| Cabinet Name: | Central Government of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy |
| Incumbent: | 1956-1957 |
| Government Head: | Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy |
| Date Formed: | 12 September 1956 |
| Date Dissolved: | 17 October 1957 |
| Political Party: | Awami League Coalition members: Republican Party |
| Legislature Term: | 2nd Constituent Assembly of Pakistan |
| Jurisdiction: | Pakistan |
| Cabinet Number: | 6th |
| Opposition Party: | Muslim League |
| Opposition Leader: | I.I. Chundrigar |
| State Head: | Iskander Mirza |
| Successor: | Chundrigar government |
The Suhrawardy government also called the Suhrawardy administration was the sixth government and cabinet of Pakistan which was formed by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy on 12 September 1956 after the resignation of Chaudhry Muhammad Ali.[1]
The government was dominated by Bengali politicians from East Pakistan and members of the ruling Awami League. The Awami League joined a coalition with the Republican Party to form the government. Growing animosity between West and East Pakistan as well as between Suhrawardy’s coalition partners and his own party members led to Suhrawardy’s resignation and succession by the Chundrigar government in October 1957.
On 12 September 1956, the government led by HS Suhrawardy was established.[2] A significant conflict emerged between this administration and major business interests over maritime commerce between East and West Pakistan.[2] The Ministry of Commerce and Industry proposed the creation of a public Shipping Corporation to manage coastal trade, which was controlled by a few shipping tycoons.[2] This proposal aimed to address problems such as the black-market sales of shipping space by the Shipping Space Allocation Board and the significant foreign currency costs incurred by chartering foreign vessels due to the insufficient capacity of private ships to handle the entire coastal trade.[2]
The Economic Appraisal Committee of the Central Government and the First Five Year Plan drafters had both recommended the establishment of a Shipping Corporation.[2] However, when the proposal was advanced, it faced strong opposition from the Pakistan Ship-owners' Association and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries, supported by industrialist Yusuf Haroon, a member of the National Assembly.[2] In contrast, traders and industrialists from East Pakistan generally supported the initiative.[2]
The opposition escalated as the Pakistan Ship-owners' Association conducted a campaign against the proposed National Shipping Corporation, labeling it as monopolistic through advertisements in major national newspapers.[2] These ads questioned the move's implications for a free society.[2] The sustained opposition contributed to Suhrawardy's resignation, as influential business groups and Republican landlords persuaded President Iskander Mirza to demand and accept his departure from office.[2]
The government was originally founded when the President, Iskander Mirza who himself was from the Republican Party, invited the Awami League to form the central government that appointed Huseyn Suhrawardy as the Prime Minister.[3] Despite Mirza and Suhrawardy both being Bengalis and hailing from West Bengal, the two leaders had very different views of running the central government and both leaders were in brief conflict, causing harm to the unity of the nation. Prime Minister Suhrawardy found it extremely difficult to govern effectively due to the issue of One Unit, alleviating the national economy, and President Mirza's constant unconstitutional interference in the Suhrawardy’s administration.
President Mirza demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Suhrawardy and turned down his request to seek a motion of confidence in the National Assembly. Threatened by President Mirza's dismissal, Prime Minister Suhrawardy tendered his resignation on 17 October 1957 and was succeeded by I. I. Chundrigar but he too was forced to resign in a mere two months.[4]
| Minister | Portfolio | Period | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=center style="background-color: | H. S. Suhrawardy | 1. Defence 2. Kashmir Affairs 3. States & Frontier Regions 4. Economic Affairs 5. Law 6. Refugees & Rehabilitation 7. Education 8. Health | 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 12 September 1956 to 13 December 1956 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 12 September 1956 to 17 September 1956 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 | Awami League | |
| align=center style="background-color: #6495ED" | Feroz Khan Noon | Foreign Affairs & Commonwealth Relations | 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 | Republican | |
| align=center style="background-color: | Abul Mansur Ahmad | 1. Commerce 2. Industries | 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 | Awami League | |
| Syed Amjad Ali | Finance | 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 | |||
| Muhammad Abdul Khaleque | 1. Labour 2. Works | 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 | |||
| Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur | Interior | 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 | |||
| A. H. Dildar Ahmad | 1. Food 2. Agriculture | 12 September 1956 to 18 October 1957 | |||
| Amir Azam Khan | 1. Information & Broadcasting 2. Parliamentary Affairs 3. Law | 12 September 1956 to 5 September 1957 12 September 1956 to 5 September 1957 13 December 1956 to 5 September 1957 | |||
| Syed Misbahuddin Hussain | Communications | 18 October 1957 to 16 December 1957 | |||
| Mian Jaffer Shah | 1. States & Frontier Regions 2. Information & Broadcasting | 18 October 1957 to 16 December 1957 | |||
| Abdul Aleem | 1. Rehabilitation 2. Works | 18 October 1957 to 24 October 1957 24 October 1957 to 16 December 1957 | |||
| Yusuf Haroon | 1. Kashmir Affairs 2. Parliamentary Affairs | 18 October 1957 to 16 December 1957 | |||
| Lutfur Rahman Khan | 1. Health 2. Education | 18 October 1957 to 16 December 1957 | |||
| Farid Ahmad | Labour | 23 October 1957 to 16 December 1957 | |||
| Minister | Portfolio | Period | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haji Moulabuksh Soomro | Rehabilitation | 24 October 1957 to 16 December 1957 | |
| Akshay Kumar Das | Commerce | 5 November 1957 to 16 December 1957 |