) El Salvador: 15 September 1821 (from Spain) Equatorial Guinea: 12 October 1968 (from Spain) Eritrea: 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia) Estonia: 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) Ethiopia: oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world – at least 2,000 years Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas): none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) Faroe Islands: none (part of the Kingdom

 of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) Fiji: 10 October 1970 (from UK) Finland: 6 December 1917 (from Russia) France: 486 (unified by Clovis) French Guiana: none (overseas department of France) French Polynesia: none (overseas territory of France) Gabon: 17 August 1960 (from France) Gambia: 18 February 1965 (from UK) Georgia: 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union) Germany: 18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October 1990; all four powers

 formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991 Ghana: 6 March 1957 (from UK) Gibraltar : none (overseas territory of the UK) Greece: 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire) Greenland: none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979) Grenada: 7 February 1974 (from UK) Guadeloupe: none (overseas department of France) Guam: none (territory of the US) Guatemala: 15 September 1821 (from Spain) Guernsey: none (British crown dependency) Guinea: 2 October 1958 (from France) Guinea-Bissau: 24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal) Guyana: 26 May 1966 (from UK) Haiti: 1 January 1804 (from France) Honduras: 15 September 1821 (from Spain) Hong Kong: none (special administrative region of China) Hungary: 1

001 (unification by King Stephen I) Iceland: 17 June 1944 (from Denmark) India: 15 August 1947 (from UK) Indonesia: 17 August 1945 (proclaimed independence; on 27 December 1949, Indonesia became legally independent from the Netherlands) Iran: 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed) Iraq: 3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) Ireland: 6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty) Israel: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) Italy: 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870) Jamaica: 6 August 1962 (from UK) Japan: 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu) Jersey: none (British crown dependency) Jordan: 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) Kashmir : administered by India, Pakistan and China Kazakhstan: 16 December 19

91 (from the Soviet Union) Kenya: 12 December 1963 (from UK) Kiribati: 12 July 1979 (from UK) Korea, North: 15 August 1945 (from Japan) Korea, South: 15 August 1945 (from Japan) Kosovo: 17 February 2008 (self-declared) Kuwait: 19 June 1961 (from UK) Kyrgyzstan: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) Laos: 19 July 1949 (from France) Latvia: 18 November 1991 (from Soviet Union) Lebanon: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration) Lesotho: 4 October 1966 (from UK) Liberia: 26 July 1847 Libya: 24 December 1951 (from Italy) Liechtenstein: 23 January 1719 Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein established; 12 July 1806 established independence from the Holy Roman Empire Lithuania

: 11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania’s independence) Luxembourg: 1839 (from the Netherlands) Macua: none (special administrative region of China) Macedonia: 17 September 1991 (from Yugoslavia) Madagascar: 26 June 1960 (from France) Malawi: 6 July 1964 (from UK) Malaysia: 31 August 1957 (from UK) Maldives: 26 July 1965 (from UK) Mali: 22 September 1960 (from France) Malta: 21 September 1964 (from UK) Man, Isle of: none (British crown dependency) Marshall Islands: 21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship) Martinique: none (overseas department of France) Mauritania: 28 November 1960 (from France) Mauritius: 12 March 1968 (from UK) Mayotte: none (territorial collectivity of France) Mexico

: 16 September 1810 (from Spain) Micronesia, Federated States of: 3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship) Moldova: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) Monaco: 1419 (beginning of the rule by the House of Grimaldi) Mongolia: 11 July 1921 (from China) Montenegro: June 2006 Montserrat: none (overseas territory of the UK) Morocco: 2 March 1956 (from France) Mozambique: 25 June 1975 (from Portugal) Namibia: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate) Nauru: 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship) Nepal: 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah) Netherlands: 1579 (from Spain) Netherlands Antilles: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) New Caledonia: none (overseas territory of France) New Zealand: 2

6 September 1907 (from UK) Nicaragua: 15 September 1821 (from Spain) Niger: 3 August 1958 (from France) Nigeria: 1 October 1960 (from UK) Niue: on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand Norfolk Island: none (territory of Australia) Northern Mariana Islands: none (commonwealth in political union with the US) Norway: 7 June 1905 Norway declared the union with Sweden dissolved; 26 October 1905 Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union Oman: 1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese) Pakistan: 14 August 1947 (from UK) Palau: 1 October 1994 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship) Panama: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821) Papua New Guinea: 16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN trusteeship) Paraguay: Declared 14

 May 1811 (from Spain), celebrated annually 15 May Peru: 28 July 1821 (from Spain) Philippines: 4 July 1946 (from US) Pitcairn Islands: none (overseas territory of the UK) Poland: 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed) Portugal: 1140 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910) Puerto Rico: none (commonwealth associated with the US) Quatar: 3 September 1971 (from UK) Reunion: none (overseas department of France) Romania: 1881 (from Turkey; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947) Russia: 24 August 1991 (when Soviet Union dissolved) Rwanda: 1 July 1962 (from Belgium-administered UN trusteeship) Saint Helena: none (overseas territory of the UK) Saint Kitts and Nevis: 19 September 1983 (from UK) Saint Lucia: 22 February 1979 (from UK) Saint Pierre and Miquelon: none (

territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 27 October 1979 (from UK) Samoa: 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship) San Marino: 3 September 301 Sao Tome and Principe: 12 July 1975 (from Portugal) Saudi Arabia: 23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom) Senegal: 4 April 1960 (from France); complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960 Serbia: 5 June 2006 (after Montenegro declared independence from Yugoslavia) Seychelles: 29 June 1976 (from UK) Sierra Leone: 27 April 1961 (from UK) Singapore: 9 August 1965 (from Malaysia) Slovakia: 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia) Slovenia: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia) Solomon Islands: 7 July

 1978 (from UK) Somalia: 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to form the Somali Republic) South Africa: 31 May 1910 (from UK) South Sudan: 9 July 2011 (from Sudan) Spain: 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification) Sri Lanka: 4 February 1948 (from UK) Sudan: 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK) Suriname: 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands) Svalbard: none (territory of Norway) Swaziland: 6 September 1968 (from UK) Sweden: 6 June 1523 Switzerland: 1 August 1291 (Founding of the Swiss Confederation) Syria: 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration) Tajikistan

: 9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) Tanzania: 26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent 19 December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964 Thailand: 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized) 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)Togo Tokelau: none (territory of New Zealand) Tonga: 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate) Trinidad and Tobago: 31 August 1962 (from UK) Tunisia: 20 March 1956 (from France) Turkey: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire) Turkmenistan: 27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union) Turks and Ca

icos Islands: none (overseas territory of the UK) Tuvalu: 1 October 1978 (from UK) Uganda: 9 October 1962 (from UK) Ukraine: 24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) United Arab Emirates: 2 December 1971 (from UK) United Kingdom: England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; the union between England and Wales was enacted under the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284; in the Act of Union of 1707, England and Scotland agreed to permanent union as Great Britain; the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927 United States: 4 July 1776 (from Great Britain) Uruguay: 25 August 1825 (from

 Brazil) Uzbekistan: 1 September 1991 (from Soviet Union) Vanuatu: 30 July 1980 (from France and UK) Venezuela: 5 July 1811 (from Spain) Vietnam: 2 September 1945 (from France) Wallis and Futuna: none (overseas territory of France) Yemen: 22 May 1990, Republic of Yemen was established with the merger of the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the Marxist-dominated People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]; previously North Yemen had become independent on NA November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South Yemen had become independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK) Zambia: 24 October 1964 (from UK) Zimbabwe: 18 April 1980 (from UK)

Question: In 1956, which country became the first Islamic republic in the world?
Answer: Pakistan