October 13, 2006	Friday	Ramazan 19, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: President Gen Pervez Musharraf will become the third military ruler after Gen Ziaul Haq and Field Marshal Ayub Khan in the country’s 59-year history to enter the eighth year in Presidency on Friday.

Earlier, Gen Ziaul Haq had ruled the country for longest 11 years, one month and 12 days followed by Ayub Khan who remained the president for 10 years, four months and 26 days.

Since 1956 when the country got its first constitution and the office of the governor-general was replaced by the president, there have been 11 presidents. Out of these, four were military men and seven civilians. The four military generals including Musharraf have so far ruled the country for 31 years and one month as compared to 22 years and three months’ tenure of the civilian presidents.

Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, who remained president from August 13, 1973 to September 16, 1978, was the only civilian who stayed in the Presidency for over five years.

President and Chief of the Army Staff Gen Pervez Musharraf became de facto head of government using the title of chief executive following the military coup on October 12, 1999, after dismissing the elected government of prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan’s first president Iskandar Mirza, who was also the last governor general, remained president from March 23, 1956, and till October 27, 1958, when he was ousted by Gen Ayub Khan. Thus Mirza remained president for two years, seven months and four days. He lived in exile in London till his death in 1969. After Yahya’s military government refused to allow him to be buried in his own country, his body was flown to Iran where the Shah of Iran gave him a state funeral.

Ayub Khan declared himself president on October 27, 1958, and continued in the office until March 25, 1969, when he passed the presidency to Yahya Khan. During his 10 years, four months and 26 days rule, Ayub Khan gave the 1962 Constitution to the country replacing the parliamentary system with the presidential form of government. The office of the prime minister was abolished and direct elections were held in 1963 to elect the president. In that elections, Ayub Khan defeated Fatima Jinnah, the sister of Quaid-i-Azam, the country’s founder and first governor- general.

The third president, Gen Yahya Khan, ruled the country for two years, eight months and five days. He stepped down after the 1971 war and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became the new president on December 20, 1971.

Mr Bhutto stepped down as president and became the prime minister after the enforcement of the 1973 Constitution on August 13, 1973. The 1973 Constitution once again changed the presidential form of government to the parliamentary system with prime minister having the powers of chief executive.

After the 1973 Constitution, the president was to get himself elected by parliament and the provincial assemblies. Mr Bhutto served the country as the president for one year, seven months and 24 days.

Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry of the Pakistan People’s Party became president on August 13, 1973, and remained in the office till September 16, 1978.

Gen Ziaul Haq toppled the government of Mr Bhutto on July 5, 1977, and became the chief marshal law administrator. Later, he declared himself president on September 16, 1978. Gen Zia assumed more powers through the Eighth Amendment which even gave him the power to dissolve the National Assembly. He conducted the first ever non-party general elections in 1985 which were boycotted by major political parties. He used Article 58 2(B) on May 29, 1988, and dismissed the government of Mohammad Khan Junejo. Gen Zia died in a plane crash near Bahawalpur on August 17, 1988, after remaining in the presidency for 11 years, one month and 12 days.

Before his death, Gen Zia had announced another non-party elections in the country but the Supreme Court ordered holding of the polls on party basis.

After Zia’s death, Ghulam Ishaq Khan assumed the office of the president by virtue of his position as Senate chairman. He, however, was later elected by the assemblies for another term after the 1988 elections.

Ghulam Ishaq Khan remained in the Presidency for four years, 11 months and one day till July 18, 1993. He used Article 58-2(B) twice, first to dismiss the Benazir government and then the Nawaz government which was later restored by the court.

After resignation by Ishaq Khan, Wasim Sajjad became the president till November 14, 1993, when he handed over the charge to the newly-elected president Sardar Farooq Leghari. Mr Leghari remained in the Presidency for four years and 18 days before his resignation on December 2, 1997, giving Wasim Sajjad another chance to become the country’s 10th president.

After the 1997 elections, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) formed the government with a two-third majority and it nominated Justice (retired) Rafiq Tarar as the country’s new president.

Mr Tarar remained in the office from January 1998 to June 20, 2001, when he was forced to resign by Gen Musharraf who declared himself as the president. Thus, Tarar’s tenure lasted for three years, six months and 19 days.