Chief Martial Law Administrator Explained

The office of the Chief Martial Law Administrator was a senior and authoritative post with Zonal Martial Law Administrators as deputies created in countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia that gave considerable executive authority and powers to the holder of the post to enforce martial law in the country in an events to ensure the continuity of government. This office has been used mostly by military officers staging a coup d'état. On some occasions, the office has been under a civilian head of state.

Pakistan

Some famous holders of this post in Pakistan include:

PortraitName(birth–death)Term of officeNotes
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1Ayub Khan
27 October 19588 June 1962Field Marshal Ayub Khan held the post under President Iskandar Ali Mirza.
2Bakhtiar Rana
Lt. Gen. Bakhtiar Rana: held the post of Chief Martial Law Administrator West Pakistan
3Yahya Khan
25 March 196920 December 1971General Yahya Khan held the post simultaneously as the President of Pakistan.
4Tikka Khan
19691971Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan was appointed Chief Martial Law Administrator of West Pakistan in 1969 and of East Pakistan in 1971 by Yahya Khan.
5A. A. K. Niazi
1971Lt. Gen. A. A. K. Niazi was appointed Chief Martial Law Administrator of East Pakistan in 1971 by Yahya Khan.
6Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
20 December 197114 August 1973Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became the first civilian to hold this post in Pakistan after the fall of East Pakistan.
7Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
16 September 197817 August 1988 General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq held this office under President Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry after overthrowing Prime Minister Bhutto.
8Pervez Musharraf
19992002General Pervez Musharraf held this office under President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar, although it was styled as "Chief Executive of Pakistan"[1]

Bangladesh

Some famous holders of this post in Bangladesh include:

  1. Brig. Gen. Khaled Mosharraf (1975): held this post in 1975 for four days after a bloodless coup only to be killed in a counter coup resulting from a popular uprising led by JSD leader retired Lt. Col. Abu Taher.
  2. Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (1975–76): held this post after Mosharraf's death while serving as the fifth president of Bangladesh.
  3. Maj. Gen. Ziaur Rahman (1976–79): succeeded to this post during Sayem's presidency until the withdrawal of martial law a year after being elected as president.
  4. Lt. Gen. Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1982-86): held this post after a coup until withdrawal of martial law in 1986.

Indonesia

In Indonesia, this post was briefly held by army chief Suharto, who seized power in 1966 and forced President Sukarno to resign in 1967. Sukarno had also enforced martial law during his tenure as President of Indonesia.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: 23 May 2014 . A coup in Thailand . DAWN . Editorial . 23 May 2014.