View source for West Pakistan

{{Short description|Former provincial wing of Pakistan (1955–1970)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = West Pakistan
| native_name            = {{nobold|পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান ([[Bengali language|Bengali]])<br />{{nq|مغربى پاکستان}} ([[Urdu language|Urdu]])}}
| common_name            = West Pakistan
| image_flag             = 
| image_coat             = Emblem of West Pakistan (green version).svg
| symbol_type            = Seal
| image_map              = West Pakistan (orthographic projection).png
| image_map_caption      = Location of West Pakistan (dark green){{efn|[[Islamabad]] was separated from West Pakistan in 1967 to form [[Islamabad Capital Territory]]}}, the rest of Pakistan (light green){{efn|The territories of [[Gilgit-Baltistan|Northern Areas]] and [[Azad Jammu and Kashmir]] were administered directly by the [[Government of Pakistan|federal government]] and hence were not made a formal part of West Pakistan, despite geographically being in the western half of Pakistan until [[Bangladesh Liberation War|1971]].}} and territories claimed by the [[Government of Pakistan|federal government]] (pink){{efn|post-[[Sino-Pakistan Agreement|2 March 1963]] border between [[China]] and Pakistan}}
| anthem                 = [[Qaumi Taranah]]
| status                 = [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Administrative unit]] of [[Pakistan]]
| government_type        = [[Autonomy|Self-governing wing]] subject to the [[Government of Pakistan|federal government]]
| capital                = [[Lahore]]
| largest_city           = Lahore (1955–1959)<br />[[Karachi]] (1959–1970){{efn|Karachi was amalgamated into the province in 1959 upon the dissolution of the [[Federal Capital Territory (Pakistan)|Federal Capital Territory]] — with [[Rawalpindi]] (in West Pakistan, not as a separate territory) becoming the temporary federal capital until 1967.}}
| official_languages     = {{Hlist|[[Urdu]]|[[English language|English]]}}
| languages_type         = Native languages
| languages              = {{Hlist|[[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]|[[Pashto]]|[[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]|[[Balochi language|Balochi]]|[[Brahui language|Brahui]]|[[Khowar language|Khowar]]|[[Kohistani languages|Kohistani]]}}
| legislature            = [[Provincial Assembly of the Punjab#List of Assemblies|Legislative Assembly]]
| 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{{efn|March to October}}
| title_deputy           = [[List of Governors of Pakistan|Governors]]
| deputy1                = [[Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani]]
| year_deputy1           = 1955–1957
| deputy2                = [[Akhter Husain]]
| year_deputy2           = 1957–1960
| deputy3                = [[Amir Mohammad Khan]]
| year_deputy3           = 1960–1966
| deputy4                = [[Musa Khan (general)|Musa Khan]]
| year_deputy4           = 1966–1969
| deputy5                = [[Yusuf Haroon]]
| year_deputy5           = 1969{{Efn|March to September}}
| deputy6                = [[Malik Nur Khan]]
| year_deputy6           = 1969–1970
| deputy7                = [[Attiqur Rahman]]{{Efn|As Martial Law Administrator}}
| year_deputy7           = 1970–1971
| era                    = Cold War
| event_start            = [[One Unit|Established]]
| date_start             = 14 October
| year_start             = 1955
| event_end              = {{nowrap|[[Legal Framework Order, 1970|Dissolved]]<ref name="Story of Pakistan, West Pakistan">{{cite web |last= |title=West Pakistan Established as One Unit [1955] |url=http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A137 |date=June 2003 |publisher=[[Story of Pakistan]], West Pakistan |access-date=27 February 2012 |archive-date=30 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130210717/http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A137 |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}
| date_end               = 1 July
| year_end               = 1970
| p1                     = West Punjab{{!}}'''1955:'''<br />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 Province (1876–1955){{!}} 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:'''<br />Gwadar (Omani Territory)
| flag_p11               = Flag of Muscat.svg
| p12                    = Federal Capital Territory (Pakistan){{!}}'''1961:'''<br />Federal Capital Territory
| flag_p12               = Flag of Pakistan.svg
| p13                    = Amb (princely state){{!}}'''1969:'''<br />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:'''<br />Islamabad Capital Territory
| flag_s1                = Flag of Pakistan.svg
| s2                     = Punjab, Pakistan{{!}}'''1970:'''<br />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]]
| demonym                = {{Hlist|Pakistani|West Pakistani}}
| currency               = [[Pakistani rupee]]
| time_zone              = [[UTC+05:00]]
| area_km2               = 796096
| population_census      = 33,740,000<ref name="pbs">[http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/other/pocket_book2006/2.pdf Report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920213536/http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/other/pocket_book2006/2.pdf |date=20 September 2018}}</ref>|
| population_census_year = 1951
}}
{{History of Pakistan}}
{{Former administrative units of Pakistan}}
'''West Pakistan''' was the western province of [[Pakistan]] between [[One Unit|1955]] and [[Legal Framework Order, 1970|1970]], covering the territory of present-day Pakistan.<ref name="Story of Pakistan, West Pakistan" /> Its land borders were with [[Afghanistan]], [[India]] and [[Iran]], with a maritime border with [[Oman]] in the [[Gulf of Oman]] in the [[Arabian Sea]].

Following its independence from [[British Raj|British rule]], the new [[Dominion of Pakistan]] was physically separated into two exclaves, with the western and eastern wings geographically separated from each other by [[Dominion of India|India]]. The western wing of Pakistan comprised three [[Governor#British Empire and Commonwealth Realm|governor's provinces]] (the [[North-West Frontier Province|North-West Frontier]], [[West Punjab]] and [[Sind Province (1936–55)|Sind]]), one [[Chief commissioner#Colonial|chief commissioner's province]] ([[Baluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province)|Baluchistan]]) along with the [[Baluchistan States Union]], several [[Princely states of Pakistan|independent princely states]] (notably [[Bahawalpur (princely state)|Bahawalpur]], [[Chitral (princely state)|Chitral]], [[Dir (princely state)|Dir]], [[Hunza (princely state)|Hunza]], [[Khairpur (princely state)|Khairpur]] and [[Swat (princely state)|Swat]]), the [[Federal Capital Territory (Pakistan)|Karachi Federal Capital Territory]], and the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas|autonomous tribal areas]] adjoining the North-West Frontier Province.<ref name="Story of Pakistan, West Pakistan" /> The eastern wing of the new country—known as [[East Pakistan]]—comprised the single province of [[East Bengal]] (which included the former [[Assam]]ese district of [[Sylhet Division|Sylhet]] and the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]]).

West Pakistan was the politically dominant division of the Pakistani union, despite East Pakistan making up more than half of its population. The eastern wing also had a disproportionately small number of seats in the [[Constituent Assembly of Pakistan|Constituent Assembly]]. This administrative inequality between the two wings, coupled with the major geographical distance between them, was believed to be delaying the [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1956|adoption of a constitution for Pakistan]]. To aid in diminishing the differences between the two regions, the [[Government of Pakistan|Pakistani government]] decided to reorganize the country into two distinct provinces under the [[One Unit|One Unit policy]] announced by then [[Prime Minister of Pakistan|Pakistani Prime Minister]] [[Chaudhry Muhammad Ali]] on 22 November 1954.

In 1970, the [[President of Pakistan]] [[General (Pakistan)|General]] [[Yahya Khan]] enacted a series of territorial, constitutional and military reforms. These established the [[:Category:Provincial Assemblies of Pakistan|provincial assemblies]], [[Parliament of Pakistan|state parliament]], as well as the current provisional borders of [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Pakistan's four official provinces]]. On 1{{nbsp}}July 1970, West Pakistan was abolished under the [[Legal Framework Order, 1970|Legal Framework Order of 1970]], which dissolved the One Unit policy and restored the four provinces.<ref name="Story of Pakistan, West Pakistan" /> This order had no effect on East Pakistan, which retained the geopolitical position established in 1955.<ref name="Story of Pakistan, West Pakistan" /> The following year saw a [[Bangladesh Liberation War|major war]] erupt between West Pakistan and [[Provisional Government of Bangladesh|Bengali nationalists]] in East Pakistan with their own [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] [[Mukti Bahini|military]]. After a full-scale [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|military intervention by India]] in support of the Bengali freedom fighters and after subsequent defeat of [[Pakistan Armed Forces|Pakistan military]], the province of East Pakistan [[Secession|seceded]] from its union with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as the new [[Bangladesh|People's Republic of Bangladesh]].

==Political history==
{{Main|Political history of Pakistan|Provinces of Pakistan}}
[[File:West Pakistan Map.gif|thumb|right|300px|Geography of West Pakistan]]

===Independence after British colonial period===
At the time of the [[Pakistan Movement|state establishment]] in 1947, the [[:Category:Leaders of the Pakistan Movement|founding fathers]] of Pakistan participated in the [[Radcliffe Line|Boundary Commission]] conference. Headed by [[Cyril Radcliffe, 1st Viscount Radcliffe|Cyril Radcliffe]], the commission was tasked with negotiating the arrangement, area division, and future political set up of Pakistan and India.

Pakistan was formed from two distinct areas, separated by {{convert|1000|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=off}} of India. The western state was composed of three Governor's provinces ([[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|North-West Frontier]], [[West Punjab|West-Punjab]] and [[Sind Province (1936–1955)|Sindh Province]]), one Chief Commissioner's province ([[Baluchistan (Chief Commissioners Province)|Baluchistan Province]]), the [[Baluchistan States Union]], several other [[princely states]] (notably [[Bahawalpur State|Bahawalpur]], [[Chitral]], [[Dir (princely state)|Dir]], [[State of Hunza|Hunza]], [[Khairpur, Pakistan|Khairpur]] and [[Swat (Pakistan)|Swat]]), the Federal Capital Territory (around [[Karachi]]) and the [[FATA|tribal areas]].<ref name="Story of Pakistan, West Pakistan" /> The eastern wing of the new country – East Pakistan – formed the single province of [[East Bengal]], including the former [[Assam]] district of [[Sylhet]] and the [[Hill Tracts]].

West Pakistan experienced great problems related to the divisions, including ethnic and racial friction, lack of knowledge, and uncertainty of where to demarcate the permanent [[border]]s.<ref name="Story of Pakistan (Part I)">{{cite web|last=SP|title=Post Independence Problems|date=June 2003|url=http://storyofpakistan.com/post-independence-problems/|publisher=Story of Pakistan|access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref> East Pakistan, Balochistan, and the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)|North-West Frontier Province]] experienced little difficulty, but [[Punjab (region)|Southern Pakistani Punjab]] faced considerable problems that had to be fixed.<ref name="Story of Pakistan (Part I)" /> Former [[East Punjab]] was integrated with the [[Indian Government|Indian administration]] and millions of Punjabi Muslims were expelled to be replaced by a Sikh and Hindu population and vice versa.<ref name="Story of Pakistan (Part II)">{{cite web|last=KHK|title=Refugees in West Pakistan |url=http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A051&Pg=2 | publisher=Story of Pakistan (Part II)|access-date=21 March 2012}}</ref> The communal violence spread to all over the [[Indian subcontinent]]. Economic rehabilitation efforts needing the attention of Pakistan's founding fathers further escalated the problems.<ref name="Story of Pakistan (Part II)" />

The division also divided the [[natural resources]], [[Industrial sector|industries]], [[Infrastructure#Economic|economic infrastructure]], [[manpower]], and [[Armed forces|military might]], with India as the larger share owner.<ref name="Story of Pakistan (Part III)">{{cite web|last=SoP|title=Division of Resources |url=http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A051&Pg=3|publisher=Story of Pakistan (Part III)|access-date=21 March 2012}}</ref> India retained 345 million in population<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.populstat.info/Asia/indiac.htm | title = INDIA: historical demographical data of the whole country | first = Jan | last = Lahmeyer | year = 2003 | access-date = 20 September 2013}}</ref> (91%) to Pakistan's 35 million<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.populstat.info/Asia/pakistac.htm | title = PAKISTAN: historical demographical data of the whole country | first = Jan | last = Lahmeyer | year = 2003 | access-date = 20 September 2013 | archive-date = 24 September 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170924225810/http://www.populstat.info/Asia/pakistac.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref> (9%). Land area was divided as 78% to India and 22% to Pakistan. Military forces were divided up with a ratio of 64% for India and 36% for Pakistan.<ref name="Palgrave Macmillan (15 September 2005)">{{cite book|last=Talbot|first=Ian|title=Pakistan: A Modern History|date=15 September 2005|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan (15 September 2005)|location=United States|isbn=978-1-4039-6459-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/pakistanmodernhi00talb_0/page/448 448 pages]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/pakistanmodernhi00talb_0/page/448}}</ref> Most of the military assets – such as weapons depots and military bases – were located inside India; facilities in Pakistan were mostly obsolete, and they had a dangerously low ammunition reserve of only one week.<ref name="Palgrave Macmillan (15 September 2005)" /> Four [[Division (military)|divisions]] were raised in West Pakistan, whilst one division was raised in East Pakistan.<ref name="Palgrave Macmillan (15 September 2005)" />

===Parliamentary democracy===
{{Main|Democracy in Pakistan}}
[[File:Invitation to Pakistan.ogv|right|thumb|Jacqueline Kennedy visiting West Pakistan, c. 1960.]]
From the time of its establishment, the [[State of Pakistan]] had the vision of a federal parliamentary democratic republic form of government. With the founding fathers remaining in West Pakistan, [[Liaquat Ali Khan]] was appointed the [[List of Prime Ministers of Pakistan|country's first]] [[Prime minister of Pakistan|prime minister]], with [[Mohammad Ali Jinnah]] as [[Governor-General of Pakistan|Governor-General]]. West Pakistan claimed the [[exclusive mandate]] over all of Pakistan, with the majority of the [[Pakistan Movement]]'s leading figures in West Pakistan. In 1949, the [[Constituent Assembly of Pakistan|Constituent Assembly]] passed the [[Objectives Resolution]] and the [[Annex to the Constitution of Pakistan]], paving the road to a [[Liberal democracy|Westernized]] [[Federation|federal]] [[parliamentary republic]]. The work on parliamentary reforms was constituted by the constituent assembly the year after, in 1950.

The western section of Pakistan dominated the politics of the new country. Although East Pakistan had over half of the population, it had a disproportionately small number of seats in the Constituent Assembly. This inequality of the two wings and the geographical distance between them was believed to be holding up the adoption of a new [[Constitution of Pakistan|constitution]]. To diminish the differences between the two regions, the government decided to reorganise the country into two distinct provinces.

Under the [[One Unit]] policy announced by Prime Minister [[Muhammad Ali Bogra]] on 22 November 1954, the four provinces and territories of western Pakistan were integrated into one unit to mirror the single province in the east. The state of West Pakistan was established by the merger of the provinces, states, and tribal areas of West Pakistan. The province was composed of twelve [[Subdivisions of Pakistan#History of Pakistan|divisions]] and the provincial capital was established at [[Karachi]]. Later the state capital moved to [[Lahore]], and it was finally established in [[Islamabad]] in 1965. The province of [[East Bengal]] was renamed [[East Pakistan]] with the provincial [[state capital]] at [[Dhaka]] (Dacca).

Clashes between West Pakistan and East Pakistan soon erupted, further destabilising the entire country. The two states had different political ideologies{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} and different lingual cultural aspect. West Pakistan had been founded on the main basis of a parliamentary democracy (and had a [[parliamentary republic]] form of government since 1947), with Islam as its state religion. In contrast, East Pakistan had been a [[socialist state]] since the [[Elections in Pakistan|1954 elections]],{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} with [[state secularism]] proclaimed.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} West Pakistan sided with the United States and her [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO allies]], whilst East Pakistan remained sympathetic to the [[Soviet Union]] and her [[Eastern Bloc]].{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} Pakistan's [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1956|1956 constitution]] validated the parliamentary form of government, with Islam as state religion and Urdu, English and Bengali as state languages. The 1956 constitution also established the [[Parliament of Pakistan]] as well as the [[Supreme Court of Pakistan]].

Ethnic and [[1953 Lahore riots|religious violence]] in [[Lahore]], which began in 1953, spread all over the country. [[Muhammad Ali Bogra]], prime minister of Pakistan, declared martial law in Lahore to curb the violence. This inter-communal violence soon spread to India, and a [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts|regional conflict]] put West Pakistan and India in a war-threatening situation. The prime ministers of Pakistan and India held an emergency meeting in Lahore.

===Military dictatorships===
{{Main|Military coups in Pakistan#Military coups in Pakistan|l1=Martial law in Pakistan }}

From 1947 to 1959, the government was only partially stable. Seven [[List of Prime Ministers of Pakistan|prime ministers]], [[Governor-General of Pakistan#List of office-holders|four]] [[Governor-General of Pakistan|governors-general]], and one [[List of Presidents of Pakistan|president]] were forcefully removed either by [[constitutional coup]] or by [[military coup]]. The [[One Unit]] program was met with harsh opposition, civil unrest, and political disturbance. Support for the [[Muslim League (Pakistan)|Muslim League]] and [[Pakistan Socialist Party]] in the upcoming elections threatened Pakistan's [[Civil Service of Pakistan|technocracy]]. The Muslim League and Socialist Party gained momentum after the League's defeat in the 1954 elections, and the Socialist Party were challenging for the constituencies of the [[President of Pakistan|President]] [[Iskandar Mirza]]'s [[Republican Party (Pakistan)|Republican Party]]. Relations with the United States deteriorated, with the US assessing that democracy in both states was failing.

A US-backed [[1958 Pakistani coup d'état|military coup d'état]] was launched in 1958 by the [[Pakistan Army]] command. The [[Urdu speaking|Urdu-speaking class]] and the [[Bengal|Bengali nation]] were forcefully removed from the affairs of West Pakistan. With the imposition of martial law led by then-[[Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Army|Army Commander-in-Chief]] General [[Ayub Khan (Field Marshal)|Ayub Khan]], the [[state capital]] was moved from Karachi to [[General Headquarters (Pakistan Army)|Army General Combatant Headquarters (The GHQ)]] at [[Rawalpindi]] in 1959, whilst the federal legislature was moved to Dacca. In 1963, Rawalpindi had become in effect a federal capital; a new city was planned and constructed, finally completing in 1965. In 1965, the state capital was finally re-located in Islamabad.

===Dissolution in 1970===
{{Main|1970 Pakistani general election|Six point movement|Legal Framework Order, 1970}}
On contrary perception, the provinces did not benefit from economic progress, but the One Unit program strengthened the central government.<ref name="Dawn Newspapers, 6 August 2002">{{cite news|last=Shahid Javed Burki|title=Those eventful years|url=http://archives.dawn.com/2002/08/06/op.htm|access-date=25 March 2012|newspaper=Dawn Newspapers|date=6 August 2002}}</ref> In West Pakistan, the four provinces also struggled hard for the abolition of One Unit which caused injustices to them as it was imposed on them.<ref name="Dawn Newspapers, 31 December 2005">{{cite news|last=Editorial|title=Punjab vs other provinces|url=http://archives.dawn.com/2005/12/31/letted.htm|access-date=25 March 2012|newspaper=Dawn Newspapers|date=31 December 2005}}</ref>

The provisional powerful committees pressured the central government through the means of civil disobedience, violence on street, raising slogans against the martial law, and attacks on government machines such as police forces.<ref name="Dawn Newspapers, 6 August 2002" /><ref name="Dawn Newspapers, 31 December 2005" /> For several weeks, the four provinces worked together and guided the "One Unit Dissolution Committee", towards resolving all outstanding issues in time set by the Yahya government.<ref name="Dawn Newspapers, 6 August 2002" /><ref name="Akbar">{{cite book | title = Pakistan from Jinnah to Sharif | last = Akbar | first = M.K. | publisher = Mittal Publications | location = New Delhi, India | year = 1997 | isbn = 81-7099-674-0 | page = 51 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=BcIniHQAHfUC}}</ref> Finally, the committee's plan went into effect on 1 July 1970, when West Pakistan's "One Unit" was dissolved, and all power was transferred to the provinces of Balochistan, the [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|North West Frontier Province]], Punjab and Sindh.<ref name="Dawn Newspapers, 6 August 2002" /><ref name="Akbar" />

In the [[1970 Pakistani general election|1970 general elections]] (held in December 1970), the Bengali [[Awami League]] under [[Mujibur Rahman]] won an overall majority of seats in Parliament and all but 2 of the 162 seats allocated to East Pakistan. The Awami League advocated greater autonomy for East Pakistan but the military government did not permit Mujib-ur-Rahman to form a government.

East Pakistan became the independent state of Bangladesh on 16 December 1971. The term West Pakistan became redundant.

== Demographics ==
[[File:Minar e Pakistan.jpg|thumb|Minar-e-Pakistan]]
The total population of the region that composes West Pakistan was approximately 29.6&nbsp;million as per the 1941 census.{{efn|name=Pakistan1941}}

According to the 1961 census, the total population of [[Pakistan]] was 93&nbsp;million, with 42.8&nbsp;million residing in West Pakistan and 50&nbsp;million residing in [[East Pakistan]]. East Pakistan hence made up around 55% of Undivided Pakistan's population whilst remaining 45% was in West Pakistan. West Pakistan also had a marginally faster growing population than East Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Krotki |first=Karol J. |date=1963 |title=Population Size, Growth and Age Distribution: Fourth Release from the 1961 Census of Pakistan |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41258132 |journal=The Pakistan Development Review |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=279–305 |doi=10.30541/v3i2pp.279-305 |jstor=41258132 |issn=0030-9729|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Sanaullah |first=M. |date=1962 |title=Second and Third Release from the Second Population Census of Pakistan, 1961 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41258062 |journal=The Pakistan Development Review |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=106–113 |doi=10.30541/v2i1pp.106-113 |doi-broken-date=12 July 2025 |jstor=41258062 |issn=0030-9729|doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Literacy rate ===
The literacy rate in Pakistan was 19.2%, in which East Pakistan had a literacy rate of 21.5% while West Pakistan had a literacy rate of 16.9%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/753508/east-wing-beats-west-wing-in-literacy-rate|title=East Wing beats West Wing in literacy rate|date=2 October 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Akhtar |first=Jamila |date=1963 |title=Literacy and Education: Fifth Release From the 1961 Census of Pakistan |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41258114 |journal=The Pakistan Development Review |volume=3 |issue=3 |pages=424–442 |doi=10.30541/v3i3pp.424-442 |jstor=41258114 |issn=0030-9729|url-access=subscription |doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Ethnic groups ===
The major ethnic groups of West Pakistan was made up of Punjabis (62%), Pashtuns, Sindhis, Muhajirs, and Balochis.

=== Migration ===
During British India's partition, it was estimated that 15 million were displaced, and nearly more than 2 million consisting of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs were killed in the deadly riots.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/70-years-later-survivors-recall-the-horrors-of-india-pakistan-partition/2017/08/14/3b8c58e4-7de9-11e7-9026-4a0a64977c92_story.html |title=70 years later, survivors recall the horrors of India-Pakistan partition |date=14 August 2017 |first1=Vidhi |last1=Doshi |first2=Nisar |last2=Mehdi |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>
During the period between 1947 and 1950, 8.6 million Muslims had moved to specially Pakistan's [[West Punjab]] region and about 6.7 million Hindus and Sikhs had gone the other way to India's [[East Punjab]] region and thus changing the demography of Pakistan drastically and resulting in overwhelming Muslim majority to this region.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/has-paks-hindu-population-dropped-sharply/articleshow/72686351.cms|title=Has Pak's Hindu population dropped sharply? |work=The Times of India}}</ref>

=== Religion ===
With the exception of the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]], all [[administrative division]]s in the region that would compose West Pakistan after independence collected religious data, with a combined total population of 27,266,001, for an overall response rate of 92 percent. Similar to the contemporary era, where censuses do not collect religious data in [[Azad Jammu and Kashmir]] and [[Gilgit–Baltistan]], the total number of responses for religion is slightly smaller than the total population, as detailed in the table breakdown below.

According to the 1961 census, in West Pakistan, Muslims made up 97.2% of the population, Christians 1.4%, and the remaining 1.4% belonging to other religions.<ref name=":1" />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Religious groups in West Pakistan ([[Census in British India|1941 Census]]){{efn|name=Pakistan1941|1941 figure taken from [[Census in British India|census data]] by combining the total population of all [[administrative division]]s that compose the region of contemporary Pakistan, including [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]],<ref name="punjab1941" />{{efn|name=WestPunjab1941}} [[Sindh]],<ref name="sindh1941" />{{efn|name=Sindh1941}} [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]],<ref name="NWFP1941" /> [[Balochistan]],<ref name="baluchistan1941" /> [[Azad Jammu and Kashmir]],<ref name="JammuKashmir1941" />{{efn|name=AJK1941}} and [[Gilgit–Baltistan]].<ref name="JammuKashmir1941" />{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1941}}}}
! rowspan="2" |Religious<br />group
! colspan="2" |West Pakistan{{efn|name=Pakistan1941}}
! colspan="2" |[[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]]<ref name="punjab1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215541|jstor=saoa.crl.28215541 |access-date=21 August 2022|title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab |year=1941 |volume=6 |author1=India Census Commissioner |page=42}}</ref>{{rp|42}}{{efn|name=WestPunjab1941|1941 figure taken from [[Census in British India|census data]] by combining the total population of all [[Districts of British India|districts]] ([[Lahore District|Lahore]], [[Sialkot District|Sialkot]], [[Gujranwala District|Gujranwala]], [[Sheikhupura District|Sheikhupura]], [[Gujrat District|Gujrat]], [[Shahpur District|Shahpur]], [[Jhelum District|Jhelum]], [[Rawalpindi District|Rawalpindi]], [[Attock District|Attock]], [[Mianwali District|Mianwali]], [[Montgomery District|Montgomery]], [[Lyallpur District|Lyallpur]], [[Jhang District|Jhang]], [[Multan District|Multan]], [[Muzaffargarh District|Muzaffargargh]], [[Dera Ghazi Khan District|Dera Ghazi Khan]]), one [[tehsil]] ([[Shakargarh Tehsil|Shakargarh]] – then part of [[Gurdaspur district|Gurdaspur District]]), one [[princely state]] ([[Bahawalpur (princely state)|Bahawalpur]]), and one tract (Biloch Trans–Frontier) in Punjab Province, British India that ultimately fell on the western side of the [[Radcliffe Line]]. See 1941 census data here:<ref name="punjab1941" /><br />Immediately following the [[Partition of India|partition of India in 1947]], these districts and tract would ultimately make up the subdivision of West Punjab, which also later included [[Bahawalpur (princely state)|Bahawalpur]]. The state that makes up this region in the contemporary era is [[Punjab, Pakistan]].}}
! colspan="2" |[[Sindh]]<ref name="sindh1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215545|jstor=saoa.crl.28215545 |access-date=21 August 2022|title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 12, Sind |year=1941 |volume=12 |author1=India Census Commissioner |page=28}}</ref>{{efn|name=Sindh1941|1941 figure taken from [[Census in British India|census data]] by combining the total population of all [[Districts of British India|districts]] ([[Dadu District|Dadu]], [[Hyderabad District, Sindh|Hyderabad]], [[Karachi]], [[Larkana District|Larkana]], [[Nawabshah District|Nawabshah]], [[Sukkur District|Sukkur]], [[Tharparkar district|Tharparkar]], [[Upper Sind Frontier District|Upper Sind Frontier]]), and one [[princely state]] ([[Khairpur (princely state)|Khairpur]]), in Sindh Province, British India. See 1941 census data here:<ref name="sindh1941" />}}
! colspan="2" |[[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Khyber<br />Pakhtunkhwa]]<ref name="NWFP1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215543|jstor=saoa.crl.28215543 |access-date=21 August 2022|title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 10, North-West Frontier Province |year=1941 |volume=10 |author1=India Census Commissioner |page=22}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |[[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]]<ref name="baluchistan1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215993|jstor=saoa.crl.28215993 |access-date=22 January 2023|title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 14, Baluchistan |year=1942 |volume=14 |author1=India Census Commissioner |pages=13–18}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |[[Azad Jammu and Kashmir|AJK]]<ref name="JammuKashmir1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.28215644|jstor=saoa.crl.28215644 |access-date=28 January 2023|title=Census of India, 1941. Vol. 22, Jammu & Kashmir |year=1941 |volume=22 |author1=India Census Commissioner |pages=337–352}}</ref>{{efn|name=AJK1941|1941 figure taken from [[Census in British India|census data]] by combining the total population of two [[Districts of British India|districts]] ([[Mirpur District|Mirpur]] and [[Muzaffarabad District|Muzaffarabad]]) and one [[Jagir]] ([[Poonch jagir|Poonch]]) in the [[Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir]] that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary self-administrative territory of [[Azad Jammu and Kashmir]]. See 1941 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1941" />}}
! colspan="2" |[[Gilgit–Baltistan|Gilgit–<br />Baltistan]]<ref name="JammuKashmir1941" />{{efn|name=GilgitBaltistan1941|1941 figure taken from [[Census in British India|census data]] by combining the total population of one [[Districts of British India|district]] ([[Astore District|Astore]]) and one agency ([[Gilgit Agency|Gilgit]]) in the [[Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir]] that ultimately would be administered by Pakistan, in the contemporary administrative territory of [[Gilgit–Baltistan]]. See 1941 census data here:<ref name="JammuKashmir1941" />}}
|-
!Total<br />Population
!Percentage
![[Population|{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}]]
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
|-
| [[Islam]] [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|15px]]
! 21,113,214
! {{Percentage | 21113214 | 27266001 | 2 }}
| 13,022,160
| {{Percentage | 13022160 | 17350103 | 2 }}
| 3,462,015
| {{Percentage | 3462015 | 4840795 | 2 }}
| 2,788,797
| {{Percentage | 2788797 | 3038067 | 2 }}
| 785,181
| {{Percentage | 785181 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 939,460
| {{Percentage | 939460 | 1073154 | 2 }}
| 115,601
| {{Percentage | 115601 | 116047 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Hinduism]] [[File:Om.svg|15px]]{{efn|name=ad-dharmiB|Including [[Ad-Dharmi]]s}}
! 3,981,565
! {{Percentage | 3981565 | 27266001 | 2 }}
| 2,373,466
| {{Percentage | 2373466 | 17350103 | 2 }}
| 1,279,530
| {{Percentage | 1279530 | 4840795 | 2 }}
| 180,321
| {{Percentage | 180321 | 3038067 | 2 }}
| 54,394
| {{Percentage | 54394 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 93,559
| {{Percentage | 93559 | 1073154 | 2 }}
| 295
| {{Percentage | 295 | 116047 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Sikhism]] [[File:Khanda.svg|15px]]
! 1,672,753
! {{Percentage | 1672753 | 27266001 | 2 }}
| 1,530,112
| {{Percentage | 1530112 | 17350103 | 2 }}
| 32,627
| {{Percentage | 32627 | 4840795 | 2 }}
| 57,939
| {{Percentage | 57939 | 3038067 | 2 }}
| 12,044
| {{Percentage | 12044 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 39,910
| {{Percentage | 39910 | 1073154 | 2 }}
| 121
| {{Percentage | 121 | 116047 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Christianity]] [[File:Christian cross.svg|15px]]
! 432,724
! {{Percentage | 432724 | 27266001 | 2 }}
| 395,311
| {{Percentage | 395311 | 17350103 | 2 }}
| 20,304
| {{Percentage | 20304 | 4840795 | 2 }}
| 10,889
| {{Percentage | 10889 | 3038067 | 2 }}
| 6,056
| {{Percentage | 6056 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 136
| {{Percentage | 136 | 1073154 | 2 }}
| 28
| {{Percentage | 28 | 116047 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Tribal religions in India|Tribal]]
! 37,603
! {{Percentage | 37603 | 27266001 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 37,598
| {{Percentage | 37598 | 4840795 | 2 }}
| {{N/a}}
| {{N/a}}
| 3
| {{Percentage | 3 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 1073154 | 2 }}
| 2
| {{Percentage | 2 | 116047 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Jainism]] [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg|15px]]
! 13,215
! {{Percentage | 13215 | 27266001 | 2 }}
| 9,520
| {{Percentage | 9520 | 17350103 | 2 }}
| 3,687
| {{Percentage | 3687 | 4840795 | 2 }}
| 1
| {{Percentage | 1 | 3038067 | 2 }}
| 7
| {{Percentage | 7 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 1073154 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 116047 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Zoroastrianism]] [[File:Faravahar.svg|15px]] 
! 4,253
! {{Percentage | 4253 | 27266001 | 2 }}
| 312
| {{Percentage | 312 | 17350103 | 2 }}
| 3,841
| {{Percentage | 3841 | 4840795 | 2 }}
| 24
| {{Percentage | 24 | 3038067 | 2 }}
| 76
| {{Percentage | 76 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 1073154 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 116047 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Judaism]] [[File:Star_of_David.svg|15px]] 
! 1,180
! {{Percentage | 1180 | 27266001 | 3 }}
| 7
| {{Percentage | 7 | 17350103 | 2 }}
| 1,082
| {{Percentage | 1082 | 4840795 | 2 }}
| 71
| {{Percentage | 71 | 3038067 | 2 }}
| 20
| {{Percentage | 20 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 1073154 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 116047 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Buddhism]] [[File:Dharma_Wheel_(2).svg|15px]]
! 266
! {{Percentage | 266 | 27266001 | 3 }}
| 87
| {{Percentage | 87 | 17350103 | 2 }}
| 111
| {{Percentage | 111 | 4840795 | 2 }}
| 25
| {{Percentage | 25 | 3038067 | 2 }}
| 43
| {{Percentage | 43 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 1073154 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 116047 | 2 }}
|-
| Others
! 19,228
! {{Percentage | 19228 | 27266001 | 2 }}
| 19,128
| {{Percentage | 19128 | 17350103 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 4840795 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 3038067 | 2 }}
| 11
| {{Percentage | 11 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 89
| {{Percentage | 89 | 1073154 | 2 }}
| 0
| {{Percentage | 0 | 116047 | 2 }}
|-
! Total responses
! 27,266,001
! {{Percentage | 27266001 | 29643600 | 2 }}
! 17,340,103
! {{Percentage | 17340103 | 17340103 | 2 }}
! 4,840,795
! {{Percentage | 4840795 | 4840795 | 2 }}
! 3,038,067{{efn|name=KPK1941|Religious data only collected in [[North-West Frontier Province|North West Frontier Province]], and not in the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]]. Total responses to religion includes North West Frontier Province, and total population includes both North West Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, both [[administrative division]]s which later amalgamated to become [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]].}}
! {{Percentage | 3038067 | 5415666 | 2 }}
! 857,835
! {{Percentage | 857835 | 857835 | 2 }}
! 1,073,154
! {{Percentage | 1073154 | 1073154 | 2 }}
! 116,047
! {{Percentage | 116047 | 116047 | 2 }}
|-
! Total population
! 29,643,600
! {{Percentage | 29643600 | 29643600 | 2 }}
! 17,340,103
! {{Percentage | 17340103 | 17340103 | 2 }}
! 4,840,795
! {{Percentage | 4840795 | 4840795 | 2 }}
! 5,415,666{{efn|name=KPK1941}}
! {{Percentage | 5415666 | 5415666 | 2 }}
! 857,835
! {{Percentage | 857835 | 857835 | 2 }}
! 1,073,154
! {{Percentage | 1073154 | 1073154 | 2 }}
! 116,047
! {{Percentage | 116047 | 116047 | 2 }}
|}

==Government==
[[File:Pakistan.ogv|thumb|left|1950 film about West Pakistan]]
West Pakistan went through many political changes, and had a multiple political party system. West Pakistan's political system consisted of the popular influential [[Socialism in Pakistan|Left-wing sphere]] against elite [[Zia regime|Right-wing circles]].

===Parliamentary republic===
Since independence, Pakistan had been a [[Federalism|federal]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[constitutional monarchy]] (even as of today, the parliamentary system is the official form of government of Pakistan) with a Prime minister as the [[head of the government]] and a [[List of heads of state of Pakistan#Monarch (1947–1956)|Monarch]] as the [[List of heads of state of Pakistan|head of state]] in a ceremonial office.

The [[Constitution of Pakistan of 1956|1956 Constitution]] provided the country with Parliamentary form of Government and the office of President was inaugurated the same year. The career [[Civil Service of Pakistan|civil service officer]] [[Major-General]] (retired) [[Iskander Mirza]] became the country's first President, but the system did not evolve for more than the three years, when Mirza imposed the martial law in 1958. Mirza appointed [[Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Army|army commander-in-chief]] General Ayub Khan as [[Chief Martial Law Administrator]]; he later turned his back on the President and exiled him to Great Britain after the military government was installed.

The [[Supreme Court of Pakistan]] was a judicial authority, a power broker in country's politics that played a major role in minimising the role of [[Parliament of Pakistan|parliament]]. The Supreme Court was moved to Islamabad in 1965 and [[Chief Justice of Pakistan|Chief Justice]] [[Alvin Robert Cornelius]] re-located the entire judicial arbiter, personnel and high-profile cases in Islamabad. The Supreme Court building is one of the most attractive places in Islamabad, yet the most largely beautiful building in the state capital.

This provisional parliament had no lasting effects of West Pakistan's affairs but it was a ceremonial legislature where the lawmakers would gather around to discuss non-political matters. In 1965, the legislative parliament was moved to [[Islamabad]] after Ayub Khan built a massive capitol. The assembly was renamed as the [[Parliament of Pakistan]] and staffed only with technocrats.

===Governor and chief minister===
The office of Governor of West Pakistan was a largely ceremonial position but later Governors wielded some executive powers as well. The first Governor was [[Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani]], who was also the last Governor of West Punjab. Ayub Khan abolished the Governor's office and instead established the Martial Law Administrator of West Pakistan (MLA West).

The office Chief Minister of West Pakistan was the chief executive of the state and the leader of the largest party in the provincial assembly. The first Chief Minister was [[Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan|Abdul Jabbar Khan]] who had served twice as Chief Minister of the [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province]] prior to independence. The office of Chief Minister was abolished in 1958 when Ayub Khan took over the administration of West Pakistan.

====Governors of West Pakistan====
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Tenure||Governor of West Pakistan<ref name="worldstatesmen">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Pakistan_states.html#West-Pakistan| title=Pakistan Provinces| author=Ben Cahoon, WorldStatesmen.org| access-date=3 October 2007}}</ref>
!Party Background
!Form of Government
|-
|14 October 1955 – 27 August 1957||[[Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani]] ||[[Muslim League (Pakistan)|Muslim League]] || [[Democratic government]]
|-
|September 1957 – 12 April 1960||[[Akhter Husain]] || [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]|| [[Military dictatorship|Martial Law]]
|-
|12 April 1960 – 18 September 1966||[[Amir Mohammad Khan]] ||[[Muslim League (Pakistan)|Muslim League]] || Martial Law
|-
|18 September 1966 – 20 March 1969||General [[Musa Khan (general)|Muhammad Musa]]|| [[Independent (politician)|Independent]] || [[Direct rule|President's Rule]]
|-
|20 March 1969 – 25 March 1969||[[Yusuf Haroon]]|| [[Civil government|Civilian Government]] || President's Rule
|-
!Tenure Term
!Martial Law Administrator
!Type of Government
!Service in effect
|-
|25 March 1969 – 29 August 1969||[[Lieutenant-General]] [[Attiqur Rahman]] || [[Martial Law]] || [[Pakistan Army]]
|-
|29 August 1969 – 1 September 1969||Lieutenant-General [[Tikka Khan]] ||Martial Law || [[Pakistan Army]]
|-
|1 September 1969 – 1 February 1970||[[Air Marshal]] [[Nur Khan]]|| Martial Law|| [[Pakistan Air Force]]
|-
|1 February 1970 – 1 July 1970||Lieutenant-General Attiqur Rahman || Martial Law || [[Pakistan Army]]
|-
|1 July 1970||''Province of West Pakistan dissolved''
|}

====Chief ministers of West Pakistan====
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Tenure||Chief Minister of West Pakistan<ref name="worldstatesmen" />||Political Party
|-
|14 October 1955 – 16 July 1957||[[Dr Khan Sahib]]||[[Pakistan Muslim League]]/[[Republican Party (Pakistan)|Republican Party]]
|-
|16 July 1957 – 18 March 1958||[[Sardar Abdur Rashid Khan]]||[[Republican Party (Pakistan)|Republican Party]]
|-
|18 March 1958 – 7 October 1958||[[Nawab Muzaffar Ali Khan Qizilbash]]||[[Republican Party (Pakistan)|Republican Party]]
|-
|7 October 1958||Office of Chief Minister abolished
|}

===Local government===
The twelve divisions of West Pakistan province were [[Bahawalpur]], [[Dera Ismail Khan]], [[Hyderabad, Pakistan|Hyderabad]], [[Kalat District|Kalat]], [[Khairpur District|Khairpur]], Lahore, [[Malakand Agency|Malakand]], [[Multan]], [[Peshawar]], [[Quetta]], Rawalpindi, and [[Sargodha]]; all named after their capitals except the capital of Malakand was Saidu, and Rawalpindi was administered from Islamabad. The province also incorporated the former [[Oman]]i enclave of [[Gwadar]] following its purchase in 1958, and the former Federal Capital Territory (Karachi) in 1958; the latter in 1960 forming a new division in its own right.

In 1970, the Martial Law Office was dissolved by General Yahya Khan who disestablished the state of West Pakistan. On 1 July 1970, the [[:Category:Provincial Assemblies of Pakistan|provisional assemblies]] of [[Provincial Assembly of Balochistan|Balochistan]], [[Provincial Assembly of the Punjab|Punjab]], [[Provincial Assembly of Sindh|Sindh]], and [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly|Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Prime minister of Pakistan|Office of Prime minister]], and much of the civil institutions were revived and re-established by the decree signed by Yahya Khan. The four [[Provinces of Pakistan|provinces]] and four [[Administrative units of Pakistan|administrative units]] retained their current status and [[Local government in Pakistan|local governments]] were constitutionally established in 1970 to manage and administer the provisional autonomy given to the provinces in 1970.

== Geography ==
West Pakistan was extremely diverse in terms of geography, climate, and variety of wildlife. North-Western West Pakistan was mountainous, Punjab and Sindh were semi-arid, and the Baluchistan region in particular was predominantly desert. West Pakistan had a varied relief, consisting as it does of plains, plateaux and mountains watered by the Indus River and its tributaries. Climatically, West Pakistan had a continental type of climate without extensive rainfall. Due to its low rainfall, the main crops of West Pakistan were wheat, millets, and cotton and any crop that did not require much water.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Ahmad |first=Kazi S. |title=A Geography of Pakistan |publisher=Pakistan Branch, Oxford University Press |year=1969 |edition=2nd |location=Karachi}}</ref>

== Administration ==
West Pakistan Province Comprises in 12 divisions, 45 districts and 6 agencies.
[[File:Administration Divisional Map of West Pakistan Province.jpg|thumb|'''Administration Division Map West Pakistan Province''']]
The administration of West Pakistan Province is given below:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Administration: West Pakistan Province 
! Division!!Districts 
!Agencies
|-
| '''[[Lahore Division]]''' || {{hlist|[[Lahore District|Lahore]]| [[Gujranwala District|Gujranwala]] |[[Sheikhupura District|Sheikhupura]]|[[Sialkot District|Sialkot]]|||| |}}
|               '''N/A'''
|-
| '''[[Rawalpindi Division]]''' || {{hlist|Campbellpur| [[Rawalpindi District|Rawalpindi]] |[[Jhelum District|Jhelum]]|[[Gujrat District|Gujrat]]|||| |}}
|               '''N/A'''
|-
| '''[[Multan Division]]''' || {{hlist|Multan| [[Dera Ghazi Khan District|Dera Ghazi Khan]] |[[Muzaffargarh District|Muzaffargarh]]|[[Montgomery District|Montgomery]]|||| |}}
|               '''N/A'''
|-
| '''[[Bahawalpur Division|Bhawalpur Division]]''' || {{hlist|Bhawalpur|Bhawalnagar|[[Rahimyar Khan District|Rahimyar Khan]]||||| |}}
|               '''N/A'''
|-
| '''[[Sargodha Division]]''' || {{hlist|Sargodha| [[Faisalabad District|Lyallpur]] |[[Mianwali District|Mianwali]]|[[Jhang District|Jhang]]|||| |}}
|                '''N/A'''
|-
| '''[[Peshawar Division]]''' || {{hlist|Peshawar| [[Mardan District|Mardan]] |[[Hazara District|Hazara]]|[[Kohat District|Kohat]]|||| |}} || {{hlist|[[Malakand Agency]] |[[Mohmand Agency]] |[[Khyber Agency]] |[[Khurram Agency]]|||| |}}
|-
| '''[[Dera Ismail Khan Division]]''' || {{hlist|Dera Ismail Khan|Banu|||||| |}} || {{hlist|[[South Waziristan Agency]]|[[North Waziristan Agency]]|||||| |}}
|-
| '''[[Hyderabad Division]]''' || {{hlist|[[Hyderabad District, Pakistan|Hyderabad]] | [[Thar and Parkar District|Tharparkar]] |[[Dadu District|Dadu]]|[[Sanghar District|Sanghar]]| [[Thatta District|Thatta]]||| |}}
|                '''N/A'''
|-
| '''[[Khairpur Division]]''' || {{hlist|Khairpur| [[Sukkur District|Sukkur]] |[[Jacobabad District|Jacobabad]]|[[Larkana District|Larkana]]| [[Shaheed Benazirabad District|Nawabshah]]||| |}}
|                 '''N/A'''
|-
| '''[[Karachi Division|Karachi-Bela Division]]'''(Created in 1960) || {{hlist|[[Karachi District, Pakistan|Karachi]] | [[Lasbela District|Las Bela]] |||||| |}}
|                 '''N/A'''
|-
| '''[[Quetta Division]]''' || {{hlist|[[Quetta District, Pakistan|Quetta-Pashin]] | [[Sibi District|Sibi]] |[[Loralai District|Loralai]]|[[Zhob District|Zhob]]| [[Chagai District|Chagai]]||| |}}
|                 '''N/A'''
|-
| '''[[Kalat Division]]''' || {{hlist|Kalat| [[Makran District|Makran]] |[[Kharan District|Kharan]]||||| |}}
|                '''N/A'''
|}

==Domestic affairs==
{{See also|Federally Administered Tribal Areas|Provincially Administered Tribal Areas|Terrorism in Pakistan}}

===Position toward East Pakistan===
During West Pakistan's conflict with India, East Pakistan's military government remained silent and did not send any troops to exert pressure on [[East India|Eastern India]]. West Pakistan accused East Pakistan of not taking any action, and their inaction caused West Pakistani resentment against East Pakistan's government.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} In fact, the [[Indian Air Force]] [[Eastern Air Command, Indian Air Force|Eastern Air Command]] attacked East Pakistan's Air Force. However, East Pakistan was defended only by the under-strength 14th Infantry Division and sixteen fighter jets; no tanks and no navy were established in East Pakistan.{{Citation needed|date=February 2019}}

===Days of disintegration===
The [[One Unit]] policy was regarded as a rational administrative reform that would reduce expenditure and eliminate provincial prejudices.<ref name="Story of Pakistan (West Pakistan Established as One Unit [1955])">{{cite web|last=SoP|title=Story of Pakistan (West Pakistan Established as One Unit [1955] )|date=June 2003|url=http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A137|publisher=Story of Pakistan (West Pakistan Established as One Unit [1955])|access-date=25 March 2012|archive-date=30 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130210717/http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A137|url-status=dead}}</ref> West Pakistan formed a seemingly [[wikt:Homogeneous|homogeneous]] block, but in reality it comprised marked linguistic and ethnic distinctions. The four provinces did not quite fit official definitions of a single nation.<ref name="Dawn Newspapers, 9 August 2011">{{cite news|last=Rehman|first=Asha’ar|title=One Province leads to many|url=http://www.dawn.com/2011/08/09/one-province-leads-to-many.html|access-date=25 March 2012|newspaper=Dawn Newspapers|date=9 August 2011}}</ref>

The [[Sindhi people|Sindhi]] and [[Urdu speaking|Urdu-speaking class]] in [[Sindh Province]] revolted against the One Unit policy.<ref name="Dawn Newspapers, 28 March 2004">{{cite news|last=Amar Jaleel|title=An unforgivable front|url=http://archives.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/archive/040328/dmag3.htm|access-date=25 March 2012|newspaper=Dawn Newspapers|date=28 March 2004}}</ref> The violence spread to [[Balochistan Province]], [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa]] and [[Punjab Province (Pakistan)|Punjab Province]]. The [[One Unit]] policy was a failure in West Pakistan, and its survival was seen as improbable.<ref name="Dawn Newspapers, 28 March 2004" /> 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.<ref name="Story of Pakistan (West Pakistan Established as One Unit [1955])" />

===Influence of socialism===
{{Main|Socialism in Pakistan}}
Due to West Pakistan's close relations with the United States and the [[capitalist state]]s, the influence of [[Socialism in Pakistan|socialism]] had far more deeper roots in the West Pakistan population. The population favoured socialism but never allied with [[communism]].{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} The [[Pakistan Socialist Party]] had previously lost support due to its anti-Pakistan clauses during the time of the pre-independence movement. However, despite initiatives to improve the population during the Ayub Khan's government, the poor masses did not enjoy the benefits and reforms that were enjoyed by the [[middle class|middle]] and [[gentry]] classes of Pakistan.

After the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1965]], the cultural revolution, resentment, hostility towards the government began to arise when the population felt that "Kashmir cause" was betrayed by President Ayub Khan. Problems further mounted after [[Foreign minister]] [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]] was sacked and vowed to take a revenge. After gathering and uniting the scattered [[democratic socialist]] and [[Marxist]] masses, Bhutto founded the [[Pakistan Peoples Party]] in 1967. The socialists tapped a wave of antipathy against the United States-allied president. The socialists integrated in poor and urban provinces of West Pakistan, educating people to cast their vote for their better future, and the importance of democracy was widely sensed in the entire country. The socialists, under Bhutto's guidance and leadership, played a vital role in managing [[Strike action|labour strikes]] and [[civil disobedience]] to challenge Khan's authority. The military government responded fiercely after arresting the senior socialists' leadership, notably Bhutto, [[Mubashir Hassan]], and [[Malik Meraj Khalid|Malick Mirage]]. This sparked gruesome violence in West Pakistan, thereby increasing pressure on Khan that he was unable to endure. Khan called for a [[Round Table Conference]] in Rawalpindi, but socialists led by Bhutto refused to accept Ayub's continuation in office and rejected the [[Six point movement|6 Point Movement]] for regional autonomy put forth in 1966 by East Pakistani politician [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]].

In 1969, Khan handed over power to Army Chief of Staff General [[Yahya Khan]], who promised to hold elections within two years. Meantime, Bhutto extensively worked to gather and unite the country's [[left-wing]] organisations, which, under [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto|Bhutto]]'s leadership, participated with full force and became vital players in the country's politics.

==Foreign relations==
{{Main|Foreign policy of Pakistan}}

===Afghanistan===
{{Main|Afghanistan–Pakistan skirmishes}}
The long border between West Pakistan and Afghanistan was uneasy. This is due in part to the independent [[Pashtun tribes]] that inhabit the area. In addition, the physical boundary is uncertain: the 1893 [[Durand Line]] was used by West Pakistan to mark the border between the two countries, but Afghanistan has never recognised that frontier.<ref name="FG">{{cite web |url=http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/cp72_grare_final.pdf |title=Carnegie Papers – Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations in the Post-9/11 Era |first=Frédéric |last=Grare |date = October 2006|access-date=2011-02-11}}</ref>

In 1955, diplomatic relations were severed with the ransacking of Pakistan's embassy. In 1961, the [[Pakistan Armed Forces]] and local Pashtun tribes [[Bajaur Campaign|suppressed an Afghan invasion]] in the [[Bajaur Agency|Bajaur]] region of Pakistan.

===India===
{{Further|India–Pakistan relations|Indo-Pakistani War of 1947|Indo-Pakistani War of 1965}}
West Pakistan had hostile relations with India, primarily due to aftermath of the 1947 [[Partition of India|independence]] from the British Empire and the [[Kashmir conflict|issue of Kashmir.]]

In 1965, "[[Operation Gibraltar]]" had long-ranging negative effects, outside and inside the country. Foreign minister [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]] and [[Defence Minister of Pakistan|Defence minister]] [[Vice-Admiral]] [[Afzal Rahman Khan]] approached President Ayub Khan for approval of a covert operation to infiltrate Indian-administered [[Kashmir]] using airborne troops from the [[Pakistan Army]] ([[Special Service Group]]) and [[Pakistan Air Force]] ([[Special Service Wing]]). During nights in August 1965, airborne troops parachuted into Indian Kashmir whilst ground assault began by Pakistan Army's troops. The airborne troops managed to occupy much of Indian-administered Kashmir and were only {{convert|10|km|0}} from [[Srinagar]], but this was the closest Pakistani troops ever got to capturing the city. In September 1965, India launched a counter-attack and the airborne troops were pushed back to what is today [[Azad Kashmir]]. Indian forces also crossed the ceasefire line into Azad Kashmir and captured the Haji Pir pass.

Subsequently, Pakistan launched [[Operation Grand Slam]], which gained significant momentum. Grand Slam was aborted after India launched an all out attack on West Pakistan, for which Pakistani troops had to be diverted. The [[Soviet Union]] intervened in the conflict in September 1965 (for fear of escalation), and the month–long war ended with no permanent territorial changes. West Pakistan and India signed the [[Tashkent Declaration]] in January 1966, but the ceasefire was criticised both in India and Pakistan, and public resentment against each other grew. In West Pakistan, Ayub Khan deposed Bhutto as his Foreign minister, and Vice-Admiral Khan blamed Bhutto for the operation's failure. As an aftermath, Bhutto tapped into an anti-Ayub Khan movement and kicked off a storm of civil disobedience. Protests and spontaneous demonstrations broke out around the country, and Ayub Khan lost the control. In 1967, another martial law was imposed by another Army Commander-in-Chief, General Yahya Khan, who designated himself as the Chief Martial Law Administrator.

===People's Republic of China===
{{Main|People's Republic of China–Pakistan relations}}
West Pakistan had positive relations with the People's Republic of China, with whom it shared a small northern border.

In 1950, Pakistan was among the first countries to end official diplomatic relations with the Taiwanese [[Republic of China]] and recognise the [[People's Republic of China|PRC]]. After that, both countries maintained an extremely close and supportive relationship.<ref name="bbcnews">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13418957|title= Pakistani PM hails China as his country's 'best friend'|publisher=BBC News|access-date=17 May 2011|date=17 May 2011}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/world/asia/13pstan.html|title= Pakistan President to Visit China, a Valued Ally|work=The New York Times|access-date=12 October 2008|first=Salman|last=Masood|date=13 October 2008}}</ref> The PRC provided economic, military and technical assistance to Pakistan during the [[Cold War]], and the two countries considered each other to be close strategic [[Alliance|allies]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/7384378.html|title=China, Pakistan joined in bonds of brotherhood|access-date=18 May 2011|work=People's Daily}}</ref>

===Soviet Union===
{{Main|Pakistan-Soviet Union relations}}
Relations varied from cool to extremely strained between West Pakistan and the Soviet Union. This was during the [[Cold War]], and Pakistan's close ties with the United States came at the expense of relations with the Soviets.

Soviet-Pakistan relations were further eroded during the [[1960 U-2 incident]], when the Soviets shot down a US spyplane; [[Army Chief of Staff (Pakistan)|Army Chief-of-Staff]] [[Ayub Khan (Field Marshal)|Ayub Khan]] had given the US permission to fly out of [[Peshawar Air Station]] on reconnaissance and covert surveillance missions over the Soviet Union.

The USSR backed India during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]. The Soviets were the biggest supplier of military hardware to India at that time.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sharma|first=Ram|title=India-USSR relations|year=1999|publisher=Discovery Publishing House|location=United States|isbn=81-7141-486-9}}</ref>

===United States===
{{Main|Pakistan-United States relations}}
The United States was one of the first nations to establish relations with Pakistan upon its independence.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-01-02 |title='Tempestuous' Defines US-Pakistan Alliance |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/timeline-of-pakistan-and-us-relations/4190104.html |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref>

Pakistan was allied with the US during the [[Cold War]] against the [[Soviet Union|USSR]]. Pakistan was an integral member of the [[Southeast Asia Treaty Organization]] (SEATO) and the [[Central Treaty Organization]] (CENTO), both alliances opposed to the [[Soviet Union]] and [[communism]].

A major factor in Pakistan's decision to ally with the [[Western world|West]] was their urgent need for aid.<ref name="Dawn Newspaper, Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (1950)">{{cite news|last=Ardeshir Cowasjee|title=A recap of Soviet-Pakistan relations|url=http://www.dawn.com/2011/03/13/a-recap-of-soviet-pakistan-relations.html|access-date=26 February 2012|newspaper=Dawn Newspaper, Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (1950)|date=13 March 2011}}</ref> In the years that followed, the US supplied extensive economic, scientific, and military assistance to Pakistan.<ref name="LA">{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-pakistan-20110507,0,2721411.story?track=rss|title=U.S.-Pakistan relations: An unhappy alliance|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=7 May 2011 }}</ref>

This close relationship continued through Pakistan's years of democracy and military rule. Relations only soured after West Pakistan had dissolved into Pakistan, when the [[Left-wing politics|left-oriented]] [[Pakistan Peoples Party]] came to power in 1971.

==See also==
* [[East Pakistan]]
* [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
* [[List of speakers of the West Pakistan Legislative Assembly]]
* [[Pakistan Movement]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|West Pakistan}}

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:West Pakistan| ]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1947]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1970]]
[[Category:Former provinces of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Post-independence history of Pakistan]]
[[Category:1950s establishments in Pakistan]]
[[Category:1960s establishments in Pakistan]]
[[Category:1970s establishments in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Anti-communism in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Socialism in Pakistan]]
[[Category:1947 establishments in Pakistan]]
[[Category:1970 disestablishments in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]