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Pak Studies History IGCSEPDF 149
181 pagesrevision 46928
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1- Awami League won in East Pak (160
out of 162 seats).
2- ZAB won 81 out of 138 in West Pak.
3- Yaḥyā and ZAB did not want Mujīb
to take over NA.
4- Mujīb wanted to include six points in
constitution.
5- Talks failed between Mujīb and ZAB
language
2- More population- less representation
in national assembly.
3- Economic disparity between East and
West Pakistan.
a. Less industrial base of East Pakistan.
b. Economic domination of 22 West Pakistan families.
c. Bhola cyclone, 500,000 died
d. Less salaries of East Pakistanis in all cadres.
4- Communicational difficulties (1000
miles distance).
5- Mujīb’s six points were not accepted.
Answer: Right from the inception of Pakistan, Quaid-i Āzam declared Urdu as the only
national language because of his belief of ‘One nation one language’. He believed that more
languages
of one nation results in division of the nation. So, Urdu as an only official language was
resisted by the Bengali nationalists. Secondly, instead of more population of East
Pakistan55% of the total population, they had equal
representation in the National assembly. Which meant that the power was vested in West
Pakistan.
There was a visible economic disparity between East and west Pakistan where most of the
economic policies benefited West Pakistan. East Pakistan had a weak industrial base. 22
families of West Pakistan had dominated the most of Pakistan’s wealth. Floods and cyclones
further aggravated the economic situation of East Pakistan. Bhola cyclones in 1970 killed as
many as 500,000 people in East Pakistan and West Pakistan remained indifferent (allegedly)
to this cyclone. Senior civilian and Army officials were all from West Pakistan so that the
power crux remains in West Pakistan. The salaries of West Pakistan were also more than
that off East Pakistan.They even boycotted
Ayūb’s celebration of ‘Decade of Development’ in 1968/69.
Communication difficulties because of 1000 miles distance between the two units. Also,
Sheikh Mujeeb’s six points were not accepted by the West Pakistan. It was considered as
one of their main deprivations. In 1970 elections, majority party was Awami League but they
were not offered to form the government. Military crackdown against East Pakistan in 1971
was the last nail in the coffin.
Q: Why did the victory of Awami League in the 1970 elections in Pakistan cause a
constitutional crisis? [7]