Governor-General of Pakistan

representative of the British monarch in Pakistan

The Governor-General of Pakistan was the resident representative of King George VI in Pakistan from 1947 to 1952 and then Queen Elizabeth II ("Queen of Pakistan") from 1952 until 1956 when Pakistan was proclaimed a republic.

When Pakistan became an independent, self-governing nation in 1947, it, like post-independent India, provisionally continued to use the Government of India Act 1935, as its written constitution until a post-independence constitution could be drafted; by default this contemplated the continuation of the constitutional monarchy as a Commonwealth realm Dominion.

The monarch appointed a Governor-General, upon the advice of the Prime Minister of Pakistan to serve as de facto Head of State.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, considered Quaid-e-Azam ("Great Leader"), informed Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma: "when I am Governor-General the Prime Minister will do what I tell him to" -- however Jinnah's rapidly declining health made the issue moot.

After Jinnah's death the Governor-General of Pakistan continued to serve a larger role than the India Act prescribed, dismissing multiple Prime Ministers and consolidating power.

The office of Governor-General was replaced by the office of President of Pakistan when Pakistan became a republic in 1956. The then Governor-General, Iskander Mirza, became Pakistan's first president.

Colour Party
Independent / Republican Party
Pakistan Muslim League
Name Portrait Entered office Left office Date of Birth and Death Political party
1 Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
15 August 1947 11 September 1948 25 December 187611 September 1948 Muslim League
2 Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin 14 September 1948 17 October 1951 19 July 1894 - 22 October 1964 Muslim League
3 Ghulam Mohammad 17 October 1951 6 October 1955 20 April 1895 - 12 September 1956
4 Iskander Mirza 6 October 1955 23 March 1956 13 November 1899 - 12 November 1969 Republican Party