The governor-general of Pakistan ( ur, ) was the representative of the Pakistani monarch in the

Dominion of Pakistan Between 14 August 1947 and 23 March 1956, Pakistan was an independent federal dominion in the Commonwealth of Nations, created by the passing of the Indian Independence Act 1947 by the British parliament, which also created the Dominion of ...

, established by the

Indian Independence Act 1947 The Indian Independence Act 1947 947 CHAPTER 30 10 and 11 Geo 6is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that partitioned British India into the two new independent dominions of India and Pakistan. The Act received Royal Assent on 18 Ju ...

. The office of governor-general was abolished when Pakistan became an

Islamic republic The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a theoretical form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been u ...

in 1956.

Constitutional role

Muhammad Ali Jinnah sitting on the Chair of Governer General wearing a Sherwani

Pakistan was one of the

realms A realm is a community or territory over which a sovereign rules. The term is commonly used to describe a monarchical or dynastic state. A realm may also be a subdivision within an empire, if it has its own monarch, e.g. the German Empire. Ety ...

of the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the C ...

that shared the same person as sovereign and head of state. The Pakistani monarch was represented in the dominion by the governor-general of Pakistan, who was appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Pakistani government. The Pakistani monarch and the Federal Legislature of Pakistan constituted the Parliament of Pakistan. All executive powers of Pakistan rested with the sovereign. All laws in Pakistan were enacted only with the granting of

royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in oth ...

, granted by the governor-general on behalf of the sovereign. The governor-general was also responsible for summoning, proroguing, and dissolving the Federal Legislature. The governor-general had the power to choose and appoint the Council of Ministers and could dismiss them under his discretion. All Pakistani ministers of the Crown held office at the pleasure of the governor-general. The governor-general of Pakistan was also exempted from any proceedings against him in any Pakistani court.

Oath of office

The governor-general of Pakistan was required to take an oath of allegiance to the Constitution of Pakistan as well as to the Pakistani monarch before being permitted to assume his seat. The oath of allegiance taken by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the first governor-general, was as follows:

List of governors-general of Pakistan

Following is a list of people who have served as governor-general of Pakistan.

Flag of the governor-general

Flag of the Governor-General of Pakistan (1947-1953).svg, Flag used from 1947 to 1953 Flag of the Governor-General of Pakistan (1953-1956).svg, Flag used from 1953 to 1956

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Governor-General Of Pakistan

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Pakistan and the Commonwealth of Nations Lists of political office-holders in Pakistan Pakistan history-related lists

Constitutional role

Oath of office

List of governors-general of Pakistan

Flag of the governor-general

See also

References