| Convention Muslim League | |
| Native Name: | کنونشن مسلم لیگ |
| Native Name Lang: | ur |
| Abbr: | CML |
| Leader: | Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman[1] |
| President: | Ayub Khan (1963) |
| Colorcode: |
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| Abbreviation: | CML |
| Split: | PML |
| Merged: | PML(F) |
| Ideology: | Conservatism Pro-Ayub Khan Secularism |
| Symbol: | Rose |
| Country: | Pakistan |
The Convention Muslim League (CML) also called Pakistan Muslim League - Convention was a faction of the Pakistan Muslim League that split-off in 1962, in support of the military regime of the President of Pakistan, General Ayub Khan.[2] The opposition party was known as the Council Muslim League. Convention Muslim League contested presidential election of Pakistan held in 1965. CML's electoral symbol was a rose. A convention of Muslim League held in Karachi in September 1962 which was presided by Nawab Muhammad Amin, who was supporter of the 1962 constitution. Ch Khaliquzamman was selected as the chief organizer. The purpose of the Party was only to give political platform to CMLA Ayub Khan. This party was in power for 7 years but could not get the public's appreciation. This party was a composition of the Elite class of Pakistan. Some sources say that Ch Khaliquzamman said that there is no place of democracy in Islam. This party's constitution was also referred to as non democratic in which except of the President, all other members were selected instead of being elected. This party went into decline after the end of Ayub Khan's Regime. Ayub Khan resigned as a president from the party on 31 December 1969 and transferred the party's powers to Fazal ul Qadir Chaudhary. Chaudhary tried his best to revive the party but failed.[3]
The Convention Muslim League was formed on the basis of support for politician and military general Muhammad Ayub Khan in 1962. Ayub Khan's military presidency started in 1959,[4] he wanted authority over the Muslim League. He also wanted to form his own political party. Ayub called for a large convention between the Muslim League and Republican Party leaders to form his new political party and adhere to his new constitution, Ayub Khan took leadership of the Muslim League in 1962 and renamed the party to the Pakistan Muslim League. His Industrialist, Western style policy made him Liberal and Secularist in the eyes of many 'Pakistan' Muslim League leaders, therefore he was deeply unpopular and the party splintered, some who favored Ayub Khan and some who did not.[4] Ayub Khan used the Convention Muslim League as his ruling party to gain legitimacy in order to seem as a follower of the democratic process during his martial law.[5]
Ayub Khan was generally considered by many Islamists on the Far-right as a Liberal, due to his Western attire and somewhat Secular policies. At the same time though, the Convention Muslim League was made up of many Muslim Conservatives - having been splintered from the conservative Pakistan Muslim League. The party did not unilaterally reach a consensus on the Conservative-Liberal stance, instead the party mainly focused on Industrialism, supporting the economic and social growth of Ayub Khan's tenure.[4] By supporting Ayub Khan, the party indirectly supported military rule, but their main reason for supporting Ayub Khan was for his positive economic and Industrial policies as well as a modernist outlook.[4]