From 1949 to 2026: A history of emergency, governor’s rule in Pakistan

Pakistan has experienced several periods of emergency rule and governor’s rule since independence, with federal authorities assuming greater powers during political and security crises.

The first instance of governor’s rule in West Punjab began on January 25, 1949, after Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan dismissed Chief Minister Nawab Mamdot’s government. Sindh was placed under governor’s rule from December 1951 to May 1953 following the dismissal of Chief Minister Ayub Khuhro.

In October 1954, Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad declared a state of emergency and dissolved the Constituent Assembly. The dissolution was subsequently upheld by the Federal Court in 1955.

In 1958, President Iskander Mirza abrogated the 1956 Constitution before General Ayub Khan took power. General Yahya Khan imposed another emergency in 1969 and abrogated the 1962 Constitution.

Governor’s rule was imposed in Balochistan in 1973 under Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, removing Chief Minister Sardar Attaullah Mengal. In 1975, the then North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was placed under governor’s rule following the assassination of Hayat Muhammad Khan Sherpao. The measure ended in May that year.

In July 1977, General Ziaul Haq imposed martial law and held the 1973 Constitution in abeyance. Sindh experienced governor’s rule again in 1988 after the dismissal of its caretaker provincial government.

In August 1990, President Ghulam Ishaq Khan declared an emergency after dismissing Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s government. Governor’s rule was imposed in NWFP from February to April 1994 after the dismissal of Chief Minister Pir Sabir Shah.

Pakistan declared a state of emergency following its nuclear tests in May 1998. In October 1999, General Pervez Musharraf ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and held the Constitution in abeyance. Musharraf declared another emergency in November 2007, which remained in force until December 15.

In 2009, Punjab’s chief minister and ministers were removed following the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif, while the provincial assembly remained in place.

In January 2013, the federal government dismissed Balochistan’s provincial government following deadly attacks in Quetta that killed around 100 members of the Hazara Shia community.

Most recently, on October 11, 2026, President Asif Ali Zardari imposed governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the advice of the federal government.