One of the reasons given by Field Marshal Ayub Khan for imposing martial law in the country in late 1958 was that it doesn’t suit genius of the people of this country.
It seems three episodes had led him to form this opinion. First, Pakistan had changed six prime ministers in six years time and second, deputy speaker of the then East Pakistan assembly got killed in a brawl on the floor of the House amongst the MPAs. Third, the then prime minister of India Pandit Nehru had sarcastically remarked over the frequent change of PMs in this country that he doesn’t change as many dhotis in a year as Pakistan changes its prime ministers.
One would have thought that the politicians who came into power in this country later particularly, those with two thirds majority in the assemblies would mend their way and would not repeat the follies of their predecessors in office but in vain. Like the Bourbons they learnt nothing and forgot nothing and didn’t set up healthy political traditions nor undertake policies in various sectors of life for the amelioration of the lot of common man. They were either big landlords or industrialists and business tycoons who looked after the interests of the monied class more rather than the man in the street thus proving that the above mentioned observation of FM Ayub Khan wasn’t far wrong.
