All-Pakistan Awami League

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All-Pakistan Awami League
آل پاکستان عوامی لیگ
নিখিল পাকিস্তান আওয়ামী লীগ
AbbreviationAL
Founder Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
FoundedFebruary 1950 (1950-02)
Banned26 March 1971 (1971-03-26)
Merger of EPAML
JAML
JML
Preceded byJinnah Awami Muslim League
Succeeded by NAP (1957)
PDP (1967)
NPL (1968)
AL (1971)
HeadquartersHaroon Abdullah Road, Karachi, Sindh
Newspaper Ittefaq
Student wing Pakistan Students' League
Ideology Left-wing nationalism
Democratic socialism
Secularism
Political position Left-wing
National affiliation COP (1965)
Colors  Green
Election symbol
baaNlaadesh aaoy'aamii liiger prtiik.svg
Boat
Party flag
First Flag of Bangladesh Awami League (1947-1971).svg

The All-Pakistan Awami League (before 1955 the All-Pakistan Awami Muslim League), or simply Awami League, was a Pakistani political party founded by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy in February 1950. Pir of Manki Sharif and Khan Ghulam Mohammad Khan from the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) joined it soon afterwards. [1]

Contents

History

After 1947, the independence of Pakistan, Amin ul-Hasanat, former Muslim League politician in North-West Frontier Province, established Jinnah Awami Muslim League. He got this idea from Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, who advised him this name. [2] In 1949, Suhrawardy advised Shawkat Ali to leave Muslim League and form another political party. Later, Ali discussed with Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, another League politician, to form new party. [3] Then East Pakistan Awami Muslim League was founded by Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani on 23 June 1949. [4]

In 1949, Suhrawardy left Muslim League saying that the party became the party of elites and the party distanced itself from people. [5] In the same year, Iftikhar Mamdot was dismissed from the premiership of Punjab and formed a party called Jinnah Muslim League. [5] In 1950, Suhrawardy established All-Pakistan Awami Muslim League in Western Pakistan. [2] The new parties decided to form an alliance named Jinnah Awami Muslim League prior to the provincial elections in 1951. [6] It was also established in Sindh. [2]

Subsequently, the member parties merged in 1952 [2] and used the name All-Pakistan Awami Muslim League. [7] [8] In 1958, the party was banned with all other parties when military rule was started. In 1962, the legal permission was given to revive political parties, but its founder and leader Suhrawardy was arrested and released later. He didn’t want to revive his party, instead he established National Democratic Front. In 1963, Suhrawardy died and on 11 January 1964, politicians of the party's western wing met and revived the West Pakistan Awami League, the western branch of the All-Pakistan Awami League. On 25 January 1964, the party was fully revived with the reformation of its eastern wing named East Pakistan Awami League. [9]

In 1965, the party joined Combined Opposition Parties and supported Fatima Jinnah as a candidate for 1965 Pakistani presidential election. In 1966, the party proposed Six point resolution, calling for greater economy for East Pakistan. [10] In 1967, the party was split into two faction. The supporters of the Pakistan Democratic Movement formed a faction under Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan. The other faction, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was supporter of the Six point resolution. The second faction decided to reform the party without the opposite faction. [11]

In 1968, the party suffered devastatingly as its many important leaders were in jail for Agartala Conspiracy Case. From its revival to the fall of Ayub government, the party's council hasn’t' met. The Anti-Ayub uprising gave the party overwhelming popularity in East Pakistan. [10] In 1969, Nasrullah's faction merged in Pakistan Democratic Party and the Mujib's faction became the only Awami League. [12]

After Operation Searchlight, in a radio address on the evening of March 26, Yahya Khan, the then president of Pakistan, declared the Awami League treasonous and banned the party. In addition to this, the government seized the bank accounts of the Awami League. [13] On 6 July 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation War, the party was dissolved at Siliguri Conference and the provincial branch in East Pakistan succeeded as Bangladesh Awami League. [14]

Officials

President

NameAssumed officeLeft OfficeSource
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy 19501958
Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan 19641967 [15]
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 19681971 [16]

General Secretary

NameAssumed officeLeft officeRef
Abdul Sattar Khan Niazi 1950?
Mahmudul Haq Usmani ?1956
Sheikh Zahiruddin ?1967
Abul Hasnat Muhammad Qamaruzzaman 19681971 [17]

State leaders

Flag of the Prime Minister of Pakistan.svg
Prime Minister of Pakistan
NameTerm in office
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy 1956–1957
Flag of Pakistan.svg
Chief Minister of East Pakistan
NameTerm in office
Ataur Rahman Khan 1956–1958

Electoral history

Pakistan National Assembly elections

ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionGovernment
1955 Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy 16.67%
12 / 72
Increase2.svg 12Increase2.svg 3rdOpposition
1970 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 12,937,16239.2%
160 / 300
Increase2.svg 160Increase2.svg 1stBanned

East Pakistan Provincial Assembly elections

ElectionVotes%Seats+/–PositionGovernment
1954
143 / 237
Increase2.svg 143Increase2.svg 1stCoalition
1970 12,937,16273.2%
288 / 300
Increase2.svg 45Steady2.svg 1stBanned

North-West Frontier Province Provincial Assembly elections

ElectionVotes%Seats+/–PositionGovernment
1951
4 / 85
Increase2.svg 4Increase2.svg 2ndOpposition

Punjab Provincial Assembly elections

ElectionVotes%Seats+/–PositionGovernment
1951
32 / 192
Increase2.svg 32Increase2.svg 2ndOpposition

References

  1. Kamran 2009, p. 269.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Wazed, Jafar (23 June 2024). প্লাটিনাম জয়ন্তী ও নিখিল পাকিস্তান আওয়ামী লীগ. Daily Kalbela (in Bengali).
  3. Ishtiaq, Ahmad (21 April 2021). "রাজনীতির অনন্য পুরোধা শওকত আলী ও ১৫০ মোগলটুলি". The Daily Star (in Bengali).
  4. Jahan, Rounaq (2015). Political parties in Bangladesh: challenges of democratization. Dhaka: Prothoma Prokashan. p. 124. ISBN   978-984-90039-3-9.
  5. 1 2 Paracha, Nadeem F. (26 January 2017). "The Muslim League: A factional history". Dawn .
  6. Kamran 2009, p. 264.
  7. Kamran 2009, p. 274.
  8. Report on general elections Pakistan 1970–71. Vol. I. Election Commission of Pakistan. 1972. p. 71.
  9. Qureshi, Saleem M. M. (1966). "Party Politics in the Second Republic of Pakistan". Middle East Journal. 20 (4). Middle East Institute: 456–472.
  10. 1 2 Rashiduzzaman, M. (1970). "The Awami League in the Political Development of Pakistan". Asian Survey. 10 (7). University of California Press: 574–587.
  11. "ছ-দফাপন্থীদের নিখিল পাকিস্তান সংগঠন আওয়ামী লীগ কোন্দল নতুন পর্যায়ে উপনীত". Daily Pakistan (in Bengali). 28 August 1967.
  12. Hussain, Akhtar (2020). "Historical Account of the National Democratic Front (1962) in the Framework of Structural Functionalism". Asian Journal of International Peace & Security. 4 (1). FAIRLIPS: 309–315.
  13. Chowdhury 2021, pp. 58.
  14. Haque, Muhammad Lutful (4 February 2024). "মুক্তিযুদ্ধের অজানা অধ্যায়". Prothom Alo (in Bengali).
  15. "Mujibur Rahman leaves for Dacca". Dawn. 24 July 1965.
  16. "No alliance with any party before elections : Mujib". Morning News. 5 July 1970.
  17. "পশ্চিম পাকিস্তানে ঐতিহাসিক সফরশেষে আজ শেখ মুজিবের ঢাকা প্রত্যাবর্তন". The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). 6 July 1970.

Bibliography