Ayub Khan: Pakistan's First Military Ruler

by Altaf Gauhar

As Information Secretary and the author of the phrase "Decade of Reforms", Altaf Gauhar was privy to information and writes about Ayub's authoritarian system of government and his attempt to lead the young nation towards modernization. This is the first insider account of Ayub Khan's 10 year
rule in Pakistan.

Genres: Pakistan, History, Politics

380 pages, Hardcover

First published October 24, 1996

Reviews

[Shuhan Rizwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

নিজেকে বাঁচিয়ে লেখা।

আড়াই।

[Osman]

Did not know Madr-e-Millat called Zulfy a philanderer and an inebriate

[Ather Sheheryar · Rating 1 out of 5]

shoddy sycophancy

[urwa]

i have not read this book and will likely not be reading it because i don't think my brain could handle 500 pages of ayub khan. but i read through some sections while researching a paper and what i will say is. you can open this book to literally any page and find something absolutely insane that ayub khan said. on that note, here is a collection of absolutely insane things that ayub khan said, because i don't really have anywhere else to share them (except my parents who i know are sick of hearing me complain about ayub khan), and maybe some stranger on goodreads will enjoy these one day who's to say.

We are a very difficult country structurally. We were not ready for reforms. Our laws were for a sophisticated society. We don’t know the value of freedom. Our people feel exposed and unhappy in freedom. Left to ourselves we would go back to slavery. Unfortunately there is no constructive public opinion. My greatest ambition was to transfer power in a democratic manner. My deepest disappointment when I met the opposition was that there was not one person among them who could rise above his self-interest. I doubt if in our political life we will have a good man for a long time. Thank God we have an army.

I have come to the conclusion all civil administration and constitutional authority in the country has become ineffective. I leave it to the Defense Forces of Pakistan, which today represent the only effective and legal instrument, to take full control of the affairs of the country. They alone can restore sanity and put the country back on the road to progress in a civil and constitutional manner.

There is now no institution except the armed forces which can save the country from chaos and ruin.

I have exhausted all possible civil and constitutional means to resolve the present crisis.

No East Pakistani is in a reasonable frame of mind.

I believe I have done my best. A lot of good has happened.

Ayub saw the country "behaving like a wild horse that had been captured but not yet tamed."

Politically, our people are immature. However, there are signs that after a couple of generations are reared in an atmosphere of freedom and suitable education on which we have launched, a national outlook will emerge. Until then we shall have to be continually on our guard, and may even have to do things to save people against themselves.

Ayub saw it as his moral and spiritual duty to "guide the thinking of the people" and to build them gradually into a united, progressive and strong nation. A strong central government, he said, was "an absolute must" and a strong government meant a strong executive, not dependent for its existence "on the whims of the legislature".

Martial law has been imposed "with great reluctance but with the fullest conviction that there was no alternative to it except the disintegration and complete ruination of the country." The previous civilian governments were "weak and irresolute" and they "looked on with masterly inactivity and cowardice and allowed things to drift and deteriorate and discipline to go to pieces."

bonus insane thing said by a US president:

The United States was a friend of all the smaller countries in South Asia and spinning the globe [Lyndon] Johnson growled: "If any big country tries to gobble up a smaller country, I will be there."

[Yahya · Rating 2 out of 5]

good

[Atif Shehzad · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books I have read about Ayub era. Comprehensive and contains excellent details of all major events and how events lead to his downfall and it was so well written that in the end it makes one feel saddened to see how once so powerful Ayub Khan left the president house without any notice.

This books changed my perspective about Ayub personality and I found him sincere to country. Also it brought in open all the dirty games played by ZAB and claiming all the goods for himself while leaving Ayub behind to pick up the mess after 65 war.

Must read for those who want to have detailed insight into event occurred during Ayub era.