Abstract

From 1947 to 1971 Balochistan was governed by central government and it got its provincial status on 1 July 1970. This was the time when General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan imposed 2nd Martial lawon 26 March, 1969. The Martial Law authorities dissolved the one unit and restored old provinces of West Pakistan with new province of Baluchistan. The general election was held in 1970 and gave anopportunity to the people of Balochistan to be represented by leaders from within their own provinces. The provincial assembly of Balochistan had 40 seats on which different political parties contested election.In NWFP and Balochistan NAP and JUI got clear majorities.After the loss of East Pakistan, in16 Dec 1971, Yahya was criticized and he resigned. The power was transferred to Bhutto who thus became the first civilian martial law administrator and president of Pakistan\on December 20, 1971. In Punjab and Sindh Pakistan People’s Party formed its ministries but in Balochistan and NWFP it was not in position to form government. In these circumstances Bhutto government made a positive move to meet the challenge of building a new federal Pakistan, and asked the majority party of the NWFP and Balochistan to cooperate with him in the creation of democratic system. NAP was banned by Yahya regime but as a good gestureBhutto lifted this ban. 1 In Balochistan and NWFP NAP and JUI were allowed to form their ministries. In BalochistanSardarAttaullah khan Mengal formed his ministries but within short times bad faith was created between central and pronincial political elites which resulted the imposition of central rule in Balochistan. This paper tries to through light on circumstances in which the first political government of Balochistan dismissed.